How To Hide A Security Camera Indoors (9 Creative Ways)

In residences, it is a good idea to place hidden indoor security cameras or hide regular security cameras creatively with decorative pieces and everyday objects. 

When you need to hide a camera indoors there are many methods you can choose from.  

Here are nine creative ways to hide a security camera indoors such that it is also effective in covering a wide section of the room.

1. Using a Plant Pot

Artificial plants are fairly common to be found in households indoors. And the good thing about potted plants is that nobody ever suspects plant pots to be a hidden camera. Burglars are unlikely to touch it since stealing a plant pot would not do them much good. This makes potted plants an excellent place to hide a camera.

There are hidden cameras in the market that come already fitted in a plant pot. Buying one could not only provide security but also add to the aesthetic of the room.

Alternatively, you could place a small camera in a potted plant yourself. Burglars 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 texture such that they’re not visible against plants even in plain sight.

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 absolutely 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 which allows 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.

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 an adequate choice for home security.

Stuffed toys can be quite large in size, 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. All you need is a mini USB security camera, a power bank, and a stuffed toy. Simply cut or unstitch the fabric of the toy from the back, take some of the stuffing out, and place the USB hidden camera-power bank pair in the stuffed toy such that it can see from the front of the toy.

4. Place the Camera at a Height

Cameras that are placed somewhere high are particularly hard to notice. Even regular surveillance cameras in restaurants, unless you look for them actively, will go unnoticed. 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 will be able to surveil the entire room leaving minimum blind spots.

5. Camera Hidden in a Tissue Box

A tissue box is a particularly interesting choice to place a hidden camera in. Like many other hidden camera objects, tissue boxes are of no interest to thieves and burglars.

There are ready-made tissue boxes in the market, but you can make one yourself by placing a small camera in a regular tissue box and cutting a hole in it.

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.

6. Hide a Camera with Everyday Objects

If a hidden camera is placed with no objects around it with a white background, that would be the first thing burglars and thieves would notice and destroy (or steal). Doing the exact opposite, however, would give you a strategic advantage. Placing the camera with everyday objects that are sure to not be of any interest to burglars is an excellent idea.

Another advantage of surrounding a hidden camera with objects is shadow. The camera is much less likely to be seen if it’s in low light. Being in the shadow also allows for better visibility since the camera isn’t being blinded by the lights. For example, a camera placed in between books would be fairly hidden and shadowed, making a perfect hidden camera.

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 would think of a charger being a security camera. A camera in an outlet would also be excellently well hidden and would provide a wide area of surveillance.

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 would look absolutely 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 in the walls to further minimize blind spots. Photo frames are also of no interest to thieves and burglars, making them great.

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.

There are other such devices in the market you could choose from, 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 at once. 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 a lot of 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 are able to see at night with no light. They are equipped with bulbs that emit infrared light, which is invisible to humans, and the camera is capable of seeing in that light.

Some infrared cameras, however, also emit red light, making them visible in the dark. For a hidden camera, make sure to get one that does not emit any light white surveilling in the dark.

Height

The placement of the camera is just as important as hiding it. One of the important tips to place a hidden camera, placing it at a height, has already been discussed. Another thing to consider is to place the camera somewhere such that it covers most of the space in the room.

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 in order to surveil the entire room. A camera placed on the corner of a room, however, only needs to cover an angle of 90 degrees in order 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 such that there are 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 be a help for 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. Footage from the camera can also be used by law enforcement agencies to identify and track down the 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