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Wyze just made installing outdoor security cameras as easy as changing a light bulb

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The Bulb Cam can attach to any outdoor light to transform it into a smart camera

A Wyze Bulb Cam being held by a hand screwed into a black iron outdoor light fixture
(Image credit: Wyze)

Homeowners who have been wanting to add one of the best home security cameras to their property, but have been hesitant to tackle the world of wires and screws and mounts, have just gotten the product they've been waiting for.

Wyze announced today the Bulb Cam, an outdoor smart camera that is powered by any light fixture and that can work as a smart light bulb, provide custom lighting control, AI-powered notifications and color night vision.

Both a motion-activated smart light as well as a security camera that can be conveniently powered by any light fixture, the Bulb Cam is wireless and eliminates cords or batteries. This makes the Bulb Cam particularly useful for areas that have a light fixture but are far from outlets, like garages, alleys or pools.

Like other Wyze products, the Bulb Cam can be controlled through an app, and the camera itself can be manually extended, rotated, or tilted to find the right angle. It has a 160 degree wide field of view, a 2K HD resolution and color night vision for a clear picture day or night. It can also be grouped with five total bulbs together to create a full-coverage area of smart lighting, which can be dimmed to your desired brightness.

A hand puts a microSD card into the Wyze Bulb Cam

(Image credit: Wyze)

Since it also functions as a security camera, the Bulb Cam has two-way audio features and 24/7 local recording (via a microSD card slot, with the microSD card sold separately). There is no subscription required because of the local storage included. It also uses Descriptive Alerts, an AI-powered notification feature to summarize motion events and Wyze's "NBD" filter to asses whether to notify users about whether or not a motion event is important.

The Bulb Cam will integrate with smart home assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Wyze Rule for complete home automation. The Bulb Cam retails for $49.98 right now, and the Accessory Bulb alone is available for just $16.98.

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Amber Bouman
Amber Bouman
Senior Editor Security

Amber Bouman is the senior security editor at Tom's Guide where she writes about antivirus software, home security, identity theft and more. She has long had an interest in personal security, both online and off, and also has an appreciation for martial arts and edged weapons. With over two decades of experience working in tech journalism, Amber has written for a number of publications including PC World, Maximum PC, Tech Hive, and Engadget covering everything from smartphones to smart breast pumps. 

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