1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Wyze tweak lets you use its security camera as a work webcam

By

Chances are, if your job can be done at home, you’ll be doing exactly that right now. Unless, of course, you’re still rearranging the furniture as you hone your procrastination skills ahead of starting work for real.

The pandemic that is COVID-19 has seen countless workers around the world swapping their regular office for a home setup, causing a rush on key items such as desks, laptops, and monitors.

Recommended Videos

With working from home the new normal, an increasing number of webcams are also being fired up for online meetings between co-workers using tools such as Zoom, Skype (Microsoft Teams), and RingCentral.

Spotting an opportunity, smart home company Wyze has just released a firmware update that lets you use your Wyze Cam v2 or Wyze Cam Pan security camera as a webcam for teleconferencing.

“With everybody working from home while practicing social distancing, webcams are in huge demand,” the Seattle-based company said in a message posted online.

Noting that some of the better cameras are currently hard to find, it added: “Our engineers took on the challenge of creating a firmware version that would turn Wyze Cam into a webcam so that you don’t have to make an extra camera purchase. You’ll just need a microSD card to download the firmware. You’ll also need to track down a USB to USB cord.”

Testing by Wyze engineers has confirmed that the firmware works for Mac OS 10.13, as well as Windows 7 and 10. It may work with other operating system versions, too, it’s just that Wyze has only tried it on those listed here. The solution also works with Zoom, GoToMeeting, BlueJeans, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Cisco, the company said.

Wyze has created a set of step-by-step instructions to help you transform your security camera into a webcam for teleconferencing.

If you don’t have a Wyze camera but are shopping for a new webcam for your home office, Digital Trends has an updated list featuring some of the best ones currently on the market. We also have some great tips on how to work from home and an update from a man who became a global internet star when his family unexpectedly invaded his home office.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
HomeKit Secure Video: Why it’s great and why you should use it

Apple's HomeKit Secure Video is a year or two late to the smart security party, but the company made sure it arrived with plenty of skills, customizations, and algorithmic expertise.

Jumping on the HomeKit bandwagon, HomeKit Secure Video is an Apple-exclusive monitoring suite that you can get access to through an iCloud+ subscription. Offering a range of impressive surveillance features, instant notifications, and geofencing abilities, HomeKit Secure Video checks all the boxes when it comes to safeguarding your home, business, and personal data.

Read more
Wyze Garage Door Controller tells you when you left it open

Never again will you have to wonder if your garage door is closed, thanks to the newly announced Wyze Cam v3 Garage Door Controller. The affordable bundle is priced at $40 and includes both the Wyze Cam v3 and Garage Door Controller, giving you the ability to view and control your garage door remotely.

The Wyze Cam v3 Garage Door Controller isn't the first smart garage product on the market, but it does offer some functionality not found in other devices. After installing both the camera and controller, you'll be able to get a live view of your garage via a free smartphone app. There's also a proprietary AI vision system onboard the Wyze Cam v3, letting it detect whether your garage is closed -- and alert you if it's open.

Read more
WyzeCam’s security flaw should not have been kept secret

When you put a security camera in your home, it's to keep an eye on things for yourself -- not to let hackers peer through the internet into your home.

The possibility that someone is on the other side of that blackened camera lens has long been a concern for many homeowners, and one of the reasons that smart home technology has yet to fully catch on. The potential privacy implications are enormous, but companies have constantly reassured consumers that any vulnerabilities were patched and that users were safe.

Read more