SkyBell: See Who is at Your Door From Your Smartphone

This sponsored post was written as part of the Skybell blog program with One2One Network

SkyBell upgrades your 1950s doorbell with WiFi and video streaming, allowing you to see who is ringing your doorbell from anywhere in the world. With the SkyBell app you can answer your doorbell from somewhere in the house, while out at the grocery store, or even while halfway around the world on vacation. You can see who is at the door and send them away with “No, I don’t want to buy any magazines.”

SkyBell’s product is a sleek round pad that replaces your wired doorbell. It features a motion sensor that detects when someone is at your door even if the doorbell hasn’t been depressed. One-way video capabilities allow you to see who is at your door without them being able to see you, even before you decide to answer.

When a visitor pushes the button, the SkyBell app sends a push notification is sent to your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet when the doorbell chimes. You can open the SkyBell app to see a live video feed with audio at your front door. You can even speak back to the person using the two-way audio feature.

Using SkyBell

The application can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices and SkyBell sends push notifications to multiple users’ mobile devices which is a great feature. The push notification comes about 2 seconds after someone pushes the button, which isn’t bad when you consider it goes up to the internet and back down to multiple phones. While the doorbell chimes, the push notification offers to open up the SkyBell app and you can see who as at the door.

The camera resolution is 640×480. That’s “standard definition,” but the pictures look pretty good. The lower pixel count on SkyBell makes it easier to stream the video over cellular signals and won’t kill your mobile data plan. SkyBell also features night vision for homeowners to view who is at the door in low-light conditions up to 5 feet away. The two screenshots below came from the SkyBell push notification when my husband was testing out SkyBell at night. The image on the left was taken on our dark front porch while you can see our porch light on in the one on the right.

How SkyBell Works

The entire SkyBell system fits into a round pad that’s just under 3 inches. It has an illuminated push-button, integrated video camera, microphone, and speaker.

SkyBell connects to your home WiFi network for easy access to the Internet so you can watch the videos from anywhere.

Make sure your WiFi is strong enough to be usable outside your front door (with the door closed). All of this functionality needs power, and it wouldn’t be practical to replace the batteries in your doorbell every few weeks, so SkyBell gets power from a wired power source.

Installing SkyBell

The most complex part of SkyBell is the installation. The hardware is designed in a clever way to easily integrate with existing hard-wired door bells. Most homes in the United States have a doorbell that was installed in the 1950s or 1970s. The SkyBell engineers built their product to reuse that wiring, pull power from the existing doorbell, and even allow the current “ding-dong” chime to continue to operate. If your home has a wireless doorbell or relies on analog primitive “knock-knock” technology, SkyBell will still work for you too. The hard part will be to run a wire to the doorbell location. This SkyBell installation video serves as a helpful guide to getting started.

In an ideal world, SkyBell installation might be as simple as removing your current push-button at the front door and replacing it with SkyBell. In our case, we did not have a wired doorbell, so it was necessary to run a new wire to the front porch.

Why You Want to Upgrade Your Doorbell to SkyBell

Adding SkyBell to an existing doorbell setup is a great upgrade for your home. The SkyBell will add value by providing the push notifications and video feeds before you open the front door. I would highly recommend that you use SkyBell in conjunction with your ancient ding-dong doorbell. The old doorbell is louder than your phone, never runs out of batteries, or gets left in a purse where nobody can hear it.

In our case, SkyBell will probably be the justification to install a “real” doorbell. Even with the notification going to multiple devices, we’ve noticed that it can get missed, particularly if someone is on the phone or if there is music playing.

Summary of SkyBell Features:

• Motion sensor detects when someone may be at your door even if the doorbell has not been depressed
• On-demand viewing turns on the SkyBell integrated camera at any time to view your entry way
• Silent mode remotely turns off your indoor chime and so you will only receive notifications only on your mobile device. This feature is great for parents of napping children who are easily awoken by the ringing doorbell.
• SkyBell mobile app alerts you immediate on your Android or Apple iOS smartphone or tablet when the doorbell chimes thanks to push notifications that immediately appear on your smartphone’s screen.
• Remote control allows SkyBell to be programmed and managed through the mobile app
• One-way video provides a peek at who is at the door without them being able to see you, before you decide to answer
• Two-way audio allows you to talk to whomever is at your door through your mobile device
• Photo snapshot is helpful for taking a photograph of who is at your door using the SkyBell app
• Night vision capabilities allow users to view who is at your door in low-light conditions up to 5 feet away
• Multiple user feature allows for SkyBell to be set up on multiple family member’s mobile devices
• Weather resistant design means that SkyBell is designed for outdoor use, even in extreme conditions

Win a SkyBell for Your Home!

With spring break and summer vacations on the horizon, the convenience of being able to look to see who is at your door where ever you are is a huge advantage when it comes to home security. Win a SkyBell for you home by using the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SkyBell retails for $199.

I participated in the Skybell blog program as a member of One2One Network. I received compensation but all opinions are my own. Some images courtesy of SkyBell. Amazon Affiliate links included in this post.