Customer Ratings & Reviews

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Doorbell + Chime system is a newcomer to the smart home security market, offering a compelling combination of features, affordability, and ease of use. This comprehensive review will delve into the system's design, installation, features, performance, and overall value proposition. Design and Build Quality The Tapo Smart Doorbell boasts a sleek and modern design that complements most home aesthetics. Its compact size and weather-resistant construction (IP65 rating) make it a durable and reliable device. The doorbell unit itself houses a 2K QHD camera with a 140-degree field of view, a microphone, a speaker, an infrared sensor for night vision, and a physical doorbell button. The chime unit is a small, unobtrusive device that plugs into a standard electrical outlet. The build quality of both units is commendable. The doorbell feels sturdy and well-constructed, while the chime has a pleasant finish. The packaging includes all the necessary mounting hardware and a wiring kit for easy installation. I didn't break it installing it so, that says a lot. Installation and Setup TP-Link provides two installation options for the Tapo Smart Doorbell: wired and wireless. The wired installation is recommended for optimal performance, as it ensures a stable power supply and continuous recording. However, the wireless option is convenient for those who prefer a less invasive setup or do not have existing doorbell wiring. The installation process is straightforward and well-documented in the user manual. The Tapo app guides users through each step, from mounting the doorbell to connecting it to the Wi-Fi network and pairing it with the chime. The app also allows users to customize settings, such as motion detection sensitivity and notification preferences. Sync'd right up to my Google Home. Easy to connect and work. Love this app. Features and Performance, the three things I like the most above everything is the Two way talk, Advance motion detection, night vision and the local and cloud storage. Real-Time Two-Way Talk: Communicate with visitors in real time through the doorbell's built-in microphone and speaker. The audio quality is clear and reliable, ensuring smooth conversations. Advanced Motion Detection: The doorbell uses AI-powered motion detection to differentiate between people, pets, and vehicles. This reduces false alarms and ensures that you only receive notifications when it matters. Night Vision: The doorbell's infrared sensor provides clear black-and-white video footage in low-light conditions, ensuring that you can monitor your doorstep 24/7. Local and Cloud Storage: The Tapo Smart Doorbell supports both local storage (via a microSD card) and cloud storage (via a Tapo Care subscription). Local storage is free but limited, while cloud storage offers additional features like video history and advanced AI detection. User Experience and App The app is the central hub for controlling and managing the Tapo Smart Doorbell + Chime system. The app is well-designed and easy to navigate. It provides access to all the doorbell's features, including live view, video history, motion detection settings, and chime options. The app also offers a notification center where you can view and manage motion alerts. The notifications are timely and informative, providing a thumbnail image and a short video clip of the detected event. You can also customize the notification settings to fit your preferences.

I have recently replaced my Google Nest Hello doorbell with a brand new offering from TP-Link - Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell (model TD25). I was excited to do an upgrade and enjoy new features. First of all, you can easily install it yourself. You can choose either a wired solution or a battery powered, that is what I opted for, as the battery is supposed to last about 8 months. Here are a couple of features that picked my interest in this model: 1. The video doorbell has an IP66 rating. 2. Night Vision is very good and is capable of up to 33 feet of distance thanks to its 850nm IR LED. I was able to view objects and people in the pitch dark without any issues. I must add it is also a Color Night vision, so that is a huge plus. 3. Video resolution is pretty good with 2K and 5MP (2660x1920 px) and with 180 degree super-wide angle it covers my entire porch. The image is crisp and the video is smooth. What is great about it is - now I no longer need to pay any subscription fees, as this doorbell supports local storage up to 512GB! If you have it hardwired, you can also enjoy 24/7 continuous recordings with Cloud storage. 4. Object recognition with the help of AI (yes, AI is everywhere at this point), so it spots easily any packages left at the door, recognizes people and pets, as well as vehicles. This is a free feature as well! I also tried the Two Way Audio with my UPS driver and he heard me clearly, the speaker and the mic work as intended, the audio was clear on both ends. Another neat thought - there is an Anti-Theft alarm, so you get alerted right away if someone is trying to tamper with the doorbell. This is definitely a nice upgrade for our family, works without any issues, the app is easy with notifications on your phone which you can also customize. It is also affordable which is a huge plus. Love the product and its implementation!

Very high-tech doorbell camera and sensors. Wide angle view.

haven't had any problems yet and I really like it.

Looks amazing. I would recommend it to anyone clear pictures.

Overview: The TP-Link Tapo Smart Doorbell + Chime (TD25) is a feature-rich smart doorbell system designed to enhance home security and convenience. With its easy installation, high-definition camera, and integrated chime, it offers a comprehensive solution for monitoring visitors and packages. Installation: 1. Prepare: Begin by ensuring your home has a compatible doorbell wiring setup. Turn off the power to your existing doorbell at the circuit breaker. 2. Remove Old Doorbell: Unscrew and disconnect your existing doorbell from the wall. 3. Mounting: Use the provided mounting bracket to affix the Tapo Smart Doorbell to your doorframe or wall. Ensure it is securely attached. 4. Wiring: Connect the wires from your home's existing doorbell to the Tapo Smart Doorbell. Follow the included instructions carefully to ensure correct wiring. 5. Setup: Download and install the Tapo app on your smartphone. Follow the in-app instructions to connect the doorbell to your Wi-Fi network and complete the setup process. Features: 1. High-Definition Video: The TD25 features a high-definition camera with a wide-angle lens, providing clear video footage of your doorstep. 2. Two-Way Audio: Communicate with visitors via the built-in microphone and speaker, allowing for convenient interaction from anywhere. 3. Motion Detection: Receive instant alerts on your smartphone when motion is detected near your door, allowing you to monitor activity in real-time. 4. Night Vision: The doorbell's infrared night vision ensures visibility even in low-light conditions, providing around-the-clock security. 5. Customizable Chime: The included chime offers multiple melodies and volume levels, allowing you to customize your doorbell experience. 6. Cloud Storage: Optional cloud storage plans allow you to store and review video footage remotely, providing added peace of mind. 7. Smart Home Integration: The Tapo Smart Doorbell is compatible with popular smart home platforms such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing for seamless integration into your existing setup. Pros: 1. Easy to install, with clear instructions provided. 2. High-definition video and two-way audio ensure clear communication with visitors. 3. Motion detection and night vision enhance security, day and night. 4. Customizable chime adds a personalized touch to your doorbell experience. 5. Cloud storage options offer convenient access to recorded footage. Cons: 1. Requires existing doorbell wiring for installation, which may not be present in all homes….but can be avoided if you do not have or just do not want to use and can go with the battery only setup. 2. Some users may find the initial setup process to be slightly complicated. 3. Cloud storage plans incur additional costs beyond the initial purchase price. Conclusion: Overall, the TP-Link Tapo Smart Doorbell + Chime (TD25) offers a comprehensive solution for home security and convenience. With its easy installation, high-definition camera, and advanced features such as motion detection and two-way audio, it provides peace of mind for homeowners looking to monitor their doorstep remotely. While the initial setup process may be slightly complex for some users, the overall performance and functionality make it a worthwhile investment in home security.

TLDR - Great doorbell camera, great picture, extra wide angle (gets my whole porch and then some), microSD slot (no online subscription required for extra features) surprisingly good person/vehicle/animal detection! Overall, I love TP-Links “Tapo” lineup. They have so many cost effective options for all over your house or small business, and you do not have to pay a cent in subscription, unless you want to. This is the way ALL home video surveillance companies should be, give you the option of extra convenience BUT also have the option to control your own video! This TD25 doorbell camera is another awesome option. Installation wasn’t a “breeze”, but anyone handy can figure it out. (setup with WIFI for both the doorbell and chime after physical installation was actual quite easy though!) I wired mine to my existing doorbell wiring after checking the voltage with a cheap multimeter. I added a cheaper 64GB microSD card while installing. The only small issues I’ve had are the object detection does miss sometimes, alerting a bug as a person, or missing an obvious package for at least a few minutes after it was placed on my porch. (The ability to custom create detection areas for each separate type of detection is AMAZING, and you can have more than one area per thing that is being detected!) It’s also super nice if you do not have wiring available, you can just run it on battery. (it will only “turn on” video to record on detection, but that way the battery can last a while, I’m able to run the camera on 24/7 due to hard wiring) If you’re looking for an affordable doorbell camera with good video quality and good night vision, WITHOUT having to pay monthly for all the features, give this Tapo TD25 a look!

Sitting no more than 10 feet from a wireless access point (a very powerful one) it will disconnect and tell me it doesn’t have a stable network connection. It won’t work with its chime any more. It won’t let me see videos recorded on the SD card. It won’t stay connected to my synology. This thing is garbage and honestly that’s being disrespectful to the garbage.

I’m pretty impressed. For its price, the Tapo doorbell packs quite a few features and performs exceptionally well. Setting it up was simple. Clear instructions and I had it up and running in a relatively short time. The video quality is excellent. Its 1080p HD resolution and provides a clear view during the day, and the color night vision works great, almost surprisingly well to be honest. The motion detection is customizable, which means fewer false alarms from wind or other random movements. The real-time alerts on my phone are super quick, which is handy when I need to know who’s at the door immediately. It’s not new but the two-way audio feature is incredibly useful. It’s convenient for speaking directly to delivery drivers or visitors without having to open the door. The Tapo app is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple to adjust settings and review footage. The built-in chime is audible but not the loudest. I do have a hard time hearing it upstairs. But since I get phone alerts, it’s a minor point considering the overall performance and value. All in all, the TP-Link Tapo Smart Doorbell is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an affordable, feature-rich smart doorbell. It’s easy to set up, provides excellent video quality, and handles day-to-day use very well.

The only time I ever used anything by TP-Link was when I bought a huge external wi-fi antenna for my desktop PC back in 2006. I still have it to this day and it works perfectly. So, for quality, I expect their products to be well built. Well, this doorbell camera is definitely well built and feature packed. Looking at this camera, it's the simplest design. It's a less shiny black finish with the camera and the button on the front. It's about the average thickness of many doorbell cameras but I will say that it is very light weight compared to the one I was using previously. The little chime is very small but it's easy to place anywhere in my home and it actually gets pretty loud whenever it goes off. I had to turn it down a bit at first. That's impressive to me considering the sound is coming from such a small speaker inside the chime. Installation was fairly straightforward and easy to do. I chose to hardwire this doorbell camera so I wouldn't have to worry about charging it. I just used the wiring from my preexisting doorbell and it did the job. Anyone can install this thing. That's a good thing. Linking the it to the APP was pretty easy although it took a couple tries before it recognized the camera. But once it was all connected and setup, it has been good to go. I really like the picture quality. It is very sharp, has great clarity and I can see every detail when viewing it. The wide angle lens really covers a large area and that definitely makes me feel a bit at ease when packages are left by the delivery drivers. My favorite feature of this thing is it's ability to differentiate between people, pets and objects. It has successfully identified my vehicle, my neighbors dogs, my guests and my packages perfectly every time. For me, that's very impressive, especially at this price point. The app notifications on my phone are what you'd expect from any kind of app. The ability to talk to someone without having to open the door is cool. I can avoid people at all costs. LOL. Lastly, I used a 256GB microSD card. It accepted it with no issues and records and saves great. Overall, I am extremely happy with this doorbell camera. Thanks TP-Link!

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Doorbell has been an excellent upgrade to my front door and home surveillance needs. Out of the box, there is quite a bit in the kit to manage. 17 pieces to be exact, which can feel like a bit much, but it is mostly just different installation options. This doorbell can either be wired or wireless. It does have a large 10,000mAh battery built into it for the wireless option, which does bulk out the total length the doorbell sticks out. It is by no means a slim profile. With the base mounting plate, it is about 1.5" deep. If needing to add an angle adapter plate. It can move that out to about 2". Installation is pretty straight forward thanks to the included quick start guide. I hardwired my doorbell so I can not speak on the battery operation. It does say the battery does need to be charged before installing, which it does come with a cable. I charged mine before installing. The port is protected by a silicone strip so bugs or moisture can't get into the port. Also included under the silicone strip is a mini-sd slot to store video with up to a 512gb card. You will definitely want to get one as it allows 24/7 recording. After installing, you need to install the Tapo app in order to connect to the camera and doorbell functions. The app is smooth and easy to use. You don't need a subscription to use it, especially if using the mini sd card. Functionality is great. It comes with a doorbell chime that plugs into a power outet so you can place it somwhere in the house where a normal doorbell may be hard to hear. And also chimes with the main doorbell when hardwiring. The camera is very clear and has a great field of view. You can easily see out to the road and monitor vehicles or people coming and going. It even has the option to include a prespoken message that plays when the doorbell is rang. It works pretty well. Overall, I am very happy and impressed with the doorbell. It is rugged and well built. While it is a bit thick overall, its funtionality and uses make up for that. I have had no bad experiences with this doorbell so far. Well worth it. Definitely recommend.

The Tapo TD25 is a relatively cheaper option in the video doorbell market, if you're going by MSRP before discounts, and one of the ones that does not require you to have a subscription in order to store and download your history of recorded events. I think part of the reason why it's cheaper than the others in the market is that it does NOT come with a SD card. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Other products will come with a SD card and claim it's free, but they're obviously more expensive. Furthmore, you may not be getting a SD card with the largest capacity or best speed. With the Tapo TD25, at least you'll get to choose your own SD card to your liking. It comes with an indoor chime so that's adding more value to it. You can adjust the volumes for both the doorbell's ring and the indoor chime's ring invidually; even silence them if you wish. There are 11 ringtones to choose from for the doorbell, and 7 to choose from for the chime. There are some odd chimes among them though. Ringtone1 is Jingle Bells. Ringtone5 is the NBC chime! Ringtone7 is the Tmobile ringtone! What's also nice is that you can set up the Tapo TD25 with a hardwire setup OR wireless using its non-removable battery. I live in an apartment with no existing hardwire setup, so wireless was the only way to go for me. It comes with 3M VHB adhesive, a horizontal angle wedge, and a vertical angle wedge. I love that the doorbell's front face is all black now, unlike its previous models, although the sides and back is still white. Setup is done entirely through the mobile app. It doesn't have a desktop app or a browser portal. The instruction manual also exists entirely within the app. The Tapo TD25 connects to your existing network via WiFi on the 2.4 GHz band. There is no ethernet jack, nor is their any other WiFi band support. The microSD card it uses needs to be a class 10 or faster. The format it uses is FAT32, but don't bother formatting it yourself on a computer. The app can format the SD card properly as well as add the necessary system files it needs to operate, all in one process. The maximum storage it can handle is 512GB. The video quality is a mixed bag. It's presented in a fishbowl presentation with a fisheye effect. The top and bottom are flat, and the sides are circular (think of a fishbowl shape). The sides are also distorted in that the image is curved along its circular shape (Google "fisheye lens" or "fisheye effect"). It makes things look like something from a funhouse mirror. So the video examples you see from Tapo's marketing, including the back of its own box, are blatantly deceptive. They look NOTHING like them. Otherwise, the video is pretty clear and in full color when you set the full color mode on. It's in black and white by default. It is also clear in darkness thanks to its spotlight which turns on when it's triggered by motion. The motion sensor, which is the big blocky bottom portion of the doorbell, does not need light to work. However, either the motion sensor is too slow to activate or the doorbell is too slow to wake up, because I can never seem to capture the subject early enough, and there have been times where the video doesn't capture their face because they already have their backs turned when the recording started. I've tried setting the options with the highest sensitivity, short retrigger time (0 sec), longest clip length and record buffer, to no avail. If a thief is aware of this by recognizing the Tapo's distinctive model from a distance, it can use that one second blind spot time to quickly steal a package and never appear on your Tapo TD25's camera. The package detection wasn't quite useful for me because despite placing the doorbell camera 4 feet above ground as per their instructions, the camera still doesn't capture what's directly in front of my door where packages would normally be left. The camera only begins to capture from about a foot and a half away from itself. In my case, it would be the public hallway, and no delivery person will ever leave a package there, where it's blocking the path of people walking. Using the vertical wedge only shortens the distance to 1 foot and 4 inches. If I placed the doorbell lower, it makes it awkward for vistors to press the doorbell button, and it wouldn't be focused properly to capture their face from the front. There are no pets in my apartment, so I wasn't able to test pet detection, though the feature exists. Playback of the video is disappointing on battery mode. There is no ability to rewind or forward when playing a clip from the app. You can only do so if you download the clip from the app to save it locally on your mobile device. From there, you can open the video with a video app and play it like any normal video. I imagine when it's hardwired, since it does 24/7 recording, you would get DVR rewind/fast-forward functions. When saved to your device, it's in a standard HEVC mp4 format. What's also disappointing is that the app notifications do not have a thumbnail preview. It's only available behind a paywall when you subscribe to TP-Link's cloud service, which also gives you cloud storage for your recordings. It has an intercom mode which sounds clear. You can even use prerecorded messages to reply to a vistor at the door, or record a message of your own on the app to use for whenever. The Tapo TD25 has a geofencing feature to allow recording and notification to activate only within your specified zones, but I was unable to test this since I live in an apartment floor with only 2 units, myself and my neighbor, and geofencing is impractical for the amount of little space and inactivity within my hallway outside of my front door. Battery life appears to be excellent. After roughly a week, it hasn't dipped below 90% yet, although your mileage will vary. I live in ana apartment with little foot traffic. A house on a busy street will be an entirely different story, and one I'm unfortunately unable to test or simulate. It has Google Assistant support but it's very limited. It can only do voice notifications for events. It won't show you video if you have a Google Nest Hub. You can use a voice command to have the Google Nest Hub show you the doorbell on demand though. And the convenient thing is the video will not time out, so you can leave it open for as long as you want. But of course, this will put a huge strain on the video doorbell's battery life. You will need to close it manually by telling the Google Nest Hub to stop, or manually closing the video on the display itself. Pros: -No mandatory subscription for recorded events -Seemingly great battery life -local storage -excellent night vision Cons: -severe fisheye effect -no rewind or fast-forward functions for playback within app; needs to be downloaded and viewed from a separate video player for that -recording starts too slow to capture events when they happen That last con is a dealbreaker for me when used wirelessly. But for hardwired, I would say consider it. But there are better options that also offer local storage out there for just slightly more money.

The Tapo D25 is a next generation product for smart doorbell cameras. You need to download the Tapo app and then the process to install and configure this device becomes extremely easy using the app. The ‘Quick Start Guide’ is the first place to start. It is well written. You do have to decide if you want a battery powered or a hardwired installation. I do suggest that the process to remove the mounting back plate to expose the switches, charging port and micro SD slot be put ahead of all the other various directions in the ‘Quick Start Guide’ since the first thing you need to see is how to remove the device from the back plate. The app will guide you through the steps needed to connect your WiFi to the doorbell camera and to connect the chime to the doorbell. It is a good idea to keep the guide handy as it has some excellent diagrams of things like resetting the device and the location of the microphone and speaker for example. Two wedges are included (slant up/down or left/right) to help position the angle of the camera, if necessary to use. I chose to use the device powered by the 8 month battery instead of hardwired so that I could keep my existing doorbell button. I also chose to attach the base plate using the included screws instead of the included adhesive pad; but this is a choice the user can make. I felt the screw attachment was more secure. The device does have the ability to alert you when the camera is removed from the base plate – nice feature and a tip of the cap to the engineers who designed the device. You can add more chimes if you want to ensure more coverage of the doorbell ring such as in the garage for example. I found this smart doorbell to be one of the most complete as to desirable features which include color night vision, two way audio, 180 degree wide angle, and even more smart features. It was well designed regarding ease of setup, functionality and in physical structure. I would highly recommend this great smart camera doorbell.

I purchased this item to improve upon an existing doorbell camera and to attempt to have all outdoor cameras on the same app. This doorbell camera improves upon my previous one (WUUK) in a couple of meaningful ways: First, with the 180 degree camera angle, you are able to see objects (packages, for example) that are next to the house. Most cameras can't see Things that are close to the surface that they are mounted on. This also makes it very difficult for people to approach it from the side without being detected. Even if I open up the door a crack from the inside, the doorbell catches it and activates the camera. Second, the camera records events 4 or 5 seconds before the event happens. Why is this important? With the old doorbell camera, it would often show the back of the person as they're leaving; it would start recording after most of the 'event' had occurred (for example, after they've already delivered a package). For this camera, the entire event is recorded. Another positive... Probably the main reason I purchased this doorbell is because TP Link manufacturers many other outdoor cameras so that I can put them all on the same app. Unlike most other manufacturers that seem to excel at one product type, but not another, TP Link seems to make good products of various types. So far, I only have this camera. But, my plan is to replace and add to other outdoor security cameras that I already have. Negatives? With Christmas lights blinking next to it, this causes some false positives... perhaps about two per day. I think that the changing lights reflects in such a way to make it appear as motion. When the lights aren't on, this is not an issue. All AI cameras have some false positives. Although not perfect, to me, this is still very good. Second, the battery probably won't make it for the rated longevity per charge of, I believe, six months. We are not a high use household. So far, after 23 days, the battery is at 81% charge. This means that it will last about 115 days (4 months). To me, this is still excellent. I was charging the old doorbell about every three weeks or more. Add to it that this is being outdoors in Minnesota during the Winter (today, it was 5 degrees this morning), the battery life should be significantly reduced. It is positive that the doorbell also allows it to be hardwired (no charging). My plan is to eventually do this. It's nice that I won't have to purchase a new doorbell to do this. Some reviews note that the doorbell is large and block shaped. It is. I suspect that some of that size and weight is due to the larger battery. So, would I prefer a smaller doorbell that I have to charge more often? No way. Could they of made it a little bit more attractive. Probably. But, to me, the appearance is acceptable... especially for the improved performance. You do have to purchase an SD card for local storage for this unit. This isn't needed if you use the cloud. The Wuuk came with storage built-in. This could be an plus or a minus. The Wuuk storage was small. Being able to buy a card allows you to obtain more storage... But again, this comes at an additional price. Overall, to me, this is a very good doorbell camera and significant improvement on the old unit. I recommend it.

One of the things that concerns me about any home security camera is privacy. I am uncomfortable with the combination of automatic recording to a cloud where a corporation, a hacker, or a rouge government actor could potentially access sensitive information about my home. Since using cameras is supposed to increase security, not decrease it, the way data is stored is very important. So I am pleased to see that this Tapo doorbell camera considers security and privacy in a few ways. First, there’s a few options for recording. Recording does require an additional purchase, but it is extremely convenient. One is to purchase their cloud storage service. Second is to buy a microSD card for on-device storage. Third is to use a hub that will provide storage on your local network (may also require a microSD card). I chose the on-device option. This means that during normal operation, my video never leaves the device. If I want to view or download recordings, I can do so from my local network. The only downside to on-device recording is that if the device itself is stolen, your recordings are gone too. But the doorbell itself has a theft/tamper detection switch that will help stop theft before it is completed. Setup and installation of the device was a little bit complicated but very well thought out. The box contained all the screws and brackets that I needed, including extra wires to help with hardwired installation (it has the option of hardwire or battery power; I chose to hardwire it since we had wires already installed for an older doorbell). The instructions were straightforward, and they were thoughtful concerning what difficulties we might encounter. The only problem with the setup is that we couldn’t get it to work with our existing chime. It’s supposed to be able to do this, but for some reason the chime would not make any noise. I almost took a star off the rating for this, but since the doorbell comes with its own (wireless) chime it wasn’t really a big deal. But they could have done a better job configuring the doorbell to work with more older chimes. The software part of the installation—setting up the doorbell to connect to my wifi and setting how it would work—also went relatively smoothly. This is usually a sticking point with smart home devices, with manufacturers who skimp on the app even though that’s probably the most important part of the user experience. I was pleased that the app only crashed twice during setup, and the device otherwise got connected and configured on the first try. The setup procedure included swiping through a bunch of screens explaining how to do the physical installation and how to pick a good spot for the camera, which was potentially helpful but made the process longer than it could have been. Connecting the wireless chime that came with the device turned out to be more complicated than expected since I had to connect it to wifi, pair it to the doorbell, and then later go into the doorbell settings to tell it to actually ring the chime when the button is pressed. Still, it only took a little bit of debugging to get it working. The actual operation of the doorbell camera really impresed me. The image is crisp and high resolution, roughly like a 4k TV. I can see a lot of detail and can (digitally) zoom in on certain parts of the view. It also does really well with low light, recording clean full-color images even in low light. It has onboard AI so that in addition to an integrated motion detector it can identify motion only in certain areas of the frame; it can identify people or vehicles; and it can identify objects that look like packages. Each motion type triggers a separate notification, so I know what’s going on even without opening the app. There are also privacy features in these settings, to black out certain areas of view or to block recording and streaming at specific times. Oh, and it does audio as well! The camera picks up sound around the area with pretty good detail. It’s noticably compressed, nothing like studio quality, but in terms of being able to hear what is going on outside it’s great. I didn’t play too much with the 2-way sound, but being able to have a conversation with someone at the door through the app (or play a pre-recorded quick message) is pretty nice. Motion and object detection algorithms are, of course, not perfect. However, there’s been only a few false positives or missed events during the first week I’ve been using it. Once in a while the wind will blow branches in a tree that gets picked up as motion, or a shadow will prevent the camera from identifying a package on the porch. But overall it’s quite accurate (and identifies things very quickly). With tweaking to the sensitivity adjustements and area of view exclusions I think it will get to be even more accurate. One other missing feature set I found relates to having multiple people access the camera. The app lets you “share” a device with others, but sharing is just an on or off deal. There’s no way to control what access people have (e.g. they cannot adjust settings on the camera). But so far accessing the camera with multiple users and from multiple locations seems to work otherwise. Overall, this is a high quality camera with a thoughtful UX. I will definitely consider getting a few more for other doors, etc.

With so much mail/package theft going on in the Bay Area, it was time to upgrade to a smart doorbell for our home. We have surveillance cameras, but none in our porch area, so a smart doorbell was a must. After looking at the many options, the TP Link Tapó doorbell came up. So, we went for it. The installation was a breeze. You have the option to do a hardwire installation, or battery powered. So if you’re not up for a little electrical wiring, you have a backup option. I went with the hardwired option to avoid dead batteries in the future. I absolutely hate charging or changing batteries. The app was also easy to navigate and the instructions to get the camera running were straightforward. I am very happy to finally be able to see who is at my door before answering. I’m also able to keep an eye out on any mail carriers and properly instruct them on where to leave my packages. Although the doorbell itself won’t prevent your packages from getting stolen, you at least have the ability to instruct a carrier where to leave your packages. This is better than leaving instructions on their website, which never works. The video is clear and the audio is good. There aren’t very many lag issues so far. Do yourself a favor and install some piece of mind.