Ring Indoor Cam (2nd generation) review

I went to hell and back for my Ring camera. 

Setting up a security camera should be easy, right? How hard can it be?

The instructions on the tin were straightforward and I seemed to be doing everything right, yet the Ring Gods were punishing me for my sins. No matter how many times I tried to restart the camera, the modem, or even my other devices that were on the same network, it just would not connect to my Wi-Fi and give me that sweet green light I so deeply craved. 

After a solid hour of solo troubleshooting, I gave up and reached out to customer service.  They graciously arranged a replacement and I thought it would be smooth sailing from here on out. (Spoiler: she thought wrong).

I was advised the camera would reach my address in 3-5 days. Perfect, I’m moving house in two weeks. 

My moving date loomed close, and I still hadn't received my camera. I called customer service for an update, only to find out it hadn't even been shipped yet. There was such a high demand for the camera that there was a backlog of customers waiting to get their hands on one. I didn't even have time to wait for them to ship my camera out, so I had to cancel the replacement order and allow them to reprocess it under my new address. 

The order was cancelled and I was advised it would be about 2-3 weeks until I received my tracking number. The next day, I received the camera.

After settling into the new place, I received another one (infinite Indoor Cam glitch?). 

The second time around, it seamlessly connected to my Wi-Fi and was nothing but smooth sailing from there. The app is easy to navigate, and the camera is easy to set up (despite my initial hiccups). The month-long ordeal I endured was a poignant reminder of how easy it should be to set up a security camera. You shouldn't have to jump through hoops and think of yourself as a sub-par human because you can't get a simple piece of technology to connect to your Wi-Fi.

The camera’s main purpose is to keep an eye on my dog, Loki, while I’m out of the house. Like most Ring cameras, it has two-way audio, so I can calm him down if he starts howling or reprimand him for doing parkour on the pillows. This feature is perfect for pet owners, or family members who want to check in with the kids while they’re away from home. 

Unlike other indoor cameras at its price point, the Ring Indoor Cam has minimal video lag. Whenever I tune into the live feed to see my pet pacing around the living room, the camera keeps up with his every move. While the 1080p resolution isn't the best on the market, the video and audio quality is clear, and there is no noticeable lag, which can be an issue with cheaper security cameras.

The Indoor Cam has motion detection zones that are fully customisable. The app lets you create some seriously unusual shapes so you can set up a zone exactly how you’d like. I set up two zones – a living room zone, and a zone that detects when my dog is headed toward the two spare rooms. 

Once the camera detects motion, you’ll get an alert. If you want the camera to start recording when motion is detected, you’ll need to be a Protect Plan subscriber. The motion detection technology is extremely sensitive, even on the lowest sensitivity setting. As soon as I enter the zone, the camera wastes no time in sending an alert through the app. Even though the only people entering and exiting the zone are my dog and I, it's still worth mentioning in case you have children and don’t want an alert every time they move to another room.

The Indoor Cam is tethered to a 1.9m long cord.

The location didn't pose too much of an issue for me, as the cord was long enough for the camera to sit on top of a bookcase next to the TV unit. The camera also doesn't have pan or tilt functionality, so you might feel limited in how much you can see with the camera. 

A downside to the camera is that a Ring Protect Plan is needed to unlock some of its features. While this is a bummer, it's almost expected with a camera this cheap. 

Side note: If you’re after a security camera with no subscriptions needed, take a look at our picks for the best security cameras with no subscriptions or monthly fees. 

Ring cameras come with standard features (like night vision, two-way audio, and motion detection notifications) and then some extra bells and whistles for a price.

Without the Ring Protect Plan, you won't be able to record your videos from inside the app or upload your video history to the cloud. Personally, I didn’t feel like I needed these features – especially for a camera that’s only being used indoors (and to keep an eye on my dog, at that). If he was doing something cute and I wanted to capture it (like a typical pet owner) I could still take a screenshot or screen recording. 

You can still use most of the Indoor Cam’s features without the plan, and I didn't feel I was missing out on all that much without it. For products like the Ring doorbell, where you might interact with strangers or potential intruders, we recommend the Protection Plan. In case something goes wrong and you need to provide video footage to the police, it's helpful to have these video recordings stored.

While it's great for tuning in on the live feed to check up on your kids or fur babies, this might not be the best choice for folks who need more. The camera isn't the highest quality, and if you aren't able to tune into the live feed, you’ll have to purchase a subscription.

Despite its downsides, this is the perfect camera for those looking to get into the security camera game, or if you want an extra pair of eyes to keep an eye on your pet while you’re not around. It's easy to set up and maintain and supports smart home integration for any other devices you might be interested in. 

We feel the best way to review a product is to get our hands on it and test it ourselves. That’s exactly what we did with the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd gen). To get the most authentic experience, we set up the camera in our own home and tested the installation process, app, and camera features for about 2 weeks.

To learn more about our research and testing methods, take a look at our methodology.