The Ring Peephole Cam keeps renters aware with no drilling or wires (2024)

Theft is one of my main fears about using security cameras. Whether it's to disable the device or profit from the camera itself, it's a legitimate, costly concern. And many outdoor security cameras make removal quite easy, attaching to their mounts via a magnet, a simple clip-in mechanism, or one measly screw — all methods that could be undone in the blink of an eye.

That's why some cameras, like the Ring Peephole Cam, instill more trust than others. This camera uniquely adheres to front doors via an existing peephole, a setup that doesn't work for everyone but is highly rewarding for those it does.

Best value

Ring Peephole Cam

8/ 10

Ring offers drill- and wire-free surveillance with the Peephole Cam. As its name suggests, the Peephole Cam mounts into a door's existing peephole and includes a standard peephole lens for glances at your front stoop without pulling the camera's live feed. Despite being relatively affordable and ridiculously easy to install, the Peephole Cam offers all the features you expect from a security camera, including 10890p video, two-way audio, and custom motion settings.

Pros

• No wires, screws, or drills needed
• Renter-friendly
• Theft resistant

Cons

• Limited field of view
• Screen and storm doors will hinder visibility
• No free storage

$130 at Amazon$130 at Ring

Price, availability, and specs

The Ring Peephole Cam retails at $130 and is widely available. You can likely snag it from your preferred electronics retailer. Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Ring, Dell, and even Kohl's are all examples of retailers where the Peephole Cam is sold online.

What’s good about the Ring Peephole Cam?

Tool-free install and a community-focused companion app

The Peephole Cam's unique mounting approach is its biggest strength. Even wireless security cameras still require some sort of tool-based installation, and many users are daunted by the idea of drilling holes into siding or door frames. There are some exceptions, like the Wyze Cam v4, which ships with an optional magnetic or 3M adhesive-backed mounting bracket. I'd be cautious of using this outside, though, where the elements compromise the adhesive's strength over time, and thieves can simply yank the camera off its sticky- or magnetic-backed base.

Ring's app offers a clear, illustrated guide to camera installation, and I had the device up and running within 10 minutes. Activating the camera kicks off a 30-day Ring Secure trial, offering users a taste of cloud storage, event history, rich notifications, and package detection. Package detection worked consistently when a delivery driver stood in front of my door, box in hand, but lost sight of the box when it was tucked up near the door.

I like the communal component of the Ring app, called Neighbors, which connects nearby Ring users to alert others of a lost pet or share a Ring camera clip of a bicycle being stolen. (The in-app advertisem*nts are a bit over the top, though, dominating half of my dashboard. These built-in adverts aren't uncommon on home security apps, but I've never seen some quite so brazen as Ring's.)

Here are two more notable features: knock detection and audio opt-out. With knock detection, the Peephole Cam detects when a visitor is knocking versus ringing the camera's doorbell. And the option to disable audio recording is a nod to the privacy of other apartment or condo dwellers who may walk past the user's front door. The in-app privacy zones also allow the user to shield certain areas from the camera's field of view. This is a great option if, for example, your camera catches the inside of a hallmate's apartment when their door opens.

The Peephole Cam's core features, including the two-way talk and battery life met expectations. I could clearly hear and speak to delivery drivers with the cam's mic and speaker. If you want to do things the old-fashioned way and look out a peephole, Ring's cam still offers that, plus a privacy shield to prevent people from using the peephole in reverse.

Ring says to expect about two months of battery life out of the Peephole Cam. This isn't super competitive with other video doorbells, the battery life of which often reaches four months, but isn't surprising given the Peephole Cam's smaller battery. My Peephole Cam performed true to this estimation, petering out after about 7.5 weeks of use.

What’s bad about the Ring Peephole Cam?

There are more powerful options if you have the need (and the means)

See Also

Wyze Cam Pan v3 | Remotely Spins 360°, Tilts 180°. Security Cam, Baby Monitor, Pet Cam

My experience with the Ring Peephole Camera was an overwhelmingly positive one. Setup is far easier with an extra set of hands, but still plenty simple and quick. An unfortunate drawback to my using the Peephole Cam was the decreased visibility due to my glass storm door, especially in direct sunlight. A reflection of the camera itself was the biggest disruption to the lens' view, which made seeing faces at further distances difficult and was also just a bit annoying. This isn't a direct fault of the Peephole Cam but something to keep in mind if you also have a screen door or storm door.

Even when I propped the storm door out of the way, the Peephole Cam started to lose a lot of face detail at about 6 to 8 feet, making it an underperformer compared to other cameras I've used. Its 90-degree horizontal field of view is much narrower than other cameras, as well.

So you should simply keep the Peephole Cam's limitations in mind; it's best used in apartments with narrow halls where a passerby is never more than a couple of feet away or at a home where the only surveillance that concerns you is what's happening immediately outside your front door. You won't have a problem seeing a porch pirate or solicitor knocking on your door, but the details of someone pulling on your car door handle 12 feet away will be quite fuzzy.

Ring is sadly one of a couple home security brands earning my bemusem*nt for not providing any free video storage cache, no matter how small. (Google Nest cams, on the other hand, get a few hours of free storage, and a number of competitors offer onboard microSD slots.) That said, Ring's Basic subscription tier is very affordable at $5 monthly, and covers several months' worth of video cloud storage. Assuming you don't want "advanced" or "enhanced" features that Ring touts at the higher subscription tiers, the $5 Basic subscription will serve you well.

Should you buy it?

A strong recommendation for beginners and tenants

The perfect shopper for the Ring Peephole Cam is a very specific one. It's best for those renting their homes or apartments, or those just new to smart homes and home security and shy away from busting out the drill and wires. But the door must fit the camera's required specifications, and there isn't a door knocker or mail slot that will obstruct the camera.

Despite a rocky start, when Ring launched the quite overpriced ($200!) Peephole Cam in 2019 and discontinued the device two years later, I commend Ring for bringing the Peephole Cam back last year. It was especially prudent to give us a more reasonable price point. This product reaches an important subset of consumers, those who are bound to a landlord's rules and miss out on home security opportunities because of it.

Best value

Ring Peephole Cam

8/ 10

Despite its limitations, the Peephole Cam is an excellent home security choice for renters and home security beginners who are nervous about drilling holes and running wiring. Featuring 1080p video, the Peephole Cam keeps sharp eyes on porch pirates and solicitors.

$130 at Amazon$130 at Ring