Say goodbye to the original Wyze Cam

The original pint-sized Wyze Cam, which kicked off Wyze’s line of ultra-budget security cameras and smart home products, will be discontinued in less than a week, according to an email shared by Wyze users.

Wyze is “retiring” the five-year-old Wyze Cam v1 on February 1 because it “can no longer support a required security update,” the message says.

While users will still be able to use Cam v1, Wyze “will no longer be selling, upgrading, or maintaining” the camera, and “continued use” of the product “is discouraged” given that there will be no more security patches, the email continues.

Included in the email is an offer for $3 off “your next Wyze camera.”

Here’s a screenshot of the email, as well as the text:

Hi friend!
We’re sad to say it, but some good things must come to an end. After nearly 5 incredible years, we will be retiring Wyze Cam v1 on February 1, 2022 as it can no longer support a required security update.
You can still use your Wyze Cam v1 after this date,* but as our end of life policy states, Wyze will no longer sell, upgrade or maintain Wyze Cam v1.
The original Wyze Cam will always hold a special place in our hearts and we want to take a moment to thank you. You chose to support our first product on Wyze. You put us on the map. They allowed us to continue our mission to democratize technology… And look at us now. 🙂
We couldn’t have gotten here without you. Thank you.
*Please note that one of the consequences of removing Wyze Cam v1 is that Wyze will no longer actively monitor and fix new security vulnerabilities for that product. As a result, your continued use of Wyze Cam v1 after February 1, 2022 carries increased risk, is strongly discouraged by Wyze, and is entirely at your own risk.

We’ve reached out to Wyze for comment.

The sudden announcement of Wyze’s decision to discontinue the original Wyze Cam caught many users off guard, with one saying they were “surprised by this news.” And while Wyze notes that the camera will still work, users say they’re (understandably) puzzled by the lack of any future security patches.

The original Wyze Cam (first known as “WyzeCam”) first arrived in October 2017 and immediately won praise for its low price — just $20 — and advanced features, including high-definition video and sound and motion detection. The camera also features local and cloud video storage.

“WyzeCam defies everything we know about Wi-Fi security cameras,” our reviewer wrote at the time. “Not only does it cost a fraction of most of its popular competitors (you could buy 10 WyzeCams for the price of a Nest Cam), it doesn’t require an expensive cloud subscription, and it doesn’t look like a sci-fi movie.”

The successor to the Wyze Cam, the Cam v2, arrived less than two years later and finally added free on-device person detection to its bag of tricks. The original Wyze Cam never received the person detection update, and the feature was eventually replaced with a paid cloud-based version.

A third Wyze Cam with color night vision and IP65-level weather protection landed in October 2020.

While the Wyze Cam v3 is still affordable compared to the competition, its price has gone up, due in part to pandemic-era supply chain shortages. The camera is currently $35.98 with shipping.