Indoor cameras and privacy at home

Decide what the camera is for

Start with a single purpose: watching a pet, seeing who comes in the front door while you are away, or checking on a parent. A narrow purpose decides where the camera goes, whether you need audio and who gets access. If your goal is “know if someone is home,” a door sensor or motion sensor may do the job without recording video at all.

Where to place cameras, and where not to

The FTC advises thinking carefully before using remote viewing on private areas such as bedrooms. A camera that can be viewed from anywhere is also a camera that can be viewed by anyone who obtains your login.

Settings that matter most

1. Physical shutter or lens cover. A camera that physically blocks its lens when home gives a visible assurance and removes doubt for everyone in the house.
2. Home/away modes. Turn recording off when you are home and on when you leave. Many cameras can do this by schedule or by phone location (geofencing); check that phone-based modes also work when you leave a household member behind. See geofencing for your smart home.
3. Audio off by default. Audio is where the legal risk rises (see below).
4. Activity zones. Mask windows, neighboring rooms and areas that are not the point of the camera.
5. Notification and clip sharing. Decide who receives alerts, and who can view or share clips.
6. Retention. Choose the shortest storage period you need. Delete clips you do not need.
7. Status light. Keep the indicator LED on so that people can tell when the camera is recording.

Account and network security

The FTC’s advice for IP cameras is concrete, and it applies to indoor models too:

• Never keep the default username and password; use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication on the cloud account.
• Choose a camera with built-in encryption for account information, livestreams and recordings, and turn it on.
• Keep the camera software and the viewing app updated, with automatic updates on.
• Put cameras on a separate network from computers and printers, so a breach of one device does not expose the others (how to set up a separate network).
• Limit remote access to the devices and accounts you trust, and consider a camera that lets you turn off remote viewing.
• Pick a camera with permission levels so only one administrator can change settings.
• Check access logs for unfamiliar IP addresses or access at unusual times.

Guests, babysitters and caregivers

Telling people that a camera is present is good practice and, depending on where you live, may be required. The legal picture has two parts:

• Video. Visible cameras in common areas of your own home are common and widely accepted. Cameras in places where people expect privacy, such as bathrooms or bedrooms where guests sleep, can break state criminal laws and ruin trust.
• Audio. The federal Wiretap Act (18 U.S.C. § 2511) generally allows recording a conversation if you are a party to it or one party has consented. A camera that records conversations among other people in your absence is different, and states have their own rules; some require every party to consent. Rules vary by state and city, so confirm the law where you live and ask a local attorney if unsure. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press publishes state-by-state recording guides.

For a nanny or home health aide: tell them in writing which cameras exist and where, keep audio off unless you have taken legal advice, and never place cameras in bathrooms or where they change clothes. Short-term rental guests have additional rules set by the platform and local law; read them before putting any camera inside the unit.

Family members and teenagers

Cameras in children’s rooms are a family decision with a privacy cost for older kids. Use them for infants and toddlers where you need them, and review the need as children grow. For partners, agree on who can view what, and do not share the password.

When you leave or sell

Remove the camera from your account, reset it to factory settings and delete stored clips before it goes to a new owner. See moving out: what to do with your smart home devices.

Alternatives to a camera inside

A door or window sensor, a motion sensor or a presence sensor can tell you that someone moved without recording faces or voices. A camera at the entrance and sensors indoors cover many needs. For a parent or relative who lives alone, a routine-based sensor setup can reassure without video; see how to check on an elderly parent living alone.