Security cameras are great tools, but you also need to protect your security from those cameras. You don't want to find out that a stranger has been watching you sit in your bathrobe bingeing trash TV for the third day in a row, or worse. If you follow these tips, you can be a vigilant and conscious consumer and still feel like your home is protected while you're away.

• Avoid no-name cameras: If you type "security camera" into Amazon’s search bar, you’ll come up with hundreds of cheap options from brands you’ve never heard of. We don’t feel comfortable recommending these for a product with real privacy risks. You should always go with brands that clearly outline their privacy policies and make it easy to set up security protocols. That doesn't mean they can't be hacked—Wyze, Nest, and Ring have all had breaches—but you probably won't be hung out to dry by a brand that disappears the moment something happens.
• Use a strong password and set up two-factor authentication: Setting a strong password that you don't use for anything else is extremely important. You should also change the password for your Wi-Fi network from its default, if you haven't already. Set up two-factor authentication as soon as you create an account with the camera brand you've bought. It will make it harder for a hacker to gain access to your device, even if they do figure out your password.
• Keep it updated: Make sure you're frequently checking for software updates (for your camera and router) that can patch any security issues that may have come up. Set your camera to auto-update if possible.
• Turn it off: When you're home, or at least when you're doing something personal you wouldn't want someone to see, turn the camera off. Some cameras have a physical shutter that you can close. You could also turn the camera around for good measure.

I prefer cameras that pan (see many choices below), but this one from Cync (9/10, WIRED Recommends) beats out everything else with one important feature: a shutter that covers the camera lens when you don't want it watching—or listening!—to you. Plus, the app has two-factor authentication, and you can't opt out of it. That's a good thing. 

Live video feed is pretty sensitive information, so if you're going to invite a camera into your home, it's wise to take some precautions. You can turn your cameras around, turn them off, or unplug them, but the shutter here makes it easier. Slide the shutter up when you're home and you see bright red plastic and a crossed-out camera symbol, and the lens sees nothing. Ready for it to monitor? Slide it back down. Cync (formerly C by GE ) is affordable, and the app is easy to use. You don't have to be a rich tech wizard to figure it out.

However, it doesn't offer any free storage the way Wyze does. To get more than a live view, you'll need to get a MicroSD card or sign up for a cloud subscription.

Security cameras that pan horizontally and tilt vertically are great, because you see much more of a room without sticking cameras in every corner. Wyze's updated Cam Pan V2 has an unbeatable price and free 14-day cloud storage—nearly every other device here requires a MicroSD card or a cloud subscription. The V2 now has color night vision, versus its predecessor's black and white. The company also says its motion tracking has improved. (We never noticed much of an issue with older cameras.)

Wyze records 12-second clips when it detects motion and has crisp two-way audio, plus there's a siren you can trigger to scare away intruders. If you want longer clips with no breaks in between, or package or pet detection, you can subscribe for $2 a month. Wyze has optional home monitoring for just $5 a month, if you want to upgrade your system with more cameras and sensors. That's a fraction of what other services cost. Wyze also works in conjunction with the Noonlight app we love.

Note: This camera model was one of those affected by the security flaw that Wyze failed to fix or report to customers for three years—a story that may give you pause in choosing a Wyze device. (Here's the official Wyze response).

Nooie hits all the marks for a good camera: accurate motion detection, two-way audio, 1080p video, and two-factor authentication for extra security. Plus, its matte, off-white coloring will blend in with your modern decor.

Its only downside is that it doesn't have any way of storing clips without having to subscribe to its cloud service (or you can supply your own MicroSD card). Like all panning cameras I tried, including the Wyze above, it can't swivel a complete 360 degrees. Instead, if you go all the way to one side of the room, you have to turn it back to get to the other end, which is annoying. Also, it doesn't have pet detection, which would cut down on unnecessary motion-detection notifications.

The naming conventions are also confusing. We confirmed that the versions sold at Amazon and Walmart as a pet camera and baby monitor, respectively, are the same as this one, just more expensive. I'd order it directly from the company unless you find it on sale.

Pet detection is a nice feature in security cameras, but this cam from Eufy includes pet commands. Set an activity zone, like the living room couch, and when the camera detects your dog or cat in that zone, it activates a recorded audio message. The pet will hear its parent's voice telling them to stop scratching the furniture, or something comforting if they're anxious and tend to whine at the door when you're gone.

Unfortunately, you have to use a separate security app rather than the one you might use to control other Eufy smart home products, like its smart plugs and robot vacuums. That's confusing and annoying if you already own other Eufy products.

Note: In May 2021, a software “bug” exposed Eufy users' camera feeds to other users, even giving them full control of the pan and zoom functions. Eufy addressed the bug, and its products still work well and are easy to use, but this may be evidence of bigger systemic problems on Eufy's part. 

★ Alternative: The Eufy Pet Camera D605 ($200) (9/10, WIRED Recommends) adds the ability to dispense treats for your furry friends, has 16 GB of storage built in, and allows you to record voice commands. It also produces highlight reels of what your pets got up to each day. On the downside, it’s big and requires a separate app (not EufySecurity).

This Panasonic camera sticks to the inside of a window, so you can keep an eye on the outside of your house without mounting anything—a huge plus if you're renting. The image quality is surprisingly clear, despite the camera looking through both glass and a window screen. It also has a decent 150-degree wide-angle view that covers a lot of ground, and you can set detection to just people to avoid notifications for every car that drives past or bird that pops up. 

However, it's pricey, there's no 2FA, and there's no cloud storage, so you'll need a MicroSD card to view anything outside of a livestream. The app is also not nearly as nice nor as easy to use as others on this list, and it frequently goes out of stock. And, of course, it works only if you have a convenient window.

There are a lot of security cameras out there. Here are others we tried that didn't earn a top spot.

• Ezviz C6 2K+ for $130: A cute design, crisp and clear video, and onboard AI and storage make this a compelling prospect. I like that the 2FA allows fingerprint unlock, it has a privacy mode, and it gives you the option to have gestures trigger a call. But the C6 struggled in mixed lighting, repeatedly identified my cat as a human intruder, and must be positioned low for the best view.
• SwitchBot Indoor Camera for $30 and Pan/Tilt Cam for $40: These cameras are affordable and offer clear video, but both struggled with exposure in mixed lighting. The app is a little flaky and crashed on me when I tried to play back video from an inserted MicroSD card, and there’s no 2FA. If you enable motion tracking, the pan cam also has the unfortunate habit of staying in the last position it tracked movement.
• Wyze Cam v3 for $30: While it offers good quality video and works well on the whole, a price rise and limitations on the free service make this far less of a bargain than it used to be. It does boast local or cloud recordings, 2FA, and a choice of smart home integrations. But this is one of the cameras that had a major security flaw that Wyze failed to fix for several years.
• Blink Mini for $35: Compact, versatile, and cheap, the Blink Mini offers good quality video, two-way audio, accurate motion detection, activity zones, and integration with Alexa. It worked reliably well in my testing, the problem is that you need a subscription (from $3 per month), and it detects any motion (it can’t distinguish between pets and people).
• Kami Indoor Camera for $60: This camera is very similar to the panning cameras we recommend above. It has location bookmarks, like the front door and living room windows, so you can get the camera's focus back to that exact spot without having to fuss about with the controls. Unfortunately, this camera doesn't have two-factor authentication, though you can set a pin separate from your password to view the live feed. (If you sign in using Facebook, you can use two-factor authentication, but Facebook has its own security issues.) It also isn't as widely available as other cameras.
• Google Nest Cam (Wired) for $99: We haven't tested the newest Google Nest indoor cam, but WIRED reviews editor Adrienne So tested the 2018 version and the newest outdoor cam ($178). We feel confident saying that this is the best camera if you're already in the Google Home ecosystem. However, it's expensive, and several of the cameras we recommend can also be controlled with your voice via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
• Ezviz C1C for $25 and C6CN for $35: Ezviz's cameras are as affordable as Wyze. The app has a really nice grid view, so you can easily watch a live feed of all your cameras, but there's a small delay when detecting motion—I set up the C6CN panning camera in my living room, and it didn't start recording until I made it from the door to the other side of the room. It always detected motion accurately, but the delay might be an issue if you're dealing with an intruder.
• TP-Link Kasa Spot for $30: I tried the Spot and the Spot Pan Tilt ($40), and both are impressive and inexpensive offerings from TP-Link. They have a wide field of view and decent motion detection that alerts you instantly. Sadly, neither camera offers two-factor authentication, but the company says it’s looking into it.
• Homam Camera ($400): I wanted to love this camera despite its high price. It looks like an adorable eye, and it comes with sassy stickers ("Homam is shooting a video here. Act naturally and don't look at the lens"). Plus, it has 64 GB of storage, and the company says video is internally encrypted—no cloud to hack here. But its live view is extremely delayed, and it rarely sent motion notifications even on Nanny mode, which is supposed to trigger notifications at the slightest movement.

You don't need to spend money on a new security camera—an old smartphone will do as long as it can still connect to Wi-Fi. Just download a camera app (we like Alfred) to both your old phone and your new phone, then sign in with the same email address. Find a spot to mount your device and keep it charged, and you'll be able to view the camera feed through your current phone. 

The field of view won't be as wide, the battery won't last as long, and the mount will probably be a lot less secure. Still, if you're going on a weekend vacation, it's a quick and easy way to set up something essentially for free. Alfred is available for iPhones and Android. It offers motion detection and can set off an alarm when it detects someone.

Amazon's Ring system has a wide selection of cameras and doorbells. They're easy to install, work well, are reasonably priced, and are integrated with Alexa. But we're not comfortable recommending Ring cameras, for a number of reasons.

Amazon employees have snooped on Ring feeds; Ring also partners with law enforcement in a more thorough and less transparent way than other companies. There have also been a significant number of hacks.

Of course, Wyze and Nest have suffered hacks as well, and Eufy's recent glitch brought up a number of other privacy concerns. We put all the companies we recommend under the same scrutiny. We'll continue to monitor Ring, and we may decide to test its products in the future.