Ring peephole cam review

Editors Note: This is the most recent version of Ring Peephole Cam. Read our original review from October 4, 2019 below.

The Ring Peephole Cam ($129.99) is designed for apartment dwellers or those who use peephole lenses to see who’s at their door. This smart doorbell is completely wireless, easy to install and offers support for motion detection, video recording and Amazon Alexa voice commands. You can use it as a traditional peephole lens. It supports IFTTT applets and can be linked to other Ring devices, and it offers sharp day and night videos, all of which earn our Editors’ Choice for video doorbells.

Design and features

The peephole cam consists of an internal element and an external element. At 3.8 by 1.8 by 0.7 inches (HWD), the exterior is slightly smaller than the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, but uses the same basic design and black-and-silver color scheme. It has an IPX5 weather rating and includes a 1080p camera with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, three infrared LEDs for night vision, a motion sensor, a doorbell button surrounded by an LED ring, and a microphone and speaker for two-way audio. . It has a lens that allows you to use it as a traditional peephole.

The internals have a white coating and measure 4.4 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches. It has a removable lithium-ion battery pack that pops out and can be recharged using the supplied USB cable, an 802.11n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi radio that connects it to your home network, an impact (knock detection) A peephole tube with sensors and a sliding privacy cover.

When the doorbell is pressed, when motion is detected, or when someone knocks on the door, Peephole Cam will send a push alert to your phone and start recording video of the event. You can watch live video on demand. In comparison, the Brinno Duo Smart Peephole DoorCam only provides a still image of an event.

As with other Ring devices such as the Stick Up Cam and Video Doorbell Pro, you must subscribe to a Ring Protect plan to view, save and share video, which is stored in the cloud for 60 days. The $3 per month/$30 per year Basic plan covers one device, while the $10 per month/$100 per year Plus plan covers all your Ring devices and gives you 24/7 professional monitoring if you have a Ring alarm system.

Peephole Cam uses the same Ring Mobile app (for Android and iOS) as all other Ring devices. Once installed, it gets its own tab on the camera screen and is identified by name with a still image of recent activity. There are three buttons at the top of the screen for nearby events, history, and lights (the lights button only shows up if you have the Ring smart lighting device installed). Tap the Nearby Events button to view recent events reported by your neighbors using the Ring Neighbors app, and tap the History button to view all activity from your Ring device’s network. Tap any entry to view, download, or delete event videos.

When you tap the Peephole tab, you’ll be taken to a screen where you can view a timeline of recorded video with time stamps, or tap the Go Live button to view a live feed. To view videos in full-screen mode, turn your phone sideways or tap the square icon in the lower-right corner of the panel. At the very bottom of this screen are two buttons: the microphone button starts two-way audio so you can talk to whoever is at your door, and the speaker button mutes the sound.

To access doorbell settings, tap the gear button in the top right corner. On this screen you can enable/disable ring and motion alerts, configure motion and video settings, enable push alerts, configure knock detection settings, and link peephole cams to other ring devices. This allows peepholes to trigger recordings on other ring cameras and turn on ring lights. Other settings allow you to adjust ringer volume, link Peephole to a ring chime, share access to Peephole with other users, and temporarily snooze motion alerts.

The Peephole Cam supports IFTTT applets that allow it to work with other compatible devices such as third-party lighting systems, door locks, and sirens, and it supports Amazon Alexa voice commands that let you view video from the camera on an Amazon smart display. or Fire TV devices. It also supports the Works with Ring initiative that lets you control certain locks, lights and smart plugs from within the Ring app.

Installation and performance

Peephole Cam is easy to install. Get started by charging the battery, downloading the Ring app and creating an account. Open the app and select Set a device from the drop-down menu on the left, then select Doorbell from the list. Scan the QR code located on the setup sheet and choose a location for installation (your home address). Give the doorbell a name (Front Door, Back Door, Office or Custom) and tell the app if you’ve already installed the device. If not, follow the detailed on-screen video and text instructions to replace your existing peephole lens with the camera.

Use the included tool to remove your peephole lens and insert the outer unit into the empty peephole. If the hole is much wider than the outer unit tube, you can use the included adapter tube for a more snug fit. Make sure the data cable is inserted without any kinks or kinks. Next, remove the cover from the indoor unit, slide it over the tube (again, make sure the cable isn’t damaged) and use the tightening nut to connect the two units. While doing this you need to hold the outdoor unit and make sure both units are straight before fully tightening the nut. Next, snap the data cable into the slot and use the cable’s plastic tab to eliminate any slack.

Insert the battery pack and when the doorbell button LED starts spinning, press OK. Allow the doorbell to join the network, then select your home network SSID to connect to your Wi-Fi. Once connected, a voice prompt will tell you so and you’ll be prompted to run an Internet connection test and configure motion detection and privacy settings, but you can skip these and configure them later if you want. Snap the inner cover into place and you’re ready to go.

The Peephole Cam test delivered sharp 1080p video, showing bright colors during the day and black-and-white images at night. As was the case with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, there was some barrel distortion around the edges, but the viewer’s images were unaffected. Motion and doorbell alerts arrived immediately, and recorded video was just as sharp as the live feed

An Amazon Fire TV Stick display uses video commands from the Alexa camera to put on a TV, as does my IFTTT applet when pressing the doorbell to turn on Philips Hue lights. Two-way audio was clear and loud, and the knock detection feature worked as advertised, sending a push alert and recording a video when someone knocked on the door.

Conclusion

Whether you live in an apartment complex, a dorm room, or any residence equipped with door peepholes, the Ring Peephole Cam offers an easy way to see who’s in the hallway from your phone without having to go anywhere near the door. It installs in minutes and will work with many other smart devices via IFTTT, and you can have it trigger other Ring cameras in your home. When the doorbell is pressed, it will detect motion and send a knock alert when someone knocks on your door, and it will record a video clip of the activity, but you’ll need to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan to view and share video clips. That said, $3 per month for 60 days of video storage is very reasonable, and doesn’t stop the Peephole Cam from earning an Editors’ Choice award for smart doorbells.