How to Tell if Someone is Watching You on a Security Camera

Many people have a concern about their privacy in the face of modern technology.

So, do you know how to tell if someone is watching you on a security camera?

Woman concerned about security camera

Well, there are ways to that depending on the devices you are using.

If you want to learn how to get an alert when somebody has access to your security camera, please just keep reading through this article. I will help you.

How to know if a camera is watching you

It's possible to know if somebody is watching you in a security camera by checking an LED that indicates a user has logged in or by checking the device's log.

Of course, that depends on the camera you own.

Not all cameras are equal, and the best ones are usually more expensive.

Yes my friend, you get what you pay for...

Cameras that indicates if somebody is watching

Some cameras indicate when somebody is connected to the camera watching you during your activities. (That sounds so creepy).

There are different categories of products with this feature.

Let's take a look at the professional and consumer models.

Professional cameras

OK. I've been working with professional security cameras for more than 18 years.

They are fantastic devices with many features, and you are in control, so it's possible to do pretty much everything, including monitoring user activities.

You can find different security camera brands in the market, but unfortunately they are only sold via official distributors and authorized resellers.

I'm talking about brands such as Axis, Pelco, Bosch, Arecont, Avigilon, Panasonic, Hanwha Techwin (former Samsung Techwin), and other big names in this industry.

Yeah, sometimes you can find used models on e-Bay for a lower price.

Axis camera on Ebay

Or you can go with cheaper alternatives such as Hikvision and Dahua.

Those are professional, affordable models that you can find even on Amazon.

With one of these professional cameras, you can monitor when a user connects to the camera and even get an email notification. Pretty cool, huh? 🙂

Let me give you an example of a camera that I have right here in my lab.

It's a Hikvision 4MP Mini PTZ camera I got from Amazon for less than $180.

I can log in to this camera and check who else is logged in at the time.

Hikvision camera online users

And I can even set up the camera to send me an email upon Illegal login activity.

Hikvision camera Illegal login

That's pretty interesting, isn't it?

I bet you this type of camera could solve your problem.

A professional model like this one can tell if someone is watching you.

Of course, it costs more than consumer models like Wyze Cam or Reolink cameras; however, they are in a totally different product category. 

So, everything depends on your budget and how hard you want to prevent people from watching you (or your family) in the security camera.

Alright, there's an alternative. You can use a good consumer camera.

Let's talk about that...

Consumer cameras

Most consumer cameras do NOT allow you to check if somebody else is logged into the device, so you have no way to make sure nobody's watching you.

I've been searching for some models that could accomplish such a task.

And.... I found the Nest Cam Outdoor 🙂

Yeah, this camera has a special feature that allows you to know if someone is watching you at any specific time. You can see it as soon as somebody logs it.

The camera has a front LED that blinks green when someone's watching you.

C'mon, take a look at the picture below; this is the Nest product's datasheet.

Nest camera LED indicates if somebody is watching

As you can see, this product can help you out.

Now you can detect that some sneak freak is watching you.

OK, the camera is not as affordable as other basic models, but it worth the price.

Alternative way to check if somebody's watching you on the security camera (technical stuff)

Some people like to play with the thecnical solution, right ?

If that's your case, here is some helpful information.

You can use a firewall (appliance) to check who is connecting to your devices.

Let's say someone is on the Internet and somehow gets access to your camera that is located on your local network. Your firewall can show you activity.

Perhaps you already have a Sonicwall firewall or something similar, so you can use it to check if someone is spying on you using your security camera.

That's an expensive solution, so it only worth it if you already have such a device.

With a firewall like that, you can check the logs and NAT and see the external IP addresses (on the Internet) accessing devices in your internal network.


There are different ways to tell if someone is watching you on a security camera.

Depending on the solution you choose, it's necessary to expend a little more money, deal with technical stuff, or even hire a professional.

I believe the fastest and practical solution is to buy a Nest Cam or some similar model that shows you when somebody's connected to the camera.

A consumer model is easy to install, set up, and deal with.

Professional cameras offer more features and even let you know who is connected and even the computer's IP number. However, you need to dig into a little bit more of the technical side.

Price-wise, inexpensive professional cameras (such as Hikvision or Dahua) are pretty affordable (around $130) comparing to a consumer model like Nest.

I hope you can pick the best solution that works for your case. Good luck.

Please share this information with your friends.

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