How Do I Watch My Security Camera on My Smart TV?

With smart home security cameras, a core feature is the ability to stream live footage on a mobile device. However, with the introduction of smart TVs, we are no longer limited to just cellphones and tablets. Knowing this, I wanted to research how I could watch my security camera’s feed on my smart TV.

Most security cameras are compatible with smart TVs, so if users wish to view their camera’s footage on the big screen, all that is needed is a stable Wi-Fi connection to connect both devices.

Even if you don’t have a smart TV, there are still some alternatives to allow you to view your security camera on your TV. There is also the option to hardwire security cameras to your system; however, this article’s focus will be streaming video footage with Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Benefits of Watching Security Cameras on Smart TVs

Having the ability to view your security cameras on your mobile devices is undeniably beneficial for those looking to stay up to date on their monitoring. However, using your smart TV can provide an additional level of security and can even be operated via voice activation.

Additionally, you can even set up your smart TV to receive motion alerts and notifications from your security camera so that you can be alerted of unauthorized movement or activity. Regardless of how you decide to use your setup, let’s look at some ways to get started monitoring your footage on a smart TV.

Also, be sure to block your neighbor’s security cameras to prevent them from watching you on their smart TV.

Guide to Connecting Security Cameras to a Smart TV

Before getting started connecting your security camera to your TV, there are a few things you’ll need to get set up:

• Wi-Fi Enabled Security Camera: Wyze Cam, Nest Cam, Blink, and Ring Doorbell Pro are all reputable Wi-Fi-enabled security cameras compatible with smart home devices (Alexa and Google Assistant).
• A smart TV like Samsung or a Fire TV: Though not required, having a smart-enabled TV will allow for voice activation and more straightforward integration. (If you don’t have a smart TV, you can also use a Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast to connect your Wi-Fi-enabled cameras, which we will explore in greater detail later in the article.)

Connecting Using Third-Party Apps

If you already have a smart TV like the ones mentioned above, you’re only a few steps away from streaming your security camera footage. Since smart TVs come with Wi-Fi abilities, they can already interpret data transmitting from your Wi-Fi-enabled camera. However, to sync with your security cameras, you will need to install an app on your smart TV allowing them to communicate.

Tiny Cam Pro

One of the most well-established apps for viewing security footage is Tiny Cam Pro. It’s an android application packed with features to help you customize your security feed. Additionally, as it is a native android application, it can be downloaded on most smart TVs (it can also be used with hardwired IP security cameras).

Here’s a quick look at some of the features Tiny Cam Pro offers:

• Supports over 12,000 models of security cameras (including smart cameras), making compatibility a non-issue
• 2-way audio enabled
• SSL and HTTPS protocols for secure monitoring
• AI object and face detection
• Background recording (including auto-deletion of old footage)

Once you’ve downloaded the app on your Wi-Fi-enabled smart TV, syncing to your security camera is just a matter of scanning your home network and connecting to the associated device. You can even manually add cameras (though you will need to provide the vendor, model, username, and password for the device).

It is worth noting that though Tiny Cam Pro is not the only app compatible with smart TVs and security cameras, with over 100,000 users, it’s a great place to start. Now that you have the app installed and are ready to go, let’s take a closer look at connecting to some well-known smart TVs.

If you’ve got a Vivint camera, we’ve got separate instructions for how to view it on a TV.

Connecting to a Samsung Smart TV

In addition to Tiny Cam Pro, Samsung smart TVs offer native support for their app “SmartThings.” With this app, you can connect and control multiple devices, all of which can be monitored directly on the TV. Here are a few steps to get you started viewing your security camera on a Samsung smart TV with SmartThings:

1. Verify that the SmartThings app is installed.
2. Open the app and select the Plus Icon (+) and “Device.”
3. Select your device’s name and “Camera” from the app.
4. Next, you will be asked to “Authorize” the connection to your camera.

After the initial setup steps, the app will ask you to enter your login information (where applicable). Once the camera has been added successfully, select which camera you’re accessing in the app, and you’re good to go.

You can also connect a Ring camera specifically to a Samsung TV in a few ways.

Connecting to Fire TV

Fire TVs use the Amazon Alexa ecosystem to communicate with your home’s smart devices. As such, you will first need to ensure that the Alexa app is installed and synced to your Fire TV before connecting your camera.

Once you have Alexa installed and configured on your Fire TV:

1. Open the Alexa App and select “Menu.”
2. Scroll down to “Smart Home.”
3. Next, select “Device” and search for the Skill for your “Smart Home Camera.”
4. Once you have located the Camera Skill, click to enable it; this will prompt you to link your security camera’s account to Alexa.
5. You can manually link the camera by selecting “Devices” and “Discover” once the camera has been connected to Alexa. Alternatively, you can use the voice prompt, “Alexa, discover devices,” to automatically search for the camera.

Once you’ve followed these steps, you are ready to view your security camera directly on your Fire TV. Additionally, you can use voice commands like “Alexa, show me the front door camera” to automatically show the corresponding footage on your TV.

If you don’t have a smart TV, don’t worry. There are some affordable solutions to viewing your security camera footage directly on your TV.

How to Watch Security Cameras with Standard TVs

The use of third-party devices is required if you do not have either a smart TV or a comparable Wi-Fi-enabled TV. Fortunately, both Google and Amazon offer products geared just for this purpose.

Stream with Google Chromecast

Google Chromecast allows you to stream media from your mobile devices (or other platforms) directly to your TV. In this case, you can also use it to stream footage from your security camera. Here are some quick steps to get you started streaming with your Google Chromecast:

Note: You will also need a Google Home device to act as an intermediary between both devices.

1. Connect your Chromecast to your Google Home device.
2. Next, you will need to connect your security camera to Google Home.
3. Open the Google Home App.
4. Press Add > Set Up Device > Setup New Devices.
5. Select your Google Home, which will attempt to pair with your camera.
6. Select your camera and tap to “Pair” the devices.

After this, your system is ready to go, including voice activation. You can issue voice commands like “Hey Google, show [camera],” which will begin streaming content via your Google Chromecast to your TV.

Stream with Fire Stick

Now let’s take a look at how to stream your security camera using Amazon’s Fire Stick. The Fire Stick, like Chromecast, allows you to stream media from a device directly to your TV (including security cameras).

1. First, download and install the Alexa App.
2. Next, open the Alexa App and enable the “Ring Skill” feature (this will enable the voice command features).
3. Once the “Ring Skill” feature is enabled, the Alexa App will prompt you to authorize your security camera.

Once the device has been authorized, your system is ready to stream footage from your security camera. Like the Chromecast, you can use voice commands like “Alexa, show me the front door camera,” and many others.

You can also use Picture in Picture (PIP) to watch security footage on a smart TV.

In Summary

The ability to stream footage from your home security cameras on mobile devices is a common feature seen with most devices. However, with smart TVs and third-party streaming devices, the options to view your cameras with a simple voice command is a selling point for many consumers. Fortunately, connecting your security camera to a smart TV only requires a few additional steps and accessories to get you started.

Still can’t connect to your smart TV? There may be a connectivity issue with your device; check out this article to learn how to troubleshoot the problem.