Arlo is moving to address privacy concerns about indoor cameras by including a physical lens cover on the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera.

When the camera is disarmed, the lens itself is physically covered, so there's no way that the camera will record you without you knowing. When you arm the device, the cover moves out of the way.

The inclusion of a physical lens cover will mean that customers can glance at the device and see that it's unable to capture video and not have to wonder whether it might be recording secretly.

The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera was announced in the US earlier in 2021 and now makes its way to the UK and Europe, currently on pre-order and shipping from 1 April 2021.

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The "Essential" part of the name tells you that this can function as a standalone camera, connecting directly to your Wi-Fi network without the need for a hub - although existing Arlo users can connect it to existing Arlo hubs, which would then allow local recording to be saved to a microSD card.

The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is a 1080p camera, offering HDR and night vision. It will give you motion detection and audio detection - including being able to alert you if it hears your smoke alarm going off.

The camera is wired, which makes sense as it's for the indoor only, so you just have to plug it in and set it up via the app and you're good to go.

To get the most from the camera you'd need an Arlo Smart subscription, which will give you 30 days of online storage for captured video and audio meaning you can access it anywhere. Without an Arlo Smart plan, you still get live view, motion and audio detection to keep your home secure.

On top of the camera functions there's also two-way audio, so you can talk to intruders to remind them that they are on camera, and there's also a siren built in that you can trigger from your smartphone too.

The camera can also be used as a baby monitor.

The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera provides a dedicated indoor device for the Arlo system, allowing existing Arlo customers to seamlessly integrate it into their home protection setup, or for those just wanting the standalone device.