Isn’t “Watching Only When You’re Away” the Most Reassuring? SwitchBot Turned My Home into a Spy-Movie House
Hi to everyone who can’t stop wondering what the cat’s up to while you’re out — I’m Hide, tech journalist and part-time house-husband. Want to know how to guard your home like a secret base?
This Indoor Cam 3MP checks all three boxes: crisp 2K video, free-ranging movement, and physical privacy. And it’s from SwitchBot.
The SwitchBot Indoor Cam 3MP has a minimal design that stays out of the way
Which means — yes — you can combine it with the company’s many other products and use them all in one app. That’s the key to this project.
Security cameras are necessary, but putting one inside your home feels weird, right? Like someone’s peeking in on you.
But being able to check while you’re out — whether the kids got home, whether the cat’s okay — is really handy. With this product, you can have that convenience and privacy at the same time.
A way of watching over your home that only works with SwitchBot’s lineup
I’ve been reviewing a lot of SwitchBot products lately, so people might think I’m a shill. But seriously, their products have been evolving like crazy. From smart locks to robot vacuums… I honestly use them at home every day.
Being able to combine these is the strength
Another plus is the wide range of sensors, like contact sensors and motion sensors, which you can freely combine with other products. And as I’ve written before, SwitchBot’s app integration is wonderfully smooth!
Being able to open the app and control all kinds of devices instantly with no lag is another advantage other security cameras don’t have.
You can even show the camera on the app’s home screenThe display is customizable too, and I love that it shows a thumbnail when it detects motion!
What I want to recommend this time is pairing it with a contact sensor. **That way, the camera physically turns on only when you’re out.**
Let me explain. First, this camera’s lens physically hides. Automatically. Lots of other brands use a cover you slide over by hand, but having it hide automatically is super handy.
In privacy mode, the lens automatically hides
You can trigger this automatically when you leave. So even with a camera set up in your everyday space, you can relax! You can tell at a glance whether it can see you.
Four-screen monitoring, sharp and easy to see even in the dark
I also liked the UI for monitoring multiple rooms at once. Tap one and you can move that room’s camera, so your watching duties (?) go smoothly.
I don’t think many other cameras let you watch several at once
The night infrared mode is sharp too, so you could use it to both watch and record a baby. I liked that I could clearly see what the cat was up to even in the dark. And of course, for security — like a break-in — it captures faces and features clearly.
Image quality you wouldn’t expect from a home camera is a plus
I wondered whether a security camera really needs high image quality, but once you use one, it’s just so much easier to see. Depending on where you put it, you can also use it as a camera that’s always ready to shoot, so when your kid does something funny, you can capture it — handy.
Even the decisive moment the cat escapes from the litter box...
You couldn’t use it this way if the quality were bad. If you’re putting a camera inside anyway, it’s better if it can do more, right?
A game-changing way to watch over your home that’s both reassuring and convenient
This product is packed with features, like auto-tracking too. Physically shut off day to day, with the lens popping out automatically to keep watch when you leave… isn’t that like a house from a sci-fi movie?
It’s more feature-packed than other brands’ cameras — it’s a tough call against Amazon’s Ring Indoor Cam
It also works closely with Echo devices, and I like that you can monitor each camera by voice.
It works with Echo too
And at ¥4,980, it’s pretty cheap. If possible, I’d love to see a battery-powered version in the future! SwitchBot, I’m counting on you.
