A Security Camera as a Gift: Secure It Before It Goes Up
A new camera or video doorbell is a live feed of a home. What to check before buying, how to set up the account and who should have access, per the FTC.
A video doorbell for your mother or a nursery camera for your sister is a thoughtful gift. It is also a live feed of someone’s home, protected by whatever login gets set up on Christmas morning. Spend the setup time on the account, and let the mounting wait.
The Federal Trade Commission’s guide to using IP cameras safely points out that remote viewing is the feature that creates the exposure. It asks people to consider privacy first, “especially if a camera shows a private part of your home, like a bedroom.” A camera aimed at the front step and a camera aimed at a crib need different thinking.
Before you wrap it
| Look for | Why | If you can’t find it |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption of “account information, livestreams, and archived videos” | Scrambles what travels and what is stored | Ask the seller; if there is no answer, pick another model |
| Two-factor login for the account | Needs something beyond the password | Treat that as a serious gap |
| Automatic updates, with a stated update commitment | A camera that stops getting fixes stays vulnerable | Check the maker’s support pages |
| A setting to turn off remote viewing | Useful for cameras inside the home | Choose a different one for private rooms |
| A recognizable maker with a support site | Someone has to ship the fixes | Be wary of unbranded listings |
The setup, in the order that counts
Use the owner’s email, not yours
If you set it up for a relative, make the account theirs from the first screen, with an email address they read. An account in your name means you hold the feed of their home and they can’t manage it after you leave.
Set a unique password
The FTC is plain: “Don’t use the camera’s default username and password,” and use one you haven’t used anywhere else. A password manager entry works. Our cleanup guide is a quick way to get one going for a parent.
Turn on two-step sign-in
The FTC tells owners to enable it on the cloud account if offered, noting that it “requires something in addition to a password.” Ring’s help page lists text message, authenticator app and other options. Use an app if the owner is comfortable with one. If a text code is more realistic for an older relative, it’s still far better than a password alone.
Set updates to automatic
Update both the camera and the app. The FTC says to sign up with the manufacturer for automatic updates and to set the viewing app to update automatically.
Consider the network
The FTC suggests “putting your cameras on a separate network from other devices.” Many routers have a guest network that works for this; our router check shows how to look for it.
Who has access
Decide this before the first install. Then check it again whenever a household changes: a roommate leaves, a babysitter’s job ends or a couple separates.
Each brand handles sharing differently. Two examples:
Ring
Ring’s access page describes User Permissions with Advanced, Standard, Limited and Installer levels. Control Center lists Authorized Client Devices, and “Remove All Devices” logs them out.
Google Home
Google’s help page separates Admin, for “trusted partners or people who co-manage the home with you,” from Member, whose access is more limited. Only Admins can remove other people.
Give each person their own login at the lowest level that works. Never share the main account password with an installer. If you hire someone to mount the camera, remove their access when the job is done.
Where the camera points
Technical settings aren’t the whole picture. Think about angle and sound. Point a doorbell at your own path, and consider whether it also records the neighbor’s window. Be careful with indoor cameras in rooms where a guest or caregiver sleeps or changes clothes. Tell guests that cameras are there. For a nursery camera, remember the FTC’s point about disabling remote viewing if you only need to see the room from inside the house.
A short gift note
If you give this to someone who won’t configure it alone, include an offer in the card: “I’ll come set this up with you.” Then spend the hour on these steps, write the account email and the location of the password on a card that lives somewhere safe, and leave them able to remove you.
Six months later
- Open the access list. Remove anyone who shouldn’t be there.
- Check for firmware or app updates that didn’t install.
- Check the Authorized Devices list for phones nobody recognizes.
- Delete old clips you don’t need.
If you ever pass the camera on, reset it and remove it from the account first. The same thinking appears in our guide to settings on a parent’s phone.
When the gift is for someone who lives alone
An older relative who lives alone may get the most comfort from a doorbell camera and also the least help with its settings. Two things reduce the risk that a helpful relative becomes a permanent administrator of someone else’s home. First, agree who will be called if a notification looks wrong, and write that on the same card as the account details. Second, set a reminder for a visit in the spring so you can repeat the six-month checks together.
Be clear with the person about what the camera records and who can see it. A caregiver, cleaner or visiting neighbor deserves to know as well. Consent conversations are easier before the camera goes up than after someone notices it. Laws on recording audio differ by state, so check your state’s rules if your camera captures sound where visitors or neighbors can be heard.