Ring Peephole Cam Review | PCMag

Editors’ Note: This is the most recent version of the Ring Peephole Cam. Read our review from October 4, 2019 below.

The Ring Peephole Cam ($129.99) is designed for apartment dwellers or anyone who uses a peephole lens to see who is at their door. This smart doorbell is completely wireless, easy to install, and offers motion detection, video recording, and support for Amazon Alexa voice commands. You can also use it as a traditional peephole lens. It supports IFTTT applets and can be linked to other Ring devices, and it delivers sharp day and night video, all of which earns it our Editors’ Choice for video doorbells.

Design and Features

The Peephole Cam consists of an interior component and an exterior component. At 3.8 by 1.8 by 0.7 inches (HWD), the exterior component is just a little smaller than the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, but uses the same basic design and black-and-silver color scheme. It has an IPX5 weather rating and contains a 1080p camera with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, three infrared LEDS for night vision, a motion sensor, a doorbell button surrounded by an LED ring, and a microphone and speaker for two-way audio. It also has a lens that lets you use it as traditional peephole.

The interior component has a white cover and measures 4.4 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches. It holds a removable lithium-ion battery pack that pops out and can be recharged using the supplied USB cable, an 802.11n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi radio that connects it to your home network, an impact (knock detection) sensor, and a peephole tube with a sliding privacy cover.

When the doorbell is pressed, when motion is detected, or when someone knocks on the door, the Peephole Cam will send a push alert to your phone and begin recording video of the event. You can also view live video on demand. By way of comparison, the Brinno Duo Smart Peephole DoorCam only provides a still photo of an event.

As with other Ring devices such as the Stick Up Cam and Video Doorbell Pro, you have to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan to view, save, and share video, which is stored in the cloud for 60 days. The $3 per month/$30 per year Basic plan covers one device, while the $10 per month/$100 per year Plus plan covers all of your Ring devices and gets you 24/7 professional monitoring if you have a Ring Alarm system.

(Credit: Ring)

The Peephole Cam uses the same Ring mobile app (for Android and iOS) as all other Ring devices. Once installed, it gets its own tab on the Cameras screen and is identified by name with a still image of the latest activity. There are three buttons at the top of the screen for Nearby Incidents, History, and Lights (the Lights button only shows up if you have Ring Smart Lighting devices installed). Tap the Nearby Incidents button to see recent events reported by your neighbors using the Ring Neighbors app, and tap the History button to see all activities from your network of Ring devices. Tap any entry to view, download, or delete video of the event.

When you tap the Peephole tab, you’re taken to a screen where you can view a timeline of recorded video with time stamps, or just tap the go Live button to view a live feed. Turn your phone sideways or tap the square icon in the bottom right corner of the panel to view video in full-screen mode. There are two buttons at the very bottom of this screen: the microphone button initiates two-way audio so you can speak to whomever is at your door, and the speaker button mutes the sound.

To access the doorbell settings, tap the gear button in the top right corner. In this screen you can enable/disable ring and motion alerts, configure motion and video settings, enable push alerts, configure knock detection settings, and link the Peephole Cam to other Ring devices. This allows the Peephole to trigger recording in other Ring cameras and turn on Ring lights. Other settings allow you to adjust the ringer volume, link the Peephole with a Ring Chime, share access to the Peephole with other users, and temporarily snooze motion alerts.

The Peephole Cam supports IFTTT applets that allow it to work with other compatible devices such as third-party lighting systems, door locks, and sirens, and it supports Amazon Alexa voice commands that allow you to view video from the camera on an Amazon smart display or Fire TV device. It also supports the Works With Ring initiative that allows you to control certain locks, lights, and smart plugs from within the Ring app.

Installation and Performance

Installing the Peephole Cam is easy. Start by charging the battery, downloading the Ring app, and creating an account. Open the app and select Set Up A Device from the drop-down menu on the left, then select Doorbells from the list. Scan in the QR code located on the setup sheet and choose a location for the installation (your home address). Give the doorbell a name (front door, back door, office, or custom) and let the app know if you’ve installed the device already. If not, follow the detailed on-screen video and text instructions to replace your existing peephole lens with the camera.

Use the included tool to remove your peephole lens and insert the outer unit into the vacant peephole. If the hole is much wider than the outer unit tube, you can use the included adapter tube for a more snug fit. Make sure the data cable is inserted without any bending or binding. Next, remove the cover from the interior unit, slide it over the tube (again, making sure the cable is undamaged), and use the tightening nut to connect the two units. You’ll have to hold onto the outdoor unit while you do this and make sure both units are straight before fully tightening the nut. Next, snap the data cable into the slot and use the plastic tab on the cable to remove any slack.

Insert the battery pack and when the doorbell button LED starts spinning, press OK. Allow the doorbell to join the network, then select your home network SSID to connect to your Wi-Fi. Once connected, a voice prompt will tell you so and you’ll be prompted to run an internet connectivity test and configure motion detection and privacy settings, but you can skip these and configure them later if you prefer. Snap the interior cover into place and you’re ready to go.

The Peephole Cam delivered sharp 1080p video in testing, showing vivid colors during the day and crisp black-and-white imagery at night. As was the case with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, there was some barrel distortion around the edges, but visitor images were unaffected. Motion and doorbell alerts arrived instantly, and recorded video was every bit as sharp as the live feed.

Alexa commands to have an TV using an Amazon Fire TV Stick display video from the camera worked flawlessly, as did my IFTTT applet to have a Philips Hue light turn on when the doorbell was pressed. Two-way audio was clean and loud, and the Knock Detection feature worked as advertised, sending a push alert and recording a video when someone knocked on the door.

Conclusions

Whether you live in an apartment complex, a dorm room, or any dwelling where doors are equipped with peepholes, the Ring Peephole Cam offers an easy way to see who is out in the hallway from your phone without having to go anywhere near the door. It installs in minutes and will work with lots of other smart devices via IFTTTT, and you can have it trigger other Ring cameras in your home. The doorbell will send a push alert when it has been pressed, when it detects motion, and when someone knocks on your door, and it’ll record a video clip of the activity, but you’ll have to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan to view and share video clips. That said, $3 per month for 60 days of video storage is very reasonable, and doesn’t prevent the Peephole Cam from earning an Editors’ Choice award for smart doorbells.

About John R. Delaney

Contributing Editor

I’ve been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). I spent more than 14 years on staff, most recently as the director of operations for PC Labs, before hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor. 

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