Wyze introduces a pay-what-you-want security camera plan

Leaves blowing, swings swinging, chickens clucking – were all identified as people, barraging us with alerts even when we had set it to only notify on “AI events” in an effort to cut down the notifications. A combination of spotty AI and only one activity zone meant that wyze home security we got constant alerts during testing when we had the camera outside. The Wyze app is a bit cluttered, especially if you have more than one device. As Wyze has grown so has its app, resulting in it being bloated and confusing in places – a problem the Ring app has too.

It’s really easy to accidentally knock them around or have your cat decide the cord is a toy. The magnetic mount, though, helps keep it solidly in place while you’re living around it. I put mine on the living room mantel to keep an eye on things, but note that these cameras are also rated for outdoor use.

Other cameras may offer a better resolution for clearer footage, but Wyze’s full HD video can upload more easily on slower wi-fi networks. The Wyze Cam v3 is weatherproof, but requires a power outlet rather than using a rechargeable battery so its outdoor use is certainly limited. However, a Cam Plus subscription is not required to obtain video recordings. Wyze provides this with the Cam Plus Lite, which costs as little as $0 but only provides up to 12 seconds of event video length with a five-minute delay between events.

It was an absolute home run, partly due to its incredibly low cost and rich features. After the company established itself, ambitious plans eventually yielded other fruitful smart home gadgets — such as the Wyze Lock and Wyze Scale most recently. Until now, Wyze cameras have captured 12-second clips as often as every five minutes when they detect an event, and those recordings are stored for up to 14 days. Wyze is moving that feature to its subscriptions, though, you’ll need to opt in to the Cam Plus or Cam Plus Lite plan to keep using cloud recordings. It supports back-to-back event recordings (instead of one every five minutes). Other features include full-length video recording for as long as motion is detected, and package, vehicle and pet detection.

The Wyze Cam v3 Pro uses the familiar cube-inspired design that we’ve seen from Wyze in the past. We decided to take a fresh look at the Ring Indoor Cam, but after two years of owning the camera, it died—with only a few months of actual use. We see that other owners have had this problem, which may be linked to a firmware update. We can’t recommend the Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired), although its predecessor was a pick.

This makes the OG less adorable-looking but a bit more functional with regard to positioning. It stands very easily on flat surfaces but can also be screwed to a wall, post, tree or the like. In general, you can prevent hacking by changing wyze home security the default password out for a stronger one and by using the Wyze app’s built-in two-factor authentication feature. Notably, Wyze’s statement on Thursday still includes no details of the vulnerability or what might have been at risk.

At $80 for the starter kit and $70 for an extra camera, the Cam Outdoor v2 is the most expensive security camera in Wyze’s lineup. It’s tough to predict how long the battery in your Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 will last, because it depends on how busy the area is. When it runs out, you need to bring it inside to charge, which means downtime, or take a portable charger out to plug in. Snag this Wyze solar panel with a 13-foot weatherproof cable so you don’t need to worry about charging your camera again. More potentially serious is that an additional post claims it is possible to view live, unencrypted video streams of Eufy cameras without needing to authenticate with a password first.