Homeowners naturally gravitate toward video doorbells, which act as both doorbells and security cameras while allowing you to get alerts about packages, spot porch pirates and hold audio conversations no matter where you are.
However, if you’re nabbing your first video doorbell from popular companies like Google Nest or Ring, you still need to set it up and get it ready for action. That includes mounting the doorbell correctly, connecting it to additional devices and getting your video storage ready. These steps, which should only take an hour or two in all, cover everything you’ll need.
Read more: The Best Cheap Video Doorbells
Installation: Wiring vs. battery
Smart doorbells are either wired or battery-powered, or give you an option for either. Wired models use your existing doorbell’s wiring to get power, while most wireless options have rechargeable battery packs. Which kind you get will influence how and where you can install it.
Wiring your new doorbell using your old doorbell’s wires sounds complicated, but it’s actually very simple and companies give you complete guides on how to do it. Most homes will automatically support video doorbells, which usually require 16 to 24 volts (you can see the full chart for Nest doorbells here, for example). With a supported doorbell, steps are easy:
- Use your breakers to turn off power to the front door area.
- Remove your old doorbell. This is usually easy with a screwdriver and some careful work.
- Once the doorbell has parted ways with the wall, use your screwdriver or fingers to carefully detach the wires from the back. There will be two to three wires. If the wires are short, use a bit of duct tape to secure them to the wall so they don’t get lost.
- “You can leave it.”
- “We’ll be right there.”
- “No one can come to the door.”
Google’s Nest Doorbells are effective, easy to install and don’t nickel-and-dime you like some doorbells do.
If you have options where to place your doorbell, always mount it about four feet from the base of your door (not the bottom of the porch). That gives the doorbell the right angle to capture packages set in front of your door as well as the people approaching. Never set a video doorbell as high as a traditional security camera.
Use a wedge to angle the doorbell if necessary
Blink app showing notifications to disable.
When someone approaches your home or presses the button on your smart doorbell, you can get a notification on your phone. Then, you can open the doorbell’s app and see who’s at the door and talk to them. It’s especially handy to give instructions, ask questions, dismiss unwanted callers and even yell at approaching porch pirates.
The Nest Doorbell also has prerecorded Quick Responses you can use if you don’t want to talk.:
Alexa-supporting doorbells like those from Ring allow you to set very similar automatic responses with Alexa. Swann Security’s doorbell even has more advanced conversational AI that can answer questions about who’s living at this address and more.
Next, you’ll want to dive deeper into settings and set motion and object recognition alerts so you only get the alerts you want. This often comes in a couple of different steps:
Video storage is important for video doorbells, but you’ll have to choose between cloud and onboard storage.
With video doorbells comes the option for storing your captured videos. We highly recommend it: You don’t want videos to be lost in the ether, especially if you want to use them for face profiles or to capture evidence if a porch pirate.
Doorbell video storage presents two options. The first is cloud storage, which uploads the video to the cloud for a certain amount of time (anywhere from two week to six months) where you can review it, share it or download it as necessary. The problem is that cloud storage introduces extra security risks and typically requires a subscription, like the $5 Ring subscription or the $8 Arlo plan. Nest offers cloud storage for free, but only for three hours, so you’ll have to act quickly.
Your other option is onboard storage, typically via a microSD card that’s sometimes included with purchase. Lorex and Eufy both offer video doorbells with this option, as does the affordable TP-Link Tapo Video Doorbell ($50). The downside is that you are limited by the data the card can hold, so you’ll have to go in and delete videos after a while or set them to automatically delete after a certain time.
What’s the best choice? That depends on your preference. Cloud storage costs money but it’s very convenient, while onboard storage has a higher upfront cost but is more private and saves money over time. I tend to pay attention to video alerts on my phone, so the free three-hour Nest cloud storage has worked well for me when I’m not testing out subscriptions — plus Nest, has remained largely free of data vulnerabilities.
To review even more options for watching your home, look at our picks for the best DIY home security systems, best wireless home security cameras and best security system options for renters.
