When you need to hide a camera indoors, you can choose many methods.
Here are nine creative ways to hide a security camera indoors so that it is well hidden yet also effective in covering a wide section of the room.
1. Using a Pot
You could place a small camera in a potted plant burglar would likely not be careful enough to look closely at an indoor plant and discover a camera. If the camera is placed right, the leaves would hide the camera and provide camouflage while allowing the camera lens to surveil the room easily.
There are also special cameras in the market with camouflage textures that are not visible against plants, even in plain sight.
Some Basic Steps:
- Choose a large pot to conceal the camera: The pot should be big enough to fit the camera but not so big that it looks out of place.
- Choose a pot that matches the surrounding area: A pot that blends in with the surrounding area will be less noticeable and less likely to draw attention.
- Position the pot strategically: The pot should be placed in a location where it can capture the footage you need while remaining concealed.
- Ensure the camera is properly secured: It is securely attached to the pot, so it doesn’t fall out or become dislodged.
4. Place the Camera At A High Distance
Cameras that are placed somewhere high are particularly hard to notice. Even regular surveillance cameras in restaurants will go unnoticed unless you look for them actively. This makes elevated locations an ideal place for hidden cameras.
Another advantage of placing cameras high is the ability to cover a large area. A camera at a height will not be blocked by any object and can surveil the entire room leaving minimum blind spots.
Here are some basic tips:
Choose a high location: The camera should be placed high up, such as on a rooftop or the side of a building. This will help keep the camera out of sight and reduce the likelihood of being tampered with.
Use a camera with a wide-angle lens: A wide-angle lens will allow the camera to capture a larger area, which can be helpful if you need to monitor a large area or multiple areas at once.
Use a camera with a zoom lens: A zoom lens will allow you to zoom in on a specific area, which can be helpful if you need to capture footage of a particular person or object.
Use camouflage: You can camouflage the camera with the surrounding area by using a housing that is the same color as the building or surrounding area or foliage to cover the camera.
5. Camera Hidden in a Tissue Box
A tissue box is particularly interesting for placing a hidden camera. Like many other hidden camera objects, tissue boxes are no interest to thieves and burglars.
There are readymade tissue boxes in the market, but you can make one by placing a small camera in a regular tissue box and cutting a hole.
A tissue box can be placed on a table allowing it to capture the action from a much closer distance than other cameras. Cameras can be placed on each side of a tissue box for 360 degrees surveillance, or a wide-angle surveillance camera can be placed on top, serving the same purpose.
Some Basic Steps:
Choose a tissue box that is large enough to conceal the camera: The tissue box should be big enough to fit the camera but not so big that it looks out of place.
Choose a tissue box that matches the surrounding area: A tissue box that blends in with the surrounding area will be less noticeable and less likely to draw attention.
Position the tissue box strategically: The tissue box should be placed in a location where it can capture the footage you need while remaining concealed.
6. Hide a Camera In or around Everyday Objects
Here are some great recommendations of things you can hide a security camera in.
| Object | Why Its A Good Hiding Place |
|---|---|
| Smoke detector | A smoke detector can be a good option as it is often mounted on a wall or ceiling and can be easily wired to power and the network. |
| Picture frame | A small camera can be hidden behind a picture in a frame and disguised as a picture hanging on a wall. |
| Clock | A clock can be a good option as it is often mounted on a wall or placed on a shelf and can be easily wired to power and the network. |
| Plant | A camera can be hidden within a fake or real plant and disguised as a part of the decoration. |
| Air freshener | A small camera can be hidden inside an air freshener, placed on a shelf, or hung from a wall. |
| Book | A small camera can be hidden inside a book and placed on a shelf, table, or desk. |
| Vase | A camera can be hidden inside a vase and placed on a table or mantel. |
| Stuffed animal | A small camera can be hidden inside a stuffed animal and placed on a shelf or in a room. |
3. Stuffed Toy Hidden Camera
A stuffed toy is a proven and effective way to place a hidden camera in the room. Toys are also one of the objects that thieves and burglars are not interested in. This makes a stuffed toy hidden camera a good choice for home security.
Stuffed toys can be large, allowing them to have a large battery. A stuffed camera with a battery and wireless technology does not need wires and hence is completely undetectable. (2)
Stuffed toy hidden cameras are also effective at successfully hiding camera lenses in the eyes or buttons of the toys, making them impossible to distinguish from regular toys.
You can buy a readymade stuffed toy hidden camera from the market or make one yourself. You only need a mini USB security camera, a power bank, and a stuffed toy. Cut or unstitch the toy’s fabric from the back, take some of the stuffing out, and place the USB hidden camera-power bank pair in the stuffed toy so it can see from the front of the toy.
7. Hide a Camera In an outlet
A wall socket is one of the best places for a hidden camera. Usually, no thieves in their right mind think of a charger as a security camera. A camera in an outlet would also be excellently well hidden and provide a wide surveillance area.
However, it might be a bit difficult to build and maintain an outlet hidden camera yourself. Your best bet is to buy a readymade one and install it. The only downside is that a hidden camera in an outlet cannot be placed at a height. But with strategic placement, blind spots can be minimized.
8. Photo Frame Hidden Camera
One of the benefits of a photo frame-hidden camera is that it looks hidden when placed at a height. A photo frame can also be placed at a height without the support of a high object making it one of the best choices for hidden surveillance. A photo frame hidden camera can be placed anywhere on the walls to minimize blind spots further. Photo frames are also of no interest to thieves and burglars, making them great.
2. Using a Mini USB Security Camera
Mini USB Security Cameras are designed to be hidden. These cameras are so small that they can be placed anywhere in the room and do not draw any attention. Their necks are bendable, which means they can be set to point in any direction.
These cameras store recorded footage in a microSD card which can be viewed later. Some of these cameras also come with WiFi, allowing them to connect to any smart device, such as your phone. You can monitor the video surveillance on your phone as long as you’re in range. (1)
To further secure the footage, some of these cameras have cloud storage. This means that footage can be viewed even if the camera gets damaged or stolen or the microSD card runs out of space.
These cameras need to be connected to a USB power source since they don’t have a battery. The power source could be a laptop, a phone charger, or a power bank.
9. Use a Multi-Purpose Device
Dual-purpose devices such as an outlet, a photo frame, or a plant pot are perfect for hiding a security camera in plain sight.
You could choose from other devices in the market, such as phone chargers, switch sockets, and smoke detectors. These devices are also of little interest to thieves and burglars, making the cameras almost impossible to be detected.
Using a multi-purpose hidden camera would also cost less, serving two or more purposes simultaneously. This might allow you to install more hidden cameras on the same budget.
Some Tips for Placing Hidden Security Cameras
Direction
Since it is important to uncover the identity of the intruders, it’s important to place the camera somewhere they’re likely to face. This would be in front of doorways, so the camera catches their faces when they enter.
Night Vision
Since many burglars enter at night, and most residences turn off the lights at night, it might be better to choose a camera with infrared night vision.
Infrared cameras can see at night with no light. They are equipped with bulbs that emit infrared light, invisible to humans, and the camera can see that light.
Some infrared cameras, however, also emit red light, making them visible in the dark. Get one that does not emit light white surveilling in the dark for a hidden camera.
Height
The placement of the camera is just as important as hiding it. One of the important tips for placing a hidden camera at a height has already been discussed. Another thing to consider is placing the camera somewhere that covers most of the space in the room.
Please place it in the Corner.
If you place a camera near the center of a wall, it would have to cover an angle of 180 degrees to surveil the entire room. However, a camera placed on the Corner of a room only needs to cover an angle of 90 degrees to surveil the room. (3)
180 degrees cameras are uncommon and cost more. Hence, in most cases, it’s best to place the camera in the Corner.
FAQs
In what area should I put my camera?
Place it somewhere high to ensure the coverage of a large area and place it with minimum blind spots. Camouflage it with everyday objects and place it in a shadow, if possible.
Is there an easy way to hide my wires outside?
Use a staple gun to staple wires on the wall and paint the wires the same color as the wall. You could also use plastic tubes.
What are the legal considerations, and is it legal to hide my security camera?
It is legal to hide a security camera and use a hidden security camera indoors and record video without the consent of the individuals being filmed.
However, you cannot secretly place a camera where privacy is expected, such as in bathrooms and changing rooms.
Wrapping Up
Indoor security cameras allow you to monitor and record activity in a living space. This can enable you to surveil intruders from a safe distance. Indoor security cameras can also help law enforcement agencies; if the police get to your house in time, you might be able to disclose the intruder’s location, ensuring they get caught with minimal damage to your property. Law enforcement agencies can also use footage from the camera to identify and track down burglars and get your stolen goods back.
References
(1) microSD card – https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-mistakes-avoid-buying-next-microsd-card/
(2) wireless technology – https://www.encyclopedia.com/computing/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wireless-technology
(3) degrees – https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/degrees.html
