How to Use a Mini Spy Camera to Monitor Your Home

SEPT 17

Whether you live in a house, apartment, or even a dorm room, chances are you’ve thought about home security. While some areas are safer than others, many people from all areas of the country come to us looking for a mini spy camera to protect and monitor their home.

There are two main types of mini spy cameras that are available. Ones that record to internal memory or a memory card (for viewing later), and live streaming cameras that allow you to see what’s going on right now.

Deciding which of these types of cameras to get depends on your particular surveillance needs, and how you want to go about monitoring your home.

Self-Recording / All in One / Non-WiFi Cameras

For example, let’s say you want a hidden camera to find out which one of your roommates is going through your bedroom while you’re at class. Or you’re a parent who wants to see if one of your kids is getting into your liquor cabinet. For those situations, you may just want a video evidence of what happened, you don’t necessarily need to see it happen live.

For those situations above, a self-recording or “all in one” spy cam would work for your situation. You can choose motion activated or continuous recording video, and then review the video at your convenience on your computer.

WiFi Streaming Cameras

On the other hand, let’s say you’re more concerned with break-ins or home security, or simply want the ability to see what’s going on at any given moment. When you have time-sensitive surveillance needs like this, a WiFi streaming or “internet streaming” hidden camera may be better suited for you.

These type of mini spy cameras connect to your existing wireless network in your home (the same Wi-Fi network that your laptop or smartphone would).

These cameras are ideal for around the clock video surveillance, allowing you to check in on your camera feed any time of day or night.

Another big selling point of WiFi streaming spy cameras is that most of them allow you to set up motion detection alerts, which allow you to get notified on your phone via push notification if your camera notices activity. So for example, if someone breaks into your house and walks in front of the camera, you’ll get an instant alert on your phone, so you can pull up your camera feed and see what’s going on.

Battery vs AC Powered Hidden Cameras

As you’re picking out a miniature spy cam, another thought to consider is whether to go with a camera that is battery powered, or one that plugs into AC power. Several factors can help you determine which to go with – the two main factors being the location you’d like to place the camera, and the second being the duration that you would like the camera to operate.

A battery powered mini spy camera is very convenient for short term use, as they are portable, and you aren’t restricted with regards to their placement. You can put it on a shelf and monitor your living room, hide it under your desk to monitor your home office, or even place one in your car to monitor your vehicle. Battery life for mini spy cameras can range from a few hours to a few days, depending on the model.

An AC powered spy camera, on the other hand, plugs into an AC power outlet, which allows it to operate 24/7 with no battery life concerns to worry about. This allows you to monitor your home around the clock, and is better suited for long term surveillance and security. 

No matter what your security and surveillance needs are, mini spy cameras are a great way to provide covert video monitoring for your home or apartment.