Our verdict: The Wyze Cam v4 ranks 3rd of the 10 home security cameras we compare, with 8.8 out of 10. It takes our Best Budget badge.
Wyze Cam v4
8.8/10Best Budget
The Wyze Cam v4 is a small plug-in security camera with 2.5K video, color night vision, a spotlight and a siren. It suits shoppers who want an inexpensive camera for indoors or a covered porch and plan to record to a microSD card.
2.5K video with color night vision, a spotlight and a 99 dB siren
IP65 rating, so it works indoors or on a covered porch
Continuous recording to a microSD card
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
Keep in mind
Needs a nearby outlet and a short USB cable
2.4GHz Wi-Fi only
Smart detection beyond basic motion needs the paid Cam Plus plan
Why the Wyze Cam v4 scores 8.8
Each bar shows where it places among the 10 home security cameras in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.
How happy owners are4th of 10
How many rated it6th of 10
How new it is7th of 10
Why it sits behind the eufy SoloCam S340
The eufy SoloCam S340 (8.9) edges the Wyze Cam v4 (8.8) on the balance of all three parts.
About the Wyze Cam v4
The Wyze Cam v4 records 2560 x 1440 video at 20 frames per second by day and 15 at night, with 8x digital zoom and WDR. Its field of view is about 116 degrees diagonal. For night, it has four 850 nm infrared LEDs and two white spotlight LEDs rated at 72 lumens, which allow color night vision. PCWorld found the picture crisp in both infrared and spotlight modes.
The speaker is rated up to 99 dB and doubles as the siren. The camera also has two-way talk with noise and echo cancellation. It is IP65 rated and works from -4°F to 122°F. It works with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT, and PCWorld notes it has no Apple Home support.
Power comes from a wall adapter and a 6 ft micro USB cable, so it needs an outlet nearby. An outdoor power adapter is sold separately. Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz only (Wi-Fi 6 on that band), with Bluetooth 5.2 used for setup. Recording to a microSD card (sold separately, up to 256GB per Wyze) needs no subscription. Smart alerts and cloud storage need a paid Cam Plus or Cam Protect plan. The box holds the camera, adapter, cable, wall plate with mounting tape, screws and a quick start guide.
What owners report about the Wyze Cam v4
Owner feedback on the v4 in Wyze's community forum is mostly about problems, so it skews negative. Wi-Fi is the main one. Some owners say their v4 cameras show weaker signal and drop offline more than their older v3 cameras in the same spots. Others report no trouble at all. Suggested fixes include moving the camera, checking for dead zones and giving the 2.4 GHz band its own network name.
The microSD card is the other recurring complaint. After firmware and app updates, a number of owners report that card playback stutters, loads slowly or shows no video, even though the card is still recording. Some say high-endurance cards fixed it, and others say reformatting and resetting did not. Other owners say playback works fine for them without a subscription.
Praise appears in independent reviews more than in the forum. PCWorld liked the sharp picture day and night and said setup is simple through the app and Bluetooth. It called the camera a small step over the v3 Pro rather than a big upgrade.
Who the Wyze Cam v4 suits
The v4 fits a shopper who wants a low-cost camera with a sharp picture, an outlet within a 6 ft cable's reach, and recording to a microSD card instead of a monthly plan. It works indoors or on a covered porch. It also suits people who already use Alexa or Google Assistant.
Look elsewhere if you need a battery or solar camera for a spot with no outlet: Reolink Argus 4 Pro or eufy SoloCam S340 fit better. If your router is 5 GHz only, or you want person and pet alerts without paying, this camera will frustrate you. Apple Home users should also skip it.
Questions about the Wyze Cam v4
How do I set up the Wyze Cam v4?
Plug the camera in, open the Wyze app and add a new device. Press the button on the camera when the app asks. Bluetooth handles most of the pairing, and no QR code scan is needed.
What are the specifications of the Wyze Cam v4?
It records 2.5K (2560 x 1440) video with a 116° diagonal view, color night vision, a 72-lumen spotlight and a 99 dB siren. It is IP65 rated, uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and takes a microSD card up to 256GB. It weighs 0.49 lb.
Do Wyze cameras work without Wi-Fi?
No, not for normal use. The Wyze Cam v4 needs a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection for live view, alerts and setup. It cannot run on a battery either.
Why is my Wyze Cam v4 not recognizing my SD card?
Wyze's fix is to remove the card, factory reset the camera and set it up again as new. Use a card of 256GB or less. Some owners found a high-endurance card helped with playback problems.
Does the Wyze Cam v4 work on 5GHz Wi-Fi?
No. It supports Wi-Fi 6 only on the 2.4 GHz band. If your router merges both bands under one name, giving 2.4 GHz its own name can help during setup.
Other home security camera picks
The other badge winners in our home security cameras ranking.
Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 15 models for this guide before settling on these ten.
Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.
