I had to reset the internet connection for my video doorbell today (it’s the round Skybell HD). After I got it connected to wifi, I was watching the app scrolling messages by during setup and one thing that caught my eye, and not in a good way, was “Gunshot recording.”
Is there something in the audio set up that would cause it to trigger upon some loud noise and send recording to who knows where for whatever purpose they deem reasonable? I don’t remember seeing that previously when setting it up, but admittedly that’s not something I need to do too often.
Obviously there’s no option in the app or website that shows this feature.
After I got it connected to wifi, I was watching the app scrolling messages by during setup and one thing that caught my eye, and not in a good way, was “Gunshot recording.”
To confirm, was this something you saw during the initial setup process while the camera was pairing to Alarm.com?
I can confirm that Alarm.com does not share video clips with 3rd parties. Video clips can be shared with the monitoring station for Video Verification. Video clips can also be shared with Alarm.com directly for feedback and testing purposes, usually with Video Analytics cameras. However both of these require permission by the end user.
Through testing the installation process, I have been unable to see this “Gunshot Recording” message you are referencing. If this shows up as a note in the installation loading bar section of the app, it may not appear every time as each step goes by rather quickly, some dont show at all depending on how quickly the installation process finishes.
However, Gunshot triggered recordings is a new feature through Alarm.com. Essentially a sensor listens for a gunshot sound, and can send notifications and trigger recordings with selected cameras. This is not a feature Surety supports at this time.
Yes it was a note in the installation loading bar when pairing the doorbell to the system, not an option to enable as a rule on the device. That’s the first place I looked when the device was finished being re-added to my account. I just happened to catch it as it went past.
I’d hate to think any of that stuff was going on in the background without explicit permission to share video or audio with any third party.
If that was the case, there should be some communication about that so that we can make an informed decision about what hardware/software we’re letting into our homes.