What can I do with a smart doorbell?

A smart doorbell is a bell that is connected to the internet. It may differ slightly per brand, but in general a smart doorbell has a built-in camera and an accompanying app. That gives all kinds of possibilities. If someone is at the door and rings the bell, the camera is automatically activated. The bell in the house goes off, but there is also a signal via the app.

The most important advantages at a glance:

• See who rings the bell, even when you are not at home. Check who is at the door in the app.
• Talk directly through the smart doorbell. Talk to the person at the door via the app. Handy to tell you that you are not at home for a while or will be arriving soon.
• Safe feeling if you don’t expect a visit. Someone rings the doorbell, but you don’t expect anyone? The app shows who is at the door without you having to open the door.

Several companies have a smart doorbell in their range. The Ring from Amazon is the most bought smart doorbell in the Netherlands. Other options include Google Nest Hello, Eufy, Arlo, and Ezviz. So enough choice.

A smart doorbell consists of a number of parts:

• A push button with camera. It hangs outside the front door, where the doorbell normally sits.
• A receiver. It hangs inside and rings when someone rings the doorbell. The receiver is not included with every smart doorbell. Some people only want to receive a signal via their smartphone.
• Possibly: a second receiver. Some packages include a second receiver, for example to hang one above and below.
• An app. Just download it from the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android). You can see who is ringing the doorbell via your mobile or tablet.

A few things to keep in mind when purchasing a smart doorbell:

• With or without a camera. Most smart doorbells have a camera, but some models only have a voice option. So pay attention if you specifically want a camera.
• Wired or wireless. Some doorbells can be connected with a network cable, other doorbells work via WiFi. A wired connection is often more stable, but more hassle than a doorbell via WiFi.
• With battery or with plug. The following applies: a smart doorbell with a plug is more stable, but with a battery you do not have to take a cable into account.
• With display. Some smart doorbells come with a display. Via this screen you can immediately see who is at the door, so you do not have to use the app. These packages are slightly more expensive.

Smart doorbells are sometimes in the news because they are said to be easy to crack. This is not completely true. In general, smart doorbells have less extensive security than, for example, a laptop or smartphone. But a lot also depends on how the user handles it himself. Sometimes smart doorbells get cracked because it still has the default password on it. Therefore, always choose a secure password for both the smart doorbell and the router. Even better is two-step verification. You can read more about this in the article ‘What is two-step verification?’ If you set your own password and two-step verification, the smart doorbell is no longer interesting for most hackers.

In terms of safety, a smart doorbell also has advantages. Because you can first see who is at the door, you are ahead of people who want to come in with a chat trick, for example. The images can also be saved, so you always have proof of who rang the bell and at what time. And: research shows that burglaries are less frequent in neighborhoods with smart doorbells.

In addition to questions about the security of a smart doorbell, there are also concerns about privacy. Some smart doorbells only film when the doorbell rings, others start recording as soon as they see movement, and still other smart bells film everything. Not everyone likes this. Moreover, you are not allowed to film constantly without the filmed person knowing.

A few tips:

• If possible, only use the door camera on your own property.
• Is your front door adjacent to the public road? Aim the camera so that only people are filmed right in front of your front door, and as little of public space as possible.
• Indicate with a sign that there is a smart camera.