Home security cameras are easy to install, easy to use, and incredibly affordable these days. They let you keep tabs on your home–inside and out–from wherever you have internet access. They can respond to motion, creating a visual record of everything that’s happened within their field of view, and high-end models can distinguish between people, pets, and even cars.
The latest security cams require minimal installation and offer flexible setups and a range of security features—so many features, in fact, that it can be difficult to decide what you need and which model you should buy. Should you get an outdoor camera with a space-illuminating floodlight and a weatherized shell, an indoor cam with AI-powered pet detection and a motorized lens that patrols the room, or something in between?
We’ve tested dozes of the top home security cameras available in real-world conditions, and we’ve distilled a list of the very best models. Whether you’re looking to check on your kids and pets, or need a full-service sentinel with humans watching for intruders in real time, we’ll help find the right security camera for your needs.
Best home security camera reviews
Arlo Pro 5S 2K – Best home security camera overall
Pros
- 2K video resolution
- B&W and color night vision
- Automatic zoom and tracking
Cons
- Subscription required for best features
- Requires hub to record video locally
- No Apple HomeKit support
Who should buy the Arlo Pro 5S 2K?
Easy to set up yet packed with cutting-edge features, the Arlo Pro 5S 2K is the best choice for a battery-powered 2K security camera that can track moving subjects, see in the dark, and connect to speedy 5GHz Wi-Fi networks–everything you need to keep an eye on your homestead. It’s also compatible with Alexa and Google Home, meaning you can view lives feeds on a smart display or set the camera to trigger home automations when it detects motion.
Arlo Pro 5S 2K: Further considerations
The Arlo Pro 5S 2K keeps the Arlo Pro series near the top of the market with such high-end features as dual-band Wi-Fi support, a low-power mode (which extends battery life by 30 percent by taking snapshots of detected activity instead of full video clips), and Arlo SecureLink technology, which provides a more secure connection to protect your data while further optimizing battery life. Just be sure to factor in the cost of an Arlo Secure subscription to get the most utility from this camera.
Read our full
Arlo Pro 5S 2K (model number VMC4060P) review
Nest Cam (battery, 2021) – Best security camera for Google Nest smart homes
Pros
- Offers the easiest setup in the industry
- Can be installed indoors or out
- Can operate on AC or battery power
Cons
- Anemic night vision
- Proprietary and too-short power cable
- Subscription required to get full value
Who should buy the Nest Cam (battery, 2021)?
Nest has long offered some of our favorite security cameras, and the Nest Cam (battery), redesigned in 2021, is a versatile offering packed with great features. Naturally, Google Home users will get the most out the battery-powered Nest Cam, while Alexa and Apple HomeKit users should steer clear.
The camera is supremely easy to set up, and it delivers fabulous performance under any lighting condition. Also, it can be deployed indoors or out. Finally, you’ll appreciate having three hours of event history stored on the device since you won’t have to pay for a subscription unless you want more history.
Nest Cam (battery, 2021): Further considerations
While the Nest Cam (battery) does boast on-device person, pet, and vehicle detection, a Nest Aware subscription is required to review recorded video events beyond the last few hours.
Note: Google also offers the equally excellent indoor-only Nest Cam (indoor, wired), which requires plug-in power (there’s no battery option), for $99.95.
Read our full
Nest Cam (Battery) review
Ring Stickup Cam Pro – Best indoor/outdoor home security camera for Ring/Alexa smart homes
Pros
- Excellent performance, indoors and out
- Radar-based motion detection
- Fantastic night vision, with the option of color
Cons
- You can have Bird’s Eye View or Pre-Roll, but not both
- Not fully compatible with Google Home or Apple HomeKit
- 1080p resolution
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Ring Stickup Cam Pro?
This indoor/outdoor camera is a no-brainer for any Ring customer looking to expand their home security coverage. Also, this camera has very strong night vision, with a color night vision option you might find you don’t even need. Yes, the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is limited to 1080p resolution, but enabling HDR delivers gorgeous color-saturated images.
Ring Stickup Cam Pro: Further considerations
If you need just a single camera and can get by without so many advanced features, you’ll find a bevy of less-expensive options. The also-excellent Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has a very similar set of features, but its onboard spotlight boosts its price a little higher.
Read our full
Ring Stick Up Cam Pro review
Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220) – Best value in indoor pan/tilt security cameras
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Onboard AI detection and tracking
- Budget price
Cons
- Requires continuous electrical power
- No Homekit support
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220)?
This product is a great starting point for anyone looking to protect their home with home security cameras. Unless you’re firmly in Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem–or you already have a lot of another brand of home security camera–the Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220) should be on your short list.
Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220): Further considerations
Cameras that have as many features and specifications comparable to the Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220) tend to cost a whole lot more than this budget-priced device does. It’s uncommon to get 2K resolution, onboard storage (albeit via a microSD card with a maximum capacity of 128GB that you must provide), and a pan/tilt motor for $35. It doesn’t support color night vision, either, but you can solve that shortcoming with a smart speaker and a smart bulb or smart light switch. This camera is a great value.
Read our full
Eufy Security Indoor Cam (model C220) review
Eufy SoloCam S340 – Best outdoor pan/tilt security camera
Pros
- Dual lenses deliver excellent image quality
- Subscription service is truly optional
- Included solar panel
Cons
- Eufy’s app can’t flip the camera’s feed
- Battery must be charged while inside the camera
- Provided USB-C charging cable is only 10 feet long
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Eufy SoloCam S340?
Anyone who needs to surveil large areas of property should consider this camera. That goes double for folks who hate the ongoing cost of a subscription to store your video recordings. Eufy has one if you want it, but it’s truly optional. The camera has 8GB of onboard storage, or you can spend another $150–plus the cost of a hard drive or SSD–and pick up the Eufy HomeBase 3, a NAS-like network storage device that can accommodate up to 16GB of encrypted storage.
Eufy SoloCam S340: Further considerations
If you’re looking for an outdoor surveillance camera that can operate without depending on AC power, the high-grade Eufy SoloCam S340 sports two high-resolution lenses: one is a 2K (2304 x 1296 pixels) telephoto, and the other is a 3K (2880 x 1620 pixels) wide-angle. And since it comes with a solar panel, you never need to worry about plugging it into a charger. A built-in motor enables the camera to pan a full 360 degrees and tilt over a 70-degree arc, and it will track the movement of anyone in its field of view. You can also program set up to four way points, so it will patrol a broad swath of your property.
Read our full
Eufy Security SoloCam S340 review
Wyze Cam v4 – Best budget indoor security camera
Pros
- Carries over the best features of its predecessor
- Crystal-clear image quality
- 24/7 recording to local microSD storage
Cons
- Dependent on hardwired power
- Subscription required to unlock all its best features
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Wyze Cam v4?
This is a great option for security shoppers on a budget. Wyze Labs continues to build outstanding home security cameras that deliver a whole lot of bang for the buck. Even following the expiration of Wyze Labs’ introductory offer, the $36 Wyze Cam v4 remains one of the best values in indoor/outdoor home security cameras.
Highlights include crisp, lively video quality, along with a smart sound detection feature can alert you to noises like a baby’s cry or a cat’s meow.
Wyze Cam v4: Further considerations
While this model doesn’t move the needle on video resolution compared to the Wyze Cam v3 Pro it replaces, you will get a faster Wi-Fi adapter (Wi-Fi 6), a microSD card slot that can host cards with twice as much capacity, and an even easier onboarding process. You’ll also want to sign up for a subscription plan to unlock all of its best features, but those are affordable, too, starting at $2.99 per month for a single camera.
Read our full
Wyze Cam v4 review
Blink Mini 2 – Best budget-priced indoor security camera runner-up
Pros
- Can be deployed indoors or out
- Extremely compact size
- Great video quality
Cons
- Subscription required to unlock all features
- Local storage requires separate purchase
- No audio detection
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Who should buy the Blink Mini 2?
Devoted Mini users and newcomers alike should find plenty to love with the Blink Mini 2. This camera is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s also visually discrete and easy to install anywhere there’s access to AC power–but you’ll need to purchase a weatherized power supply if you’re deploying outdoors.
Blink Mini 2: Further considerations
Amazon’s Blink Mini 2 brings more utility to the original Blink Mini with the addition of a weatherized enclosure, an LED spotlight for color night vision, person detection, and a wider field of view.
Read our full
Blink Mini 2 review
Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 – Best security cam/floodlight combo
Pros
- Dual cameras with pan/tilt motor
- LED panels produce up to 2,000 lumens
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 adapter
Cons
- Eufy doesn’t offer a strong home alarm system
- Local storage limited to 128GB
- So-so industrial design
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Eufy Floodlight Camera E340?
If you’re looking for a camera that can monitor a wide expanse of your property coupled with flexible floodlights to illuminate it, the Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 is the product to buy. This camera can distinguish between people, pets, and vehicles, and you can set it to track the movement of any combination of those things. This camera will also cost less over its useful life because you don’t have to pay for a subscription to view your video history.
Eufy Floodlight Camera E340: Further consideration
We’re growing increasingly fond of Eufy’s twin-lensed, pan/tilt security cameras. In this configuration, you’ll also get twin LED panels that produce a combined 2,000 lumens of brightness. For those times when you just want to enjoy an evening on the deck and don’t want it to look like a prison yard, those panels can be dimmed. The 3K wide-angle and 2K telephoto lenses capture crisp detail, and the pan/tilt motor they’re mounted to will cover every inch of your yard, panning 360 degrees and tilting over a 120-degree arc. Add up to a 128GB microSD card and you won’t need to worry about paying for a cloud storage subscription. Need more storage than that? Drop up to a 16GB hard drive or SSD in the Eufy HomeBase 3, park it on your network, and you can store your recordings that way.
Read our full
Eufy Floodlight Cam E340 review
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro – Best security cam/floodlight combo runner-up
Pros
- Unbeatable playback interface
- Birds-eye view of motion detection
- Affordable subscription plan
Cons
- No local storage
- Must be electrically hardwired
- So-so design
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro?
It’s expensive at $250, but anyone deep into the Ring home security or Ring smart lighting ecosystems should give the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro serious consideration. Just be prepared to connect this cam to hardwired power, and a Ring Protect plan–while not strictly mandatory–is essential for reviewing recorded video events.
Ring Floodlight Cam Pro: Further considerations
It doesn’t take much time using the Floodlight Cam Wired Pro to realize how incredibly powerful it is, starting with some of its impressive motion-detection features. The 3D Motion Detection with Bird’s Eye View feature is a game-changer. In addition to a great security camera, you also get dual floodlights that can illuminate your outdoor space with 2,000 lumens of brightness.
Read our full
Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro review
Blink Wired Floodlight Camera – Best budget-priced security camera/floodlight combo
Pros
- Ultra-powerful spotlight
- Easy hardware installation
- Super affordable
Cons
- Subscription required for video storage and person detection
- Limited flexibility when it comes to aiming its camera and floodlights
- Industrial design trails Nest and Ring
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera?
Need to have eyes on the outdoors while sticking to a strict budget? The Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is among the most affordably priced floodlight cams on the market, and it’s both easy to install and casts impressively bright light for the price.
Blink Wired Floodlight Camera: Further considerations
Blink’s floodlight cam offers run-of-the-mill video resolution, but extremely bright outdoor lighting and an amazingly affordable price tag. You’ll need a subscription to record video to get the most value from it, but those plans are affordable.
Read our full
Blink Wired Floodlight Cam review
Safemo Set P1 – Best solar-powered security camera kit
Pros
- Solar powered
- Excellent 4K image quality
- No cloud subscription required
Cons
- Time-consuming installation
- No HomeKit support
- Currently no Android app
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Safemo Set P1?
Thanks to its solar panels, the Safemo Set P1 can run almost indefinitely on solar power, making it ideal for those who want to install cameras in locations where wired power isn’t an option. Also, budget-minded shoppers will love that the Set P1 doesn’t require a cloud subscription for object detection.
Safemo Set P1: Further considerations
Boasting advanced features, ease of use, and expandability, the Safemo Set P1 is a great option of anyone looking for a reliable security camera system. While the initial setup may require some patience, once installed, the cameras deliver high-quality video with timely, accurate alerts.
Read our full
Safemo Set P1 review
Baseus S1 Pro – Best solar-powered security camera kit runner-up
Pros
- Solar panels track the sun
- Dual-lens cameras
- Base station includes 16GB of storage
Cons
- Expensive
- You can’t buy single cameras
- Can’t be integrated into a broader system
Best Prices Today:
Who should buy the Baseus S1 Pro?
The S1 Pro’s rotating solar panels and crisp 3K video make it a solid choice for those who want hassle-free home security without monthly fees. The upfront cost is steep, but the bundle includes two dual-lens cameras with solar panels, and a base station with 16GB of storage that can be expanded to 16TB.
Baseus S1 Pro: Further considerations
If you consider subscriptions for cloud storage to be anathema, and you want a security camera that delivers very high resolution with batteries that never need tending, the Baseus S1 Pro bundle’s dual lenses with up to 3K resolution and a base station with local storage could be just what you’re looking for. But if you think you might want more than two cameras, you should hold off until Baseus offers the cameras in singles without the base station.
Read our full
Baseus S1 Pro review
Other notable security cameras we’ve tested
The Baseus N1 security camera system lets you start with two cameras and a base station and add indoor or outdoor cameras as you need, but its digital zoom feature introduced significant visual distortion; the Deep Sentinel DS2 security camera system is a significant investment, but it offers proactive threat deterrence you can’t get from many other DIY security camera, including live agents who monitor the camera feed in real time; the indoor pan/tilt Eufy Indoor Cam S350 is outfitted with both wide-angle and telephoto lenses to deliver different views of the same scene simultaneously; the pan-and-tilt Noorio T110 provides a raft of security features and makes them easy to operate with a smartly designed app; the Reolink Argus 4 Pro’s dual lenses deliver an ultra-wide 180-degree field of view without suffering from fish-eye distortion; the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is an inexpensive but modestly appointed option for those in the Ring ecosystem; the Swann MaxRanger4K Solar Security System uses the 900MHz frequency band to communicate with the included hub, enabling a range of up to 2,000 feet; the SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 3K left us unimpressed; and the upgraded Wyze Cam Floodlight v2 now offers better resolution, stronger lights, and a lower price tag.
How we test home security cameras
Our security camera guides are based on testing by freelance and staff contributors with decades of combined experience. Our meticulous evaluation process takes place in real homes and begins the moment we unbox a camera.
We begin by timing the installation process as outlined in the camera’s user manual, noting any difficulties or special tools required. For indoor cameras, we evaluate their size, shape, and color options to evaluate how seamlessly they fit into various interior styles. For outdoor models, we note the camera’s material quality and IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which indicates resistance to dust and water. We then test video performance, audio quality, and motion sensitivity, while also considering the app interface, storage options, connectivity, smart home compatibility, and privacy issues.
To learn more, read our article about how we test home security cameras at TechHive.
Why you should trust us
TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing home security cameras for many years, and we regularly evaluate the latest hardware, along with their accompanying mobile apps. We’ve checked out wired security cameras, battery-power cameras, outdoor cams, floodlight cams, pan-and-tilt cams, and more. You can trust us to guide you to the right home security camera for your needs.
Who curated this article?
Michael Ansaldo is veteran consumer and business technology journalist. He’s been a contributor to TechHive since 2013, covering robot vacuums, home security cameras, and other smart devices. He previously served as PCWorld’s Small Business Editor, and his tech coverage has appeared in Wired, Macworld, Mac|Life, Mobile Magazine, Enterprise.Nxt, Executive Travel, and other publications.
How to choose the best home security camera
Most home security cameras perform the same basic functions—they detect an event, record the event, and send you an alert—but they don’t all perform them the same way. And some cameras have special features that go beyond those basics. Here are some common features you’ll encounter while shopping and why they’re important.
Alerts
Home security cameras push notifications to your smartphone when they detect events. Without watching the live feed all day, this is the only way to keep tabs on your home in relative real time. Depending on the camera, it may send text alerts when it detects motion, sound, a face (known or unrecognized), or all three. Some can send alerts to multiple people, usually anyone else in the household using that product’s app; others will send emails in addition to text messages as a failsafe in the event you can’t access your mobile device.
Battery backup
Power outages happen, and clever burglars cut electricity before breaking into your home. When that happens, your camera goes dark and, if there’s a crime taking place, you lose all forensic evidence. For this reason, some cameras can also run for a short time on battery power. It’s a feature worth looking for. There are also some models that run on battery power full time; you can either swap batteries as they’re depleted, or plug the camera into an AC outlet and recharge its battery that way.
Environmental monitoring
This is the feature that sets all-in-one home monitors apart from strictly security cameras. Though the home “vitals” that these units track vary by model—we’ve seen everything from motion to luminosity included in home health profiles—three tend to be ubiquitous:
- Temperature monitors for spikes and dips in indoor temperature and alerts when it falls outside a range you define.
- Humidity tracks relative humidity inside your home. Humidity outside optimal levels—usually defined as between 30 and 50 percent—can contribute to problems such as static electricity, sinus irritation, and mold growth.
- Air quality tracks pollutants ranging from cooking odors to carbon monoxide. However, most monitors don’t identify the pollutant in their alerts, merely warning that the air quality is “abnormal.” Because of that, this feature should not be considered a substitute for potentially life-saving devices like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
HomeKit Secure Video support
This is a subset of Apple’s smart-home initiative, and while you don’t necessarily need to be an avowed Apple user to benefit from HomeKit Secure Video’s privacy-enhancing features, you will need to sign up for an Apple iCloud account and have a HomePod, a HomePod mini, or an Apple TV 4K.
Where other types of security cameras send video to the cloud (often unencrypted), security cameras that support HomeKit Secure Video send thier video streams to one of those devices on your local network first. That device will process the video, performing tasks such as facial recognition and what have you, and then encrypting it before uploading it to your iCloud account. You can read more about HomeKit Secure Video on our sister site, Macworld.
Integrated spotlight
Like all cameras, home security cameras need adequate ambient light to capture clear images. While that is easy to come by during daylight hours, it’s in shorter supply as the sun goes down, often making it necessary to supplement with artificial ambient light. This can easily be accomplished with light fixtures inside your home and floodlights outdoors, but many cameras include an integrated spotlight that offers a few advantages.
Because the spotlight is built into the camera, it directly lights the scene the camera is viewing, enabling the clearest possible image capture. And integrated spotlights can be configured to be triggered by motion detection, so they only switch on when a possible intruder is in view, eliminating the need to keep your home or yard lit up all night. As a bonus, being suddenly caught in the white hot glare of a spotlight is often enough to scare an intruder away.
Local storage
Some cameras include memory-card slots in lieu of, or in addition to, cloud storage, so you can store video right on the device. It’s an attractive feature as it can eliminate the cost of monthly storage fees. The downside (if there isn’t a cloud backup) is that if crooks steal your camera, they take your forensic evidence with it.
Motion detection
Assuming you’re monitoring your home when it’s empty, motion detection is one of the most desirable features in a security camera. Built-in sensors pick up movement within the camera’s field of view and trigger video recording.
You’ll find an in-depth explanation of how motion detection works in this article.
Because these sensors can be sensitive to any movement—even a shift in lighting or leaves blowing outside a window—it’s important the camera system also offer the ability to narrow the range of detection, adjust the sensor’s sensitivity, or otherwise customize this feature to cut down on false alerts.
More and more security cameras now offer AI-powered motion detection that can identify people, pets, packages, and vehicles, allowing you to filter out such innocuous motion events as tree branches swaying in the wind or insects crawling across the camera lens. Such “advanced” motion-sensing functionality is often tied to a paid subscription plan, however.
Night vision
Most break-ins occur after dark, so this feature is nearly as important as motion detection. Technically, most home security cameras support infrared LED illumination, versus true night vision based on image intensification or thermal vision. Be that as it may, most cameras will switch to night vision automatically in low-light conditions, while others allow you to customize when and how it should be activated.
Increasingly, cameras are equipped with full-color night vision, which enables video footage to capture important information that IR night vision can’t such as the color of an intruder’s clothing or vehicle. These cameras use hypersensitive light sensors, such as Starlight image sensors, which can reproduce color images in dimly lit environments, some as low as 0.0005 Lux (for reference, 0 Lux indicates no ambient lighting). To increase battery efficiency, some models include both black-and-white and color night vision, defaulting to black-and-white in low light and switching to color only when motion is detected.
Pan/Tilt/Swivel
Most security cameras can be manually tilted and swiveled to focus on a certain viewing area, but this is a purely set-it-and-forget it feature. A true pan/tilt camera is equipped with a motor so that you can move its lens—or even follow a moving object if you’re watching a live feed—using its app or browser-based app. Some cameras can even track a person moving within their field of view.
Resolution
No amount of security video will help you if it’s blurry, jittery, or otherwise distorted. Look for a camera that offers the highest possible resolution. There was a time when 720p (often referred to as “high definition” or HD) resolution was the standard, but most newer cameras now support 1080p (often referred to as “full HD”). Some models provide even higher resoution (2K or 4K), but keep in mind that higher-res cameras use more internet and Wi-Fi bandwidth as well as battery life (where applicable). Many cameras also offer a software zoom feature (which is not the same thing as having a physical zoom lens).
Scheduling
Scheduling features allow you to tell the camera to turn on and off, detect motion, and/or send alerts at specified times. This is useful when you, say, only want to be notified when your kids get home from school or just want to monitor your home when you’re away. It also reduces the amount of false alerts. Cameras that support geofencing can do this based on the location of your smartphone, activating themselves when you leave home and turning themselves off to enhance privacy while you’re home.
Smart device integration
If you have a home full of smart devices, consider looking for a security camera or an all-in-one home monitor that includes a Z-Wave, Zigbee, or—eventually a Thread—radio that can connect them. Support for an automation service like IFTTT is also useful. This allows the camera or monitor to react to various scenarios, such as taking a picture when your Nest Protect detects smoke, or telling your Philips Hue smart bulb to turn on when unexpected sounds are detected.
Two-way audio
While the idea of a security camera implies eyes-on monitoring, the ability to also hear what’s going on gives you a more complete picture of what’s happening on the home front when you’re away. It can also alert you to something occurring out of the camera’s field of vision. This feature can also allow you to speak through the camera, a great tool for remotely commanding an unruly pet or startling an intruder in the act. On some very low-end models, you might need to plug in a powered speaker for this feature to work.
Viewing angle
The camera’s field of view determines how much it can see. As you’re probably monitoring a single room, you want a wide viewing angle. Most current cameras fall in the 130-degree range. These wide angles can sometimes cause image distortion at the edges in the form of a fisheye effect, particularly when used in smaller rooms, but it’s not like you’re going to use a security to capture snapshots for your photo album.
Frequently asked questions about home security cameras
What is the best security camera to buy for a home?
Easy to set up yet packed with cutting-edge features, the Arlo Pro 5S 2K is the best security camera for most people. This battery-powered 2K security camera can track moving subjects, see in the dark, and connect to speedy 5GHz Wi-Fi networks–everything you need to keep an eye on your homestead. It’s also compatible with Alexa and Google Home, meaning you can view lives feeds on a smart display or set the camera to trigger home automations when it detects motion.
What is the best cheap security camera for a home?
The $36 Wyze Cam v4 remains one of the best values in indoor/outdoor home security cameras. It offers crisp, lively video quality, along with a smart sound detection feature can alert you to noises like a baby’s cry or a cat’s meow.
What is the best home security camera without a subscription?
Among its many other virtues, the Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 supports local storage. Add up to a 128GB microSD card and you won’t need to worry about paying for a cloud storage subscription. For even more storage, drop up to a 16GB hard drive or SSD in the Eufy HomeBase 3 and put it on your network.
What is cloud video storage, and how much does it cost?
Many manufacturers offer cloud storage plans with their cameras. With one of these, your recorded video is sent to a remote server and stored for a predetermined time—usually anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks—and then deleted to make space for new videos. Though sometimes free, these cloud plans usually require a monthly subscription, but are worth it both for their convenience and if you want a surveillance record during a vacation or other extended time away from home. For more, check out our comparison of all the major security camera subscription plans.
Can security cameras recognize faces?
A few newer cameras are experimenting with facial recognition. This feature could more accurately be called “facial identification,” as in practice it’s much better at distinguishing a face from, say, a lamp, than it is at actually distinguishing between one person’s face and another’s. If you opt for a camera with this feature, know that it typically learns faces through increasing exposure to them, so be prepared to spend a lot of time in front of the lens.
Can you access a security camera over the web?
Many cameras can be accessed through a web portal. This is useful for times when you don’t have access to your mobile device or a wireless connection. The web app should closely mirror its mobile counterpart, so you don’t need to learn a whole new set of controls.
What’s the wireless range of a security camera?
One of the benefits wireless cameras offer is the ability to move them around your home. Ideally, your home security camera should be able to maintain a Wi-Fi connection no matter how far you move it from your router, even in a large home.
Some cameras come with an ethernet port as well, so you have the option of hardwiring it to your local network. A camera that supports power-over-ethernet (PoE) eliminates the need for an AC adapter and relies on just one cable (but your router or switch will also need to support PoE. Another alternative would be to use a PoE injector.)
If you’re deploying a security camera beyond the range of your Wi-Fi network, models that connect instead to the same LTE network that your smartphone relies on are a good option, but they’re generally more expensive and you’ll need to pay your cellular provider for a data plan.
Are security cameras vulnerable to hackers?
There have been plenty of headlines about hackers compromising home cameras, baby monitors, and other Wi-Fi devices to spy on people, so be sure to check what steps has each manufacturer taken to eliminate this problem.
Look for a camera that supports up-to-date wireless security protocols, such as WPA2, and make sure it encrypts internet transmission of your user name, your password, and the live feeds. Even better, opt for a security camera that supports end-to-end encryption, which ensures no third parties will be able to see your videos. Several security camera manufacturers, such as Ring, support end-to-end encryption.
Never install a security camera (or a router or any other device on your home network) without changing its default user ID and password, and be sure to employ two-factor authentication if available.
Can you access your securty camera using a smartphone?
Most of today’s home security camera’s are accessed primarily through a smartphone/tablet app. In addition to offering you a reliable way to view the camera’s live feed, it should offer plenty of options for customizing the way the camera performs. The ability to customize notifications, adjust motion and sound detection sensitivity, and set detection areas are some of the key features to look for. The app should also be intuitive and easy to master.