I’ve been testing the brand new SwitchBot Video Doorbell, and instead of giving you another boring review of specs and features, I’m going to share four things I genuinely like about it and four things that, honestly, drive me nuts.
Here’s the twist: the things I don’t like might not matter to you at all. And one of the things I do like might completely change how you think about smart doorbells.
Before we begin, a full disclosure: SwitchBot sent me this SwitchBot Video Doorbell for free to review. However, my opinions are 100% my own. They are seeing this article for the very first time, just like you are. So, no soft punches here.
Let’s start with the good stuff first, because there are some impressive features to show you.
Table of Contents
Tired of Reading? Watch the Video Review!
If you prefer to watch rather than read, you can see my full video review of the SwitchBot Video Doorbell on YouTube. I walk through all of these points and show you the device in action.
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/03P3_52tHNA
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The 4 Things I Genuinely Like
1. It Works When Your Internet is Down (EdgeLink)
The SwitchBot Video Doorbell isn’t just one device; it’s a package of two: a battery-powered wireless doorbell and a wired indoor video monitor with a few simple buttons.
The thing I love most is the bond between these two devices. They use something called EdgeLink, which allows for direct, local, and encrypted communication.
What does this mean for you? Even if your home internet connection fails completely, your doorbell still works. You can see who’s at your door from the indoor monitor, talk to them, and record everything locally. While other smart doorbells become expensive paperweights, this one is like, “Don’t worry, I got this.”
2. No Mandatory Subscription Fees (A Rarity)
Let’s be honest: most smart doorbells are like gym memberships. They seem cheap upfront, but they get you with mandatory monthly fees to unlock their best features.
SwitchBot doesn’t do exactly that. You can use the SwitchBot Video Doorbell with zero subscription fees. The most important feature, motion detection and humans detection, runs locally on the device and is totally free.
If you want to pay for a subscription, you can unlock cloud-based detection for vehicles or pets. But if you only care about people, you’re all set.
This “free” philosophy extends to storage and customization:
- Custom Detection: You can set a custom detection area and adjust motion sensitivity to avoid false alarms, all for free.
- Local Storage: The package includes a 4GB microSD card, good for up to 3,500 video clips before it loops. If that’s not enough, you can add your own card up to 512GB.
- Cloud Storage: You can opt for unlimited cloud storage if you want to, but you don’t have to.
The choice is yours, and that’s something I really respect.
3. Absolutely Incredible Battery Life (Plus Options)
570 days.
That’s over a year and a half on a single charge. The doorbell unit is battery-powered, so you could install it, forget it exists, and it would still be going strong next Christmas.
But there’s more. You have three ways to power this device:
- Option A (Battery): Use the 570-day battery and charge it when needed.
- Option B (Hardwire): If you have existing low-voltage doorbell wires (5-6V DC), you can connect them for unlimited battery life.
- Option C (Solar): Pair the SwitchBot Video Doorbell with the SwitchBot Solar Panel (sold separately), and you have infinite, “never-charge-again” power from the sun.
4. Quick Replies and Smart Integrations
This is a fantastic time-saver. With just two clicks on the indoor monitor, you can reply with a pre-recorded message.
The cool thing is you can record your own custom message in your own language. The even cooler thing is you can set a default message to reply to any ring, which has great potential for home automations.
Speaking of smart homes, the SwitchBot Video Doorbell integrates well with the Amazon ecosystem. When someone rings, your Echo Show can automatically pull up the live video feed. If you also have a SwitchBot Lock, you can even unlock your door remotely. Picture this: you’re in the kitchen, hands covered in pizza and ketchup, and a friend rings. One button on the indoor screen, and boom, your door is unlocked.
You can also view the camera feed in Home Assistant… which brings us to the things I don’t like.
The 4 Things That “Drive Me Nuts”
1. Half-Baked Home Assistant Support
This is the biggest drawback for me. The SwitchBot Video Doorbell supports both RTSP and ONVIF protocols for direct video streaming. For some reason, RTSP kept timing out for me, but thankfully, the ONVIF method worked great.
Adding the SwitchBot Video Doorbell as an ONVIF camera to Home Assistant is nice and easy. Here are the steps:
- Open the SwitchBot app and go to the Video Doorbell settings.
- Find and enable the “Camera Account” feature.
- Set a unique username and password for this local connection. Write it down.
- In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & Services and click Add Integration or press “c” and type Integration.
- Search for and select ONVIF.
- If your doorbell isn’t auto-detected, you’ll be prompted for more info.
- Enter a name (e.g., “Front Door Camera”), the IP address of your doorbell (you can find this in your router’s device list or in the SwitchBot App > Video Doorbell > Settings > Wi-Fi Settings), and the username and password you just created in the SwitchBot app.
- Once added, you can see the live stream in Home Assistant and you can download snapshots if you want, as long as the device is awake.
But here’s the problem: The doorbell ring event is not exposed. When I added the device via Matter, it only appeared as a bridge for SwitchBot Locks, with no controls or sensors for the doorbell itself. Critically, I couldn’t find the doorbell in the local Home Assistant SwitchBot Bluetooth integration or the SwitchBot Cloud integration.
This means you can’t create simple automations like “When the doorbell is pressed, flash the office lights.” This ring event is key for smart automations, and its absence is a huge missed opportunity. I’m hoping this is just a launch-day hiccup that a OTA firmware update can fix.
2. Poor Google Ecosystem Integration
If you’re in the Alexa ecosystem, you’re golden. If you’re invested in Google Home? Not so much.
You can’t see the live video feed or get a doorbell chime on Google Hub devices. This feels like a major omission. To be fair, this problem often comes from Google’s own restrictions, so SwitchBot may not be to blame. Because of these restrictions, you also can’t use the doorbell as a trigger in Google Routines.
This SwitchBot Video Doorbell is definitely more friendly with Amazon.
3. Security Limitation: One Monitor Only
Here’s a strange limitation: you cannot connect multiple indoor monitors to a single doorbell.
If you live in a larger home and want one monitor in the living room and one upstairs, you’re out of luck. This seems like a simple feature that should have been included. Hopefully, SwitchBot can fix this in a future hardware or software revision, but for now, it’s restrictive.
4. Overly Sensitive Motion Detection
Don’t get me wrong, the motion detection feature itself is great. But if your door faces a busy street, oh boy—you’re going to get a lot of events.
Luckily, there is a scheduling feature and you can draw detection zones to calm it down. However, it took me a while to fine-tune these settings so the SwitchBot Video Doorbell wasn’t recording every passing bicycle like it was a crime scene. Be prepared to spend some time in the app tweaking these settings.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?
So, is the SwitchBot Video Doorbell right for you?
If you are already in the SwitchBot ecosystem or a heavy Amazon Echo user, it’s a no-brainer. You get a doorbell that still works offline, doesn’t force you into subscription fees, has amazing battery life, and plays very well with Alexa.
If you are a hardcore Google Home or Home Assistant user, I’d say hold off for a bit. The hardware is awesome, but the software just needs a few more updates to unlock its full potential.
I’ll be honest—when that Home Assistant ring event integration finally lands, this might become the smart doorbell to beat. Even with its downsides, this device impressed me more than I expected.
Ready to Buy?
If you like what you see and want to check out the SwitchBot Video Doorbell for yourself, you can use my affiliate link below. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it really helps support the YT channel and this site and allows me to make more reviews like this.
- Buy the SwitchBot Video Doorbell (Amazon Affiliate Link): https://amzn.to/47hcBXo
Keep Reading
Want to learn more about integrating SwitchBot products with your smart home?
- Check out my other SwitchBot Home Assistant articles here: https://peyanski.com/category/smart-home/switchbot/
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Thanks for reading, and may your doorbell always ring for good and fun things.