The Tapo 1080p Indoor Wired Security Camera can monitor a pet home alone, a sleeping baby, or an entryway while you’re out. The 1080p resolution captures enough detail to identify faces in well-lit rooms, and infrared night vision records up to 30 feet in total darkness. The camera sends motion alerts to your phone, supports two-way audio through a built-in speaker and microphone, and integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands. The Tapo measures approximately 3 inches tall, runs on USB power, and connects via 2.4 GHz WiFi.
A quick and easy way to set up surveillance around your home
Tapo’s setup is done via its companion app on iOS or Android. You scan a QR code with your phone’s camera, connect it to your home WiFi, and the camera appears in the app for live viewing within a few minutes. The camera plugs into a standard wall outlet via a USB power cable, with no battery to charge or replace, so it runs continuously as long as it’s plugged in. The camera captures footage in 1080p, which is enough to see faces or labels clearly. Motion detection functionality sends alerts to your phone when the camera senses movement. You can also set custom zones, so your phone doesn’t buzz every time your cat walks into the scene. The Tapo includes two-way audio, so you can talk to anyone in range, and it also has night vision that captures everything in the room, even in complete darkness.
The Tapo features a microSD card slot that lets you store up to 256GB of video locally, with no subscription required. However, video stored in the cloud will require you to sign up for Tapo’s paid services. In addition to continuous and motion-based recording, you can also schedule recordings for specific time frames. When the Tapo runs out of storage space for older footage, it simply overwrites the oldest recorded video. Plus, multiple phone notifications are supported so all household members can receive notifications when the Tapo detects activity.
The camera is indoor-only, so don’t try to mount it outside or in humid spaces like a bathroom. The wired power requirement means you’ll need an outlet nearby where you place it. There’s no pan or tilt motor, so the camera’s field of view stays fixed wherever you point it. And cloud features beyond local microSD recording require a Tapo Care subscription, which adds a recurring cost on top of the camera itself.
The Tapo 1080p Indoor Wired Security Camera provides basic indoor monitoring for pets, valuables, or general security, and at $16, it’s one of the most affordable ways to get started with a security system. If you’ve been considering an indoor camera but didn’t want to commit to a major investment, the $4 off makes the entry point even lower.