Wyze, the smart device manufacturer behind the popular and inexpensive Wyze Cam v2 and Wyze Cam Pan security cameras, is adding a button to its mobile app that allows users to summon emergency responders without having to dial 9-1-1.
Wyze says its new emergency button is powered by Noonlight, a software developer that’s behind similar buttons for Tinder, the ubiquitous dating app, and the app for smart home security manufacturer Canary.
The new emergency button, which is slated to start rolling out today, will appear on the Wyze app within the screen showing the live stream for a given Wyze cam. If you see something suspicious in the live stream, such as smoke or a burglar, you can tap the button to contact a Noonlight agent, who can assess the situation and contact the proper authorities.
Wyze
The new emergency button in the Wyze app lets you summon emergency personnel if you see suspicious activity in the live feed of your Wyze cam.
The Noonlight-powered emergency button will be available to all Wyze users in the U.S., and it will be free “for the foreseeable future,” a Wyze rep said.
Wyze’s well-regarded Cam v2 and Cam Pan are, at $20 and $30 respectively, among the least expensive smart security cams on the market. Wyze also offers 14 days of cloud storage for recorded video clips for $1.49 a month per camera.
Until recently, Wyze offered free people-detection for its security cameras, but it ”temporarily” yanked the service earlier this year after Xnor.ai, the company that powered the feature, abruptly canceled its contract. (It later emerged that Xnor.ai had been acquired by Apple.) A new version of Wyze’s people-detection feature is now in beta.
The Wyze cams face competition from the likes of the $35 Blink Mini, the $40 Eufy Indoor Cam 2K from Anker, and the $40 Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera, our current Editor’s Choice for budget smart security cameras.