Wyze then gives you a list of products to choose from; select Wyze Cam v3 and follow the steps to add it to the app. If you plan to install a tripod mount or do any sort of more permanent installation, make sure to wyze thermostat test the quality of your Wi-Fi network in that spot before you start drilling holes. Also look out for models with some kind of weather resistance rating, so you can be sure it’s protected against the outdoors.
We’re hopeful that this will help improve the camera’s video quality, but we’ll have to wait and see. Jaime Fraze has 16 years of writing and editing experience, with seven years spent writing about emerging technologies. As our home security camera expert, she has hand-tested and reviewed every major security camera brand and has written more than 300 articles on the topic. Previously, Jaime has contributed to award-winning media outlets such as the Rocky Mount Telegram and the Daytona Beach News-Journal. As a homeowner and mother of two, Jaime is constantly looking for ways to keep her home and family safe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism from the University of Delaware.
For a few dollars less than our top pick, the Wyze Cam v3 can distinguish between people, pets, vehicles, and general motion, making it a great choice (especially for watching your pets). We’re especially impressed by how well the company supports its cameras with frequent updates and added or improved features. The Wyze Home Monitoring Service is Wyze’s first DIY security system with professional monitoring. As you might expect, it can work in tandem with Wyze security cameras and even includes Cam Plus cloud storage for a single camera as part of the $5 monthly price.
If this is your first Wyze camera you’ll need to download the app and set up an account — this takes all of five minutes. You’ll have to enter your personal information and go through some two-factor authentication, but once you’re up and running, getting the camera online is a breeze. Those prices are ridiculously low (I’ll show you exactly how ridiculously low later), but the question is, how does the technology perform? I installed the system and tried out the monitoring, and it was surprisingly solid — with one or two notable exceptions. If you want the sleek, hassle-free, integrated smart security experience of a professionally installed system, Wyze isn’t it.
All told, improved image quality is the big sell here, and imagery does indeed look outstanding day or night. At the $50 price level, you simply won’t find a camera with better image quality than this on the market. Just tap the camera on the homepage to get a live view, to speak to whoever is in front of the camera, or to take a quick snapshot. Under Settings, you’ll find options to tweak the motion and audio sensitivity and to adjust notifications, as well as to turn off audio recording, the video timestamp, or the status LED on the camera. Under Rules, you can create a schedule to turn the camera on and off based on the time of day, the location of your smartphone, or the status of other Wyze devices.
Because of the format-conversion process, Eufy’s storage service downgrades all cloud recordings to 1080p. Although that could be interpreted as a bait and switch, functionally we didn’t find that this trade-off mattered too much. The Eufy service costs $3 per month or $30 per year for 30 days of storage for one camera, and $10 per month or $100 per year for up to 10 cameras. It’s a pretty good deal compared with many camera subscriptions; Wyze’s Cam Plus, for example, costs wyze home security $3 per month per camera for 14 days of video storage, or $20 annually, but Wyze doesn’t offer a multi-camera plan. We have tested HomeKit Secure Video with several cameras now (including models from Eufy, Arlo, Eve, Logitech, and Netatmo), and although we love the privacy and security aspects, we don’t love the actual service. The Eufy interface is more user-friendly, and in every test we’ve run, we’ve found HomeKit recordings mislabeling pets as people (and vice versa).