Never miss a delivery again with the Ring Peephole Cam. This motion-activated video doorbell will alert you when it detects a visitor. Door knocks will also trigger a smartphone notification, and of course, the doorbell chimes when pressed.

Unlike most video doorbells, the Ring uses your door's existing peephole so there is no need to drill any holes. No cables too, as it is battery powered. This removable and rechargeable battery usually lasts several months, depending on the amount of foot traffic. Get a spare battery to avoid downtime. You can also black out specific areas within the Ring's field of view for privacy. For instance, if the doorbell faces your neighbour's doorway.

Replacing my existing peephole with the Ring took less than 10 minutes — simply follow the concise instructions in the Ring smartphone app (iOS and Android). And don't toss your original peephole as you can fix it back. This makes the Ring ideal for those who are merely renting the place.

Video quality is good, especially with the HDR option enabled. But a potential deal-breaker is the lack of local storage. Captured videos and photos are uploaded to the cloud, though this requires a Ring Protect subscription (US$3 a month). Non-subscribers can only view live video, converse with visitors and enjoy smartphone alerts. A 30-day free trial of Ring Protect is included.

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I like the Ring Peephole Cam's hassle-free installation. However, the built-in chime is rather soft — Ring sells a separate chime. And you likely have to pay for the monthly subscription to get the most out of it. But I recommend the Ring over other video doorbells (or security cameras) for its ease of use and slick app.

Note: The Ring Peephole Cam has been discontinued, check out the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free instead.