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    Safety & Privacy
    Beginner
    2 min read 5 stepsApril 17, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Keep Your Smart Home Cameras Secure from Hackers

    Protect your security cameras with strong passwords and two-factor sign-in so strangers cannot watch your video feed.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Safety & Privacy
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    2 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    smart home
    camera
    security
    passwords
    two-factor

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Change your camera app password
    2. 2.Turn on two-factor authentication
    3. 3.Check for unknown sign-ins
    4. 4.Update the camera firmware
    5. 5.Use a strong Wi-Fi password
    1

    Change your camera app password

    ~15s
    Open the camera app (Ring, Nest, Arlo, Blink, etc.), go to Account Settings, and pick Change Password. Make a new password at least 12 characters long that you do not use on any other site.
    2

    Turn on two-factor authentication

    ~15s
    In the same Account Settings menu, look for "Two-Factor Authentication" or "Two-Step Verification" and turn it on. This asks for a text-message code any time someone tries to sign in from a new device.
    3

    Check for unknown sign-ins

    ~15s
    Most camera apps have a "Devices" or "Active Sessions" page showing every phone or computer that has signed in. If you see a device you do not recognize, tap it and sign it out.
    4

    Update the camera firmware

    ~15s
    Camera makers release security updates called firmware. In the app settings, tap "Device Info" or "Firmware" and make sure you are on the latest version. Turn on automatic updates if the option is there.
    5

    Use a strong Wi-Fi password

    ~16s
    Cameras are only as secure as the Wi-Fi they sit on. Log in to your router (usually by going to 192.168.1.1 in a browser) and make sure your Wi-Fi password is long and unique. Turn off WPS, a short-code shortcut that is known to be weak.

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    News stories about hackers watching people through their own security cameras are real. But they are almost always the result of weak passwords or reused ones. With a few small steps, you can make your cameras extremely hard to break into.

    The most important changes are a strong unique password and two-factor sign-in. Both take about 5 minutes per camera account and block most attacks.

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    smart home
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    Official Resources

    FTC Consumer ProtectionCISA — Cybersecurity TipsAARP Fraud Watch Network

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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