The Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) is one of the most popular indoor security cameras in the UK, and it is easy to see why: it costs around £39.99, takes under ten minutes to set up, and slots neatly into the Alexa ecosystem that many UK households already use. But once you factor in the Ring Home subscription needed to save footage, is it still good value? This ring indoor camera review UK guide covers specs, setup, subscription costs, Home Assistant compatibility, and how it compares to the Blink Mini.
Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen: Key Specs
Resolution and field of view. The camera records in 1080p HD with a wide 143-degree diagonal field of view (115° horizontal, 59° vertical), which is enough to cover a standard living room or hallway from a corner position. Colour night vision is included — the camera uses available ambient light to produce colour footage rather than switching immediately to monochrome infrared, which makes identifying people and objects easier in typical UK home lighting conditions.
Privacy shutter. One of the 2nd Gen's most useful upgrades over its predecessor is the manual privacy cover. A simple swivel physically blocks the lens and microphone simultaneously, giving you a hardware-level guarantee that the camera is off. This is particularly reassuring if the camera is positioned in a bedroom or home office. The shutter is available in five colour options: White, Black, Starlight, Charcoal, and Blush.
Two-way audio uses noise cancellation to cut down on background echo, and in testing it is clear enough for a brief conversation. Power is via a 1.9 m Micro USB cable and plug-in adapter — the camera must remain plugged in at all times, which keeps it available for continuous monitoring but limits placement flexibility.
Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n only; there is no 5 GHz band. Ring recommends a minimum upload speed of 2 Mbps at the camera's location, which is achievable on most UK home broadband connections. The camera's compact footprint measures just 4.9 cm × 4.9 cm × 9.6 cm including the mount.
Setup and Ring App Experience
Installation takes five to ten minutes by Ring's own estimate, and that figure is accurate. Download the Ring app (iOS or Android), create or sign in to your Ring account, and follow the in-app QR code scan. The camera connects to your Wi-Fi without needing a separate hub or bridge. Ring states the average setup time is five to ten minutes.
The Ring app is well designed: live view loads within a couple of seconds, motion zones are easy to draw on a map of the camera's view, and notification settings are granular enough to separate motion alerts from people-only alerts. Video quality in the app is sharp and the colour balance is accurate. The app also surfaces a real-time signal strength indicator, which is useful for deciding where to position the camera.
Ring Home Subscription: What UK Buyers Actually Pay
Without a subscription, the Ring Indoor Cam provides live view and motion notifications only — no recorded clips, no video history. To save and replay footage you need a Ring Home plan.
Ring rebranded its Ring Protect plans to Ring Home in late 2024. Current UK pricing is approximately:
- Ring Home Basic — around £4.99/month or £49.99/year, covering one device with 180-day video history and snapshot capture.
- Ring Home Standard — around £7.99/month or £79.99/year, covering all Ring devices at one address plus person alerts and extended history.
Over a three-year ownership period, Ring Home Basic adds roughly £150 to the total cost of a single camera. If you have multiple Ring devices — for example a doorbell and a couple of indoor cameras — Ring Home Standard quickly becomes better value. For context on how Ring's subscription model compares to the wider market, our Ring vs Nest Doorbell UK comparison covers the cost differences in detail.
Alexa Integration
Because Ring is an Amazon company, the Alexa integration is seamless. Link your Ring account in the Alexa app and the Indoor Cam appears as a device you can stream to any Echo Show display. Voice commands such as "Alexa, show me the living room" pull up a live feed in seconds. You can also trigger Ring Routines from Alexa automations — for instance, have an Echo device announce when the camera detects motion.
Home Assistant Integration
The Ring integration is a core Home Assistant integration (no HACS required) and is straightforward to configure. Go to Settings › Devices & Services, search for Ring, and enter your Ring account credentials plus a two-factor authentication code if you have 2FA enabled. Once connected, the Indoor Cam creates the following entities: a camera feed (last recorded clip, subscription required for playback), a motion binary sensor or event entity, and switches for motion detection and in-home chime.
The key limitation to be aware of is that two-way audio and live streaming are not supported in the HA integration — all communication goes via Ring's cloud, so you cannot access a local stream. For homeowners who want a fully local indoor camera for automations, a camera with an RTSP feed may be a better fit. That said, the motion events work reliably and can trigger automations: a light scene when motion is detected, a notification to your phone, or a record action to an NVR. For a broader view of Ring's ecosystem compatibility, see our Ring Alarm UK review, which covers how the alarm and camera lines work together.
Ring Indoor Cam vs Blink Mini
The Blink Mini (also Amazon-owned) is the most direct alternative at a similar price point. Both cameras offer 1080p video and Alexa integration, but there are meaningful differences:
- Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen: around £39.99; colour night vision; built-in privacy shutter; 143° FOV; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.
- Blink Mini 2: around £35; built-in spotlight for colour night vision; 143° FOV; 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi; weather-resistant with optional outdoor adapter.
The Blink Mini 2 has a modest price advantage and adds dual-band Wi-Fi, which is useful in busy wireless environments. The Ring Indoor Cam wins on the privacy shutter — Blink has no equivalent physical cover — and on the Ring ecosystem integration if you already own Ring devices. Both require a paid subscription to save video clips: Blink uses its own Blink Subscription Plans, starting at around £2.99/month per camera or £9.99/month for unlimited cameras.
If you have existing Ring devices and value a unified app, choose the Ring Indoor Cam. If you are starting fresh and want dual-band Wi-Fi without paying a Ring premium, the Blink Mini 2 is competitive.
UK Verdict
The Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) is a polished, easy-to-use indoor camera that earns its popularity in the UK. The 1080p colour night vision is genuinely good, setup is painless, and the physical privacy shutter is a thoughtful addition that competitors lack. Alexa integration is best-in-class, and the Home Assistant core integration works reliably for motion-triggered automations.
The main caveat remains the subscription. At around £39.99 for the hardware plus £49.99/year for Ring Home Basic, the three-year total cost for a single camera is well over £180. If you are building a multi-camera setup, the Ring Home Standard plan improves the economics. If you want capable indoor monitoring with no ongoing fees, you will need to look elsewhere — but within the Ring ecosystem, the Indoor Cam 2nd Gen is the right choice at its price point.
Check the current price of the Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen on Amazon UK.
Related: best smart CCTV systems UK, Blink Mini indoor camera review, and Ring subscription plans and costs.
