Wyze Cam v3 Review: Still Easy to Recommend
The Wyze Cam v3 is one of the most affordable home security cameras on the market, but it doesn't skimp on the features or performance.
Our Experts
Pros
- Low cost
- Free 14-day video clip storage and person alerts
- Indoor or outdoor use
Cons
- 1080p resolution
- Wired connection can limit outdoor placement
Disclaimer: We aren't recommending that consumers purchase Wyze products at this time. Over the past several years, Wyze has suffered from repeated data leaks and security breaches, including a 2019 user data leak, exposed databases in 2022, and exposed video files that same year. More recently, Wyze has seen both 2023 and 2024 security flaws that let at least 13,000 people see through other Wyze security cams owned by unrelated users.
Currently, Wyze's forum report on the latest breach includes an update from February 19, 2024: "Our engineering team has added a new layer of verification between users and event videos to prevent this from happening again. We've also removed the client library and will not be using caching until we can find a new client library and stress test it for extreme scenarios like we saw on Friday."
This response is a start, but Wyze has repeatedly struggled to reliably update its approach to security and meaningfully communicate with its users. While we have seen security companies bounce back from security problems in the past, we haven't seen this kind of improvement from Wyze yet. So we are not endorsing their products or any services where you need to create a Wyze account with your personal info.
We'll keep you updated on Wyze's security and privacy if our recommendations change. If you're looking for security brands that have made notable security improvements or have good privacy track records, we can recommend products from Ring, Google's Nest, Blink, and Arlo.Not the newest Wyze camera, but still a good one
Wyze introduced its Cam v3 more than two years ago, just in time for the 2020 holiday shopping season. We liked it then and the camera still holds up today for many of the same reasons. It's inexpensive, built for indoor or outdoor use, and sports all the features you'd expect -- 1080p resolution, two-way audio, real-time notifications -- from a quality home security camera.
Wyze has since released a few new camera models, including a stackable camera combo and the Pan v3 indoor camera. There's also the Cam v3 Pro, which improves on the original Cam v3 with 2k resolution, a built-in spotlight and enhanced AI detection.
If you can live without the Pro model's new features, the Wyze Cam v3 remains as one of the best bang-for-your-buck home security cameras on the market, and one that is well worth considering for indoor or outdoor use. You can read our full review of the Wyze Cam v3, originally published Oct. 27, 2020 and updated to reflect recent changes, below:
Read more: The era of the $200 security cameras is over
The Wyze Cam v3
Not to be confused with the Wyze Cam Outdoor or the newer 2nd-generation outdoor cam, the indoor-outdoor Wyze Cam v3 relies on an included weather-resistant adapter for power. It's the same size as the previous indoor-only Wyze Cam with the same white plastic finish, but Wyze made some notable upgrades to its design and specs, too.
The speaker on the back of the camera has been updated to allow for an 80-decibel siren (more on that later), while the microSD card slot (optional for local storage; the microSD card is sold separately) and the setup button underneath the camera have been covered to protect them from the elements. The attached stand looks similar to the previous one, allowing you to raise, lower and angle your camera as needed, but you can also remove it for a tripod- or screw-mounted installation.
It also increase the camera's field of view from 110 to 130 degrees, improves the camera's performance in low-light conditions (more on this in a bit, too) and lets you simply press the "Speak" button to use two-way talk from the Wyze app, rather than having to hold the button down to speak.
If you pay for the new Cam Plus subscription service, you get access to person alerts and longer stored video clips, starting at $2 per month -- read more about Cam Plus.
Testing it out
Setting up the Wyze Cam in the app takes about 5 minutes. Hit the plus sign on the top-left corner of the home screen and select "Add Device." (I already have Wyze devices on my account, so the location of the "Add Device" button may be somewhere else for you.)
Wyze then gives you a list of products to choose from; select Wyze Cam v3 and follow the steps to add it to the app. If you plan to install a tripod mount or do any sort of more permanent installation, make sure to test the quality of your Wi-Fi network in that spot before you start drilling holes.
Now you can start viewing your camera's live video feed and adjusting your settings in the app, including whether you want to receive alerts for motion and sound events, creating a motion detection zone, adjusting your night vision settings based on the lighting where it's installed and more. This camera also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, which let you use a voice command to throw the camera feed to a smart display.
In a side-by-side comparison between the last-gen Wyze Cam and this new model, you can clearly see an improved performance. Not only does it have a larger field of view, but the new camera also has a brighter, crisper live feed, which helps it out in low-light conditions as well as in regular daylight.
You can see a clear difference in the picture quality and the field of view between the new Wyze Cam (left) and the last-gen model (right).
I tended to receive push alerts on average between 5 and 10 seconds after a motion event started. You can store recordings of such events locally using a microSD card or in the cloud for up to 14 days with a subscription to Cam Plus or the potentially free Cam Plus Lite.
Despite the slight delay between motion starting and receiving an alert, the camera did a good job of capturing enough of the motion activity in the database of saved clips for me to see who it was and what was happening.
I also created a motion detection zone around the door to only receive alerts that happened in that area. If I walked next to the door, I didn't receive an alert, but when I walked in front of the door to open it, I got a push notification that motion was detected.
Wyze also updated the two-way audio button in the app so you no longer have to press and hold the button to talk. Now, simply select "Speak" and you can talk continuously. The audio sounded clear when I spoke from the app to the camera, but not quite as good coming from the camera to the phone. Still, it was easy to understand what was being said on both ends.
I also tested this camera with an Amazon Echo Show 8, and, after pairing my Wyze account to my Alexa account, was able to say, "Alexa, show me my new front door camera," to view the live feed on the smart display.
Lastly, at 80 decibels, the siren (a new feature for the Wyze Cam) isn't particularly loud -- you won't need to put your hands over your ears -- but it is loud enough to startle someone.
The verdict
The Wyze Cam is easy to recommend. It's affordable, it works well, cloud storage is available for free for two weeks -- and you have the option to use a microSD card for local storage if you want.
Sure, there are more sophisticated cameras out there, but Wyze continues to impress us with its high-value, low-cost smart home products, and this Wyze Cam is no exception.
