7 Ways a Smart Doorbell Can Improve Home Security

Key Takeaways

• Smart doorbells allow you to remotely monitor your front door (or answer it) from anywhere with two-way audio so you can interact with visitors and delivery people.
• Motion detection features can automatically capture activity and send you an alert or simply save the footage for later review.
• The ability to record and review footage provides peace of mind, with cloud and local storage options.

Smart doorbells are a practical way to add an extra layer of security to your home, as well as adding effortless convenience to your everyday life. Here are seven ways in which a smart doorbell can help improve your home security setup.

Remote Monitoring

One of the most obvious things to look for when buying a smart doorbell is its remote monitoring capabilities. The main benefit of having a smart doorbell is being able to easily see who is at the door from wherever you are, and with remote monitoring, you don’t even need to be at home to check.

Most smart doorbells provide a live camera feed of your doorstep, meaning you can check in remotely at any time, using your smartphone, or another smart display.

When you’re at home and an unexpected guest comes calling, you can check the camera feed first, before deciding whether to open the door. If it’s somebody you don’t know, you can leave the door unanswered, and avoid any interactions that you don’t want. And if you’re away from home, you’ll appreciate the peace of mind that remotely monitoring your property provides.

Motion Detection

Most smart doorbells include a motion detection function, which is triggered by any activity within its range. So no matter whether it’s friends or family calling, an Amazon delivery, or next door’s cat on the prowl, you’ll receive an alert once their presence is detected.

Motion detection on smart doorbells works by monitoring the difference in the number of pixels between consecutive frames. So once the video feed’s usual frame of reference becomes disrupted, you’ll be notified. This action will also prompt the camera to spring to life, and it will record footage of any movement outside, which can be a useful deterrent for any potential intruders.

Most smart doorbells will allow you to adjust their motion detection range too, allowing you to set the parameters to capture movement in the desired area.

The biggest deterrent to any would-be burglars is a smart doorbell’s ability to record visual and audio footage from your doorstep. However it’s worth noting that you may be required to pay for an additional monthly subscription to unlock this service.

Usually, the camera will be triggered once motion has been detected via your doorbell, as opposed to recording footage 24/7. You’ll receive an alert as soon as the camera kicks in, and you can then access the footage immediately and review its content.

Some doorbells allow recorded footage to be automatically stored locally (a great way to avoid subscription fees), or else it will be uploaded remotely to a cloud server. For instance, Ring doorbell owners (who have a subscription plan in place) can store video footage for up to 60 days using the camera’s internal storage function.

This functionality makes it easy to keep tabs on what’s going on outside your home and can give you the drop on any undesirables lurking outside your door, who may be scoping the place out, or looking to steal any unsupervised packages.

Plenty of smart doorbells can capture video footage in 1080p HD video quality, providing crystal clear video capture of any visitors. In the (hopefully) unlikely event of a break-in, any such footage could prove to be invaluable evidence for law enforcement. Similarly, footage from a smart doorbell might also capture useful images of other crimes (such as car theft or package theft) from neighboring properties.

Plenty of smart doorbells have night vision capabilities as well, meaning any criminal activity that takes place under cover of darkness won’t go undetected. With night vision capture, your smart doorbell can zero in on any suspicious nocturnal activity that may be taking place, providing you with relevant visual evidence at any time of day.

Real-Time Smartphone Alerts

Real-time alerts from your smart doorbell to your smartphone will alert you as soon as someone approaches your door.

Once installed, your smart doorbell will be connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network, allowing it to communicate with your smartphone or tablet. This ensures that you’re never caught off-guard by an unexpected call, and can take immediate action, regardless of whether the caller is familiar or unfamiliar.

In addition, you can issue simple commands through your smart doorbell’s two-way audio function for home deliveries, or use it to discourage any unwelcome guests.

Two-Way Audio

The ability to speak to visitors at your door through two-way audio can be particularly advantageous to smart doorbell owners. You can provide verbal instructions to delivery people remotely, or from inside the property, without having to open the door.

We’ve probably all experienced the frustration of missing the odd delivery now and then when we’re away from home, or unable to get to the door. With two-way audio, you need never miss another delivery again, no matter if you’re home or away.

Plus, should any unwelcome ne’er do well happen to approach your door and start sniffing around, you can use your smart doorbell’s two-way audio function to speak to them without having to be at home. Using this feature, you can convince them that you’re at home, and deter them from any unsavory activities, moving them on without any risk to your security.

Smart Device Integration

Smart doorbells can be integrated with your existing smart home devices, which can help to add an extra layer of security to your home.

For example, you can set up various automations with connected smart devices, such as outside lighting that switches on once the doorbell’s motion sensors are triggered, or have your Alexa or Google voice assistant announce when someone is at the door.

You can even use your Amazon Alexa or Google Nest to broadcast the footage from your smart doorbell onto your smart display or cast it to your smart TV. Integrating your video doorbell with your smart home ecosystem makes it even easier to keep an eye on things, and provides a welcome boost to your home security setup.

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Whether you’re looking to beef up general security around your home, or simply want to avoid answering the door to cold callers, a smart doorbell offers a convenient way to achieve both aims. By providing remote app control, two-way audio, and a host of other useful features, investing in a smart doorbell makes it easy to keep tabs on who’s knocking at the door.

There are also options for anyone looking for smart home security alternatives to a doorbell.