I Usually Recommend Against Window Cameras. This Model Is an Exception
Benefits
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A security option for tenants
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Simple setup
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Low price
Disadvantages
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Camera and audio features don’t work as well on a window
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Limited specifications
Putting a security camera against a window is generally a bad idea. They are prone to glare issues and may have difficulty getting a good angle. But this new wired Wyze camera ($35) is specifically designed for viewing from a window, an alternative design for people who don’t have many security options — like the tenants who want to keep an eye on their car in a parking lot, or people who don’t have easy outside parking options.
CNET Did not recommend Wyze cameras Over the past two years, a call I made after repeated security breaches and privacy issues put users’ videos at risk. Since then, Wyze made security improvements and spent two years without incident, the time to start testing its products again. And what better starting point than this new concept?
I came away impressed with this window camera and how it fills a specific niche that might suit some users, especially those looking to save money or who wants to give a camera as a gift. Here’s what I found.
Camera build and quality
Wyze designed this camera kit specifically to work with Windows.
If you’ve used Wyze cameras before, the Windows Camera design will be familiar to you. It retains the compact, blocky shape of the Wyze camera, light and quite small to fit easily in the palm of your hand. However, it comes with add-ons specifically designed to place the camera on the window.
Wyze has always focused on simplicity. Connect the cable to this camera, plug it in and you don’t need to do much else. There’s a setup/reset button that I didn’t need to use, a small indicator light, and a slot for a microSD card, but that’s it. The lack of bells and whistles helps keep the price low on this affordable model, but you’ll need an outlet near your window to use it with the 10-foot cable.
The camera lens offers 1080p/HD resolution and a 120-degree field of view. These aren’t impressive specs compared to other cameras, but again, they help keep the price low. I found them suitable for basic viewing of my front yard and driveway, and the enhanced color night vision works really well on cloudy nights. I made sure my exterior windows were dirty for this test to see how it affected visibility, and learned that the camera still worked fine.
Setup and installation
Installing the Wyze camera peel and stick window is particularly simple.
How does Wyze approach a window attachment? My camera came with a peel and stick Velcro type pad to attach to a window, plus an extra just in case. Clean your window and stick the sticker, then you can use the pad around the camera lens to lock the camera on the hole. Again, Wyze’s simple approach is welcome, and because the camera is so light, there was no risk of my model falling, and the Velcro attachment proved sturdy.
You may be wondering if a window camera like this interferes with blinds or shades. I can’t speak for your window coverings, but my blinds come down easily over the camera without it ever being in the way. The mounting pad blocks a small portion of your window, so think carefully before placing it. Fortunately, this close-up locking method also helps reduce glare issues.
Application controls and settings
Wyze has a very good app, although some features require a subscription.
Wyze’s app is particularly simple and guides you through the setup process and hassle-free Wi-Fi connection. Between that and the easy Velcro window approach, the whole setup took me about five minutes – although you will need to create and confirm a Wyze account if it’s your first time.
Wyze’s menus are a bit complicated for a single camera, designed for a broader device ecosystem, but they’re easy enough to understand, divided into Favorites, Devices, and Automations, with a smaller menu devoted to different app sections like Events, Monitoring, Store, and Account.
Choosing the window camera in Devices or Favorites gives an immediate live view. After the first two pairings, I found that there was very little latency and the image was clear for its resolution. There is two-way audio support, but when used as a window camera it’s not very useful here, as it just picks up interior noises.
Automations add some functionality to the camera, but work best with other Wyze devices in-game.
When I accessed the settings, I found options to adjust the sensitivity to the motion that triggers the camera, choose which events are recorded, the type of notifications you receive, and other miscellaneous adjustments. Wyze’s experience shows well here, as the settings are both useful and streamlined, giving you plenty of options without making things too confusing.
This brings me to automations, which are more complicated, but allow you to set arming/disarming options for certain times of the day. It’s more useful if you can connect other Wyze devices and use them in concert, like turning on a smart porch light if the camera recognizes a person. If you stick only to this window camera, you probably won’t spend much time here.
And subscriptions?
Wyze offers more in-depth filters if you really want to customize.
The free version of Wyze Window Camera detects motion and can distinguish cars, pets, and people, but nothing more in-depth. Add a Cam Unlimited subscription for $10 per month and you get arm/disarm modes plus user-friendly facial recognition. User-friendly facial recognition isn’t very helpful here, as Windows cameras are rarely placed at a good angle to see faces and dirty windows can be a hindrance.
More value comes from the $20 Pro subscription, which adds 60 days of cloud storage and AI video searchone of the latest features to hit the security camera market. But as I noted above, the camera includes a slot for a microSD card to handle local storage of video clips. With this feature and how you get basic object detection for free, I think this camera is a nice option for those who don’t want to pay a subscription at all.
One more note on this subject object detection: I found it to work well, perhaps a little too reliable. The constant alerts of passing cars quickly became tiring, as did people walking their dogs. Fortunately, Wyze has included options to limit notifications and how they work, or to set up an automation that turns off notifications at certain times of the day.
Dive deeper with the right Premium membership and you can control filters for people, packages, pets as well as sounds like crying (less useful here) and gunshots or glass breaking (more useful).
Final Thoughts
The Wyze approach to Windows benefits from its simplicity.
I’m giving Wyze another chance, and if it can keep its security history as clean as it has been over the past couple of years, I think you’ll see its security features start to reappear in our best product guides.
For now, I can recommend this camera as an affordable and effective option for anyone who can’t use an outdoor camera but still needs to have outward-facing eyes. The app is easy to use and you’ll find plenty of ways to use this camera without a subscription, including the microSD storage option. Plus, setup only takes a few minutes and is simple for newcomers.
Just keep in mind that some features, like two-way audio and facial recognition, won’t work well with a window-mounted camera. If you want to explore further camera mounting optionstry my guide to the best battery powered cameras.
