X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Install Ring's Peephole Cam in minutes

The $199 Ring Peephole Cam replaces your existing peephole -- here's how to install it.

meganwollertonportraits0719-23a
meganwollertonportraits0719-23a
Megan Wollerton
ring-door-view-cam-27
1 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

This is the finished product -- the Ring Peephole Cam installed, but let's rewind and go through the process step-by-step. It's simpler than you'd think.

ring-door-view-cam-30
2 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Make sure you're charging the included battery while you install the rest of the camera.

ring-door-view-cam-1
ring-door-view-cam-1
1:53
3 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Use the Peephole "key" included with your purchase to unscrew your current peephole.

ring-door-view-cam-2
4 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Connect the flat side of the key with the two grooves on the indoor side of the peephole.

ring-door-view-cam-3
5 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Keep turning to loosen it.

ring-door-view-cam-6
6 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Carefully remove both sides of the peephole and set it aside (if you think you might reinstall it at a later time).

ring-door-view-cam-7
7 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Line up the outside portion of the Peephole Cam with the peephole opening.

ring-door-view-cam-9
8 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Carefully press the new peephole through the opening.

ring-door-view-cam-28
9 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

If the peephole opening is larger than the one attached to the camera, add this extender. It's included with your purchase, although I didn't need to use it with this door.

ring-door-view-cam-11
10 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Now it's time to install the inside portion of the camera. Press the tabs to separate the two sides like this. Set aside the faceplate for now.

ring-door-view-cam-10
11 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Connect the baseplate section of the inside mount to the door.

ring-door-view-cam-12
12 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

You might need someone on the outside holding the camera in place while you do this.

ring-door-view-cam-13
13 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Remove the connector cable from the peephole.

Note: The connector cable is already attached to the Ring peephole.

ring-door-view-cam-14
14 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

The "tightening nut" screws onto the peephole from the inside of the door.

ring-door-view-cam-15
15 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Turn it clockwise to secure the camera on both sides.

ring-door-view-cam-17
16 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Then attach the connector cable to the baseplate.

ring-door-view-cam-18
17 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Install the battery.

ring-door-view-cam-20
18 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Attach the faceplate.

ring-door-view-cam-19
19 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

The faceplate has a privacy screen. Use your finger to open and close it.

ring-door-view-cam-21
20 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

You can still look through it just like the original peephole.

ring-door-view-cam-26
21 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Download the Ring app to configure your camera, including getting it online, giving it a name and selecting settings for motion detection and more.

ring-door-view-cam-22
22 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

This doorbell looks a lot like previous Ring models, particularly the Ring Video Doorbell Pro.

ring-door-view-cam-8
23 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

This model has a slimmer profile and, of course, is mounted to the center of your door -- rather than on a doorframe.

ring-door-view-cam-24
24 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

It works with Alexa voice commands and costs $199.

ring-door-view-cam-16
25 of 25 Chris Monroe/CNET

Molly's dog, Bailey, kept a watchful eye as we installed the doorbell camera.

More Galleries

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work

21 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos