YI Home Security Camera 3 Review

Getting to Know Our YI Home Camera 3

YI Camera Equipment

I have to say I was a little skeptical at first. For only $25 dollars, there had to be a catch. Is there some sort of hub or base station required? Is there a huge monthly subscription to access the advanced features? Will it even work?

I’m happy to report that after opening the box and getting familiar with the equipment, there was no catch to be found. The YI Home 3 was ready to use right out of the box, and was simple to set up. It took all of 10 minutes before I was up and running.

While that’s great news, I did run into some pretty significant hiccups and drawbacks over the test period. We’ll get into that in a bit, but first let’s talk about getting the app all set up.

Setting up the Camera in YI Home App

I felt pretty confident going into the first round of tests with the YI camera. The technology seemed pretty powerful, and the network seemed fast. For the price, I was thinking Yi might be tough to beat, especially if you were looking to outfit your entire home with security cameras.

Pairing the YI Camera

Both the camera and the app will guide you through the setup process with voice commands — although sometimes both are talking to you at the same time, which can be a little disorienting. It’s not really a problem, though, because set up requires little more than scanning the QR code located on the back of the camera and a few quick configurations to pair the camera to your phone. When all was said and done, our YI Home 3 was up and running in three minutes flat.

YI Home 3: The Full Experience

YI Camera

I was drawn initially to the camera’s sleek, modern look. Indeed, you won’t find any bulk or heft here. YI is all about clean, round lines and slim construction, so if that fits your style, you should be pleased. And – just because they’re so inexpensive – you’ll probably want more than one of these cameras around your home. If you like the look, you should have no problem blending these cameras with the rest of your home decor.

I also thought the YI’s build could be likened to Zmodo. In my review of Zmodo’s Sight 180 C, you’ll see a similar lightweight construction and easy installation. Though Zmodo cameras don’t carry the same stylish and modern design, they do handle entry-level home security quite well. If you’re the no-frills type, Zmodo is a nice choice.

And just like Zmodo’s simple, lightweight indoor camera, the YI Home 3 has a neat magnetic base that you can basically slap onto any metal surface. (Slap gently, of course.)

Magnetic Base on the YI Camera

The magnet is that white circle surrounding the bottom of the base in the above photo. And it’s super powerful, which means you’re not leaving the house worrying about the camera falling onto the kitchen floor and becoming the dog’s new favorite chew toy.

You might have seen magnetic mounting brackets in a handful of cameras, including in my hands-on review of Arlo. But what’s unusual about YI is that the base is built into the camera’s housing, which restricts the camera’s movement. It also means if you wanted to affix the camera onto a wall, it would have to be a metal one.

YI Camera – Mounted to the Fridge

So, affixing this camera to, say, a stainless steel refrigerator or a couple of filing cabinets is pretty much the easiest time you’re ever going to have installing a security camera. Might as well have some fun with it, right? Heck, it might even serve as an accountability tool to gently remind the kids that it’s their turn to wash the dishes …

Or not. The dishes remain undone. But that’s not the camera’s fault.

1080p Video Resolution

Aesthetics and style are great in security cameras, but they’re not worth much without some great technology behind them.

All things considered, YI still delivered clear, functional recordings in 1080p resolution, day and night. Again, this is no surprise; almost every security camera now offers resolution at least up to 1080p. Some brands have gone farther in that regard to 2K and 4K resolutions.

In this industry, there aren’t too many cams that won’t get you at least 1080p video. An exception is the SimpliCam, a wired camera from the makers of SimpliSafe security kits, with a max output of 720p. That’s standard definition, which is still decent, but certainly not a crystal-clear picture.

There is a reason for this discrepancy, though: As noted in my analysis of SimpliCam, SimpliCams are meant to be used as part of the larger SimpliSafe system, so the lower (but still decent) 720p video resolution helps make sure the system of sensors, cameras, and a keypad works smoothly despite signal fluctuations or system interference. (We also tested the SimpliSafe system for a look at how the whole package works together.)

All this is to say, lower resolution isn’t always a bad thing. The YI camera automatically adjusts its resolution from standard definition (720p or less) to high definition (1080p) from time to time to account for network fluctuations. For folks who rely on high-speed internet that isn’t always as speedy as promised, this is definitely an advantage.

Motion Detection Features

I spent a good amount of time tinkering with this camera’s motion detection. Some users and reviewers have expressed disappointment with this feature in the YI Home 3, but initially, things looked good. The YI Home app lays out customizations pretty intuitively, and it’s easy to find settings like activity zones and motion scheduling to fine-tune your motion and the types of alerts you want to get from your camera.

As a brand, YI touts the concept of “smarter” alerts, emphasizing that its motion sensors use “advanced AI detection of humans, pets, and abnormal sounds” so you don’t end up getting flooded with alerts when someone accidentally leaves the TV on, for example.

YI Smart Detection

With the YI camera set to record motion in the living room, I wanted to test out how “smart” the camera’s motion detection2 actually was.

For instance, when the dog ran across the room, would the camera pick it up and alert us that a human is present? Or an animal? Or would it miss him entirely? (He is a fast little bugger, after all.)

YI Indoor Camera Video Quality

To conduct this test, I deployed a precise, professional technique used by all the top security camera experts in the world.

Want to know the secret? It’s pretty low-tech – just start throwing things across the room. A lot of things. Pillows, notebooks, dog toys, maybe an empty box of Kleenex … anything. Do it without letting humans into the frame. Sure, it might turn into a fun game of fetch for pups like young Mookie here, but he does make a cute little test dummy, doesn’t he?

After all was said and done, this round of tests confirmed what I had suspected: This camera doesn’t detect animals.

YI Camera Alerts Timeline

While the children certainly enjoyed the show, it was perplexing at first. Even when I changed settings to receive alerts for any object detection, not just humans, the camera still kept detecting motion only from people.

In the end, the pattern continued. This is just one feature of an overall well-made camera, so it’s not a deal breaker. Motion detection can be a mixed bag in security cameras, but it’s still something to note with the YI Home 3.

Emergency Connections

YI Camera – Emergency Response

Motion detection issues aside, YI’s Home 3 camera does include a truly vital feature that’s growing in demand among security consumers: emergency connections. More than just keeping you safe while you’re at home, this camera has a reliable 24/7 response solution that allows you to request emergency services with the tap of a button.

This feature is not a given in stand-alone cameras, even among the best home security cameras in the industry. So when something like this is accessible in a $26 camera, it’s definitely worth mentioning. Features like this are crucial for many people, including the elderly and those who live alone.

Keep in mind, though, that emergency response is not automatically included in the YI Home 3; it’s a subscription service, in partnership with Noonlight,3 that requires a $6 monthly fee, or a $40 annual fee. (Remember those extra monthly costs?)

The last time I came across this feature, it was in a hands-on review of Canary cameras. You’ll note that they, too, have joined forces with Noonlight to provide emergency services. The biggest difference there, though, is that you don’t have to pay a separate monthly fee.

But for what it’s worth, Canary’s security products are pricier than YI’s, yet don’t require a contract for everyday use.

Wide-Angle Lens

The YI Home 3’s wide angle lens stretches to a 112-degree field of view, which allows for a great deal of coverage for one room. Also, the camera’s app has a cool panning feature that lets you swivel your phone from side to side to further widen out the view of the camera. I always find this helpful, as the more you can see with your camera, the more likely you’ll be able to pick up any unusual activity.

YI Camera – Live Look

Unlike the higher-end (and higher-priced) Google Nest Cams I tested recently, YI Home 3 doesn’t automatically pan over or tilt to track motion, nor does it automatically zoom in on objects when it’s recording. If those features are important to you, I’d recommend giving Nest’s feature-rich indoor and outdoor cameras a look.

Smart Home Integration

Everyone has an Alexa skill these days. Along with the camera, YI Home has its own skill that you can use to pull up your camera’s live view on your Amazon Echo Show.

YI Cameras and Alexa

So this is a roadblock I ran into. The account login for the YI Home app doesn’t link to the Alexa ecosystem, so it makes using YI as a smart home component difficult. Like the minor setback with motion detection, this step in the process left me perplexed. These days, cameras tend to allow for at least some measure of automation with smart home ecosystems like Alexa, Google, and IFTTT. Normally, the accounts link up just fine, with no extra legwork involved.

Cameras with stronger home automation are everywhere, though, so you shouldn’t have a problem pairing a Blink Outdoor camera or a Ring Spotlight camera with your Alexa system, for example.

YI just happens to do things differently – again, not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Take a look at our home automation guide for more tips on pairing cameras with your smart home.

Pricing and Packages

YI Home 3 is a nice little device, but it’s just one of several cameras and gadgets under the YI/Kami label. Both YI and Kami4 (a self-professed “vision intelligence company”) have several camera models and packages in their respective lineups – and though each carry a uniform design and easy-to-use technology, it does look like Kami cameras run about $10 more than YI.

YI 5 Cam Bundle

By the looks of things, YI’s branding is a bit less than straightforward. It’s hard to tell what makes a Kami camera different from a YI, other than a couple of added features. I do think it’s significant that even on the Kami side, equipment is still pretty affordable.

With a bundle of Swann cameras that I reviewed, for instance, you can see that pricing starts around $269 and goes all the way up to $479 for a four-camera, four-channel DVR system.

As for YI’s bundle, you can look at this as one of several options for budget-minded folks to outfit their entire home with cameras without spending a huge amount of money.

YI Pricing Breakdown

Storage and Subscriptions

As with any security camera, at some point you have to decide how you’re going to store all the data you’re getting. This, again, comes down to personal preference: Do you want continuous recording of your camera so you can tap on specific motion events by scrolling through a rolling video timeline?

YI Camera Video

Or, would you rather skip the cloud subscription5 plan and its associated fees, and instead focus on storing video history through a micro SD card? Both are great options, but keep in mind an SD card is not included in YI Home 3’s box, so you’ll have to supply that yourself.

But if neither of those options is ideal for you, there is good news: YI does have a free option, where the camera can store six-second clips of motion and send it to your smartphone as an alert. YI handles this pretty efficiently, thanks to simple, flexible technology. It won’t put a huge strain on your home Wi-Fi, either. You’ll appreciate this especially if you live in a rural area, where Wi-Fi might not be 100 percent stable.

Remember, YI and Kami are run by the same company. Subscription plans run through the latter.

Kami Subscription Plan Breakdown

Final Thoughts on YI Home Camera 3

YI Indoor Camera

There’s simply not much to this YI Home 3 camera. It records clips efficiently, installs in a snap, and will probably last you a long time with minimal maintenance. For those reasons, it’s a handy, no-fuss device to have around, watch over kids, or help you manage all the little goings-on in your daily home life. But the one real downside here is that the camera couldn’t quite deliver on the fundamental things it claims to do, which does tend to taint the experience.

But guess what? It’s a $25 camera, so you have to manage your expectations carefully. It’s no small thing that the YI Home 3 camera can be paired with your Wi-Fi and brought online in no more than three minutes. The app makes controlling the camera fairly straightforward, arranging all of YI’s storage and monitoring options for easy access. Plus, there’s the super-helpful emergency connection that adds even more peace of mind.

With that in mind, if you don’t have much to spend, YI is a great option.

Frequently Asked Questions