Video Doorbell Pro: A Wired Doorbell for the Front Door

A wired video doorbell such as the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro lets you see and speak to whoever is at your front door without opening it. It is a wired unit, so it needs existing doorbell wiring and a standard 18-volt AC supply at the door to power the camera¹. In return it gives two-way audio and a view of everything happening outside the front door at any time².

For a household getting ready for emergencies, the doorbell earns its place in two ways. First, it is a doorstep safety tool: police advice is to have a safety chain, intercom or video doorbell and viewer fitted, and to use it before opening the door to strangers³. Second, it keeps watch while you are away or while you are dealing with a power cut, storm or flood, provided you keep it powered and connected.

The catch is that a wired doorbell depends on two things a household can lose in an emergency: mains power at the door and a working internet connection. This page sets out what the Video Doorbell Pro does, what it needs, how it behaves when the power or Wi-Fi fails, and how to fit and use it safely.

What the Video Doorbell Pro is and what it does for a household

The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro is a wired video doorbell⁶. Its job is simple: it puts a camera and a speaker at your front door, so you can see who is there and talk to them from inside the house. The maker describes it as letting you welcome guests or deter intruders with two-way audio, and capturing everything happening outside your front door at any time².

That combination matters most in the moments when you would otherwise have to open the door to find out who is there. Police crime prevention advice is explicit: where possible, have a safety chain, intercom or video doorbell and viewer fitted, and always attach the chain or use the intercom or viewer before opening the door to strangers³. Alzheimer's Society guidance makes the same point for households where someone may be vulnerable: consider installing a peephole or video doorbell so you can see visitors without opening the door⁷.

For emergency preparedness, think of the doorbell as part of the front door's routine, not a standalone gadget. It helps you:

• check a caller before you open the door, including during a power cut when you may be more anxious than usual;
• keep an eye on the doorstep while you are away, if it stays powered and connected;
• see and speak to a delivery driver or neighbour without leaving the house during a storm or flood.

It does not replace a chain, a lock or a peephole. It sits alongside them, and it depends on power and connectivity that a chain does not.

Wired power: what it needs at the front door

A wired doorbell is not a plug-and-play device. Independent guidance is clear that wired doorbells require existing doorbell wiring, along with a standard 18-volt AC supply to power the camera¹. If your home has an old doorbell with a transformer and wiring to the door, you have the basics. If it does not, a wired doorbell is the wrong choice unless you are prepared to have wiring installed.

This is the single biggest decision for most households. The maker of a rival range notes that some video doorbells are hardwired only, meaning they need to be hooked up to your home's existing wiring or a plug-in adapter⁸. The same principle applies here: the Video Doorbell Pro is a wired unit⁶, so it needs a power source at the door.

If you are unsure what your existing doorbell provides, ask a qualified electrician to check the transformer and wiring before you commit. A doorbell that cannot get the power it needs will not work, however good the camera.

Recording outside the front door at any time

The Video Doorbell Pro captures what happens outside the front door at any time². That continuous watch is the point of a wired unit: because it draws power from the door wiring, it does not need recharging, so it can stay on duty while you are out, asleep or busy.

What you actually get depends on the plan and the app. The maker's wider system offers monitoring plans, and some features are tied to the higher tier: video verification, where monitoring agents capture evidence so the response is precise, requires the Pro Premium monitoring plan¹⁰. Guard dispatch to the property requires the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Security Camera¹¹. Those are system features rather than doorbell basics, but they show why it is worth reading what is included before you rely on the doorbell for anything beyond seeing and speaking to callers.

For everyday preparedness, the useful habits are:

• Check it before you go away. Police advice is to make sure any video doorbells are fully charged and operating before you leave⁴. A wired unit should not need charging, but check it is working and connected before a trip.
• Keep the view tight. Point the camera at your own doorstep and approach, not at a neighbour's window or the pavement beyond your boundary.
• Know what is saved. Decide in advance whether you need recordings or only live viewing, because that affects what you set up.

Two-way audio: speaking to callers from inside

Two-way audio is the feature that changes how a household uses the front door. The maker says the doorbell lets you welcome guests or deter intruders with two-way audio². In practice, you can ask who is calling, tell a delivery driver where to leave a parcel, or ask a caller to wait while you check, all without opening the door.

Other makers describe the same function in similar terms: Ring says its video doorbells have a built-in camera and Two-Way Talk, so you can speak to whoever is at your door from your phone⁸. Arlo says its doorbell lets you see, listen and speak to visitors through the app¹². The principle is the same across the category: the doorbell is a speaker and microphone at the door, linked to your phone.

For a household preparing for disruption, two-way audio has a practical edge. During a storm, flood or power cut you may not want to open the door at all. Being able to speak to a caller, a neighbour or a responder through the doorbell lets you stay inside while still dealing with the doorstep.

Using the doorbell during a power cut

This is where a wired doorbell shows its limits. The Video Doorbell Pro draws its power from the door wiring⁶, so if the mains supply fails, the doorbell loses power too. A battery-powered doorbell is different: the maker of one range says a wireless, battery-powered video doorbell is better for recording during power outages⁹. That is the trade-off you accept with a wired unit.

Plan for the doorbell to be out of action during a power cut, and have a fallback at the door:

• Use the chain and peephole. The police advice to use a chain or viewer before opening the door³ still applies when the doorbell is dark.
• Keep a torch handy. Official guidance for power cuts is to keep a torch handy¹³.
• Leave a light on. Leave a light on to tell when the power is restored¹⁵.
• Protect your equipment. Turn off items such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers, and unplug your TV and PC, as they can be damaged if there is a surge when power goes back on¹⁶. A surge protector guards against damage caused by sudden electrical surges that can happen during a power cut¹⁷.
• Report the cut. Call 105, the national power cut number⁵.

A power cut can also take your internet with it, and a digital landline may not work unless you have power backup²⁰. That is another reason to keep a charged mobile phone and a torch where you can find them in the dark.

Fitting the doorbell safely

Fitting a wired doorbell means working with the door wiring and, in most homes, the mains supply that feeds the transformer. Treat it as electrical work. If you are not confident, use a qualified electrician, and follow the maker's installation instructions for the Video Doorbell Pro.

The safety points that matter most:

• Isolate the power before you touch the wiring. The doorbell runs on a low-voltage supply, but the transformer is fed from the mains.
• Check the supply matches. The doorbell needs a standard 18-volt AC supply¹. If your existing transformer does not provide it, have the right one fitted.
• Seal the cable entry. Outdoor doorbells are built for weather, and some carry an IP65 rating, meaning they are resistant to dust, rain, heat, cold and sun¹². Even so, water can get in through a poorly sealed hole, so seal around the cable where it enters the wall.
• Mount it where you can see callers. The point is to see the doorstep before you open the door³. Fit it at a height and angle that shows faces, not the tops of heads.
• Keep the view on your own property. Point it at your doorstep and approach, not at a neighbour's home.

Keeping it ready: holidays, storms and outages

A doorbell is only useful if it is working when something happens. The police pre-holiday routine is a good model: make sure any video doorbells are fully charged and operating before you leave⁴. For a wired unit, that means checking it is powered and connected, and that the app still shows the door.

Before a storm or a forecast outage, run through a short check:

• Test the live view. Open the app and confirm you can see and hear the door.
• Check the router. If the broadband is down, the doorbell may not reach your phone even though it has power.
• Have a fallback. A chain, a peephole or simply not opening the door to strangers³ covers the gap when the doorbell cannot.
• Keep the number handy. Call 105 for a power cut⁵, and keep a torch where you can find it¹³.

Where it fits in a household plan

The Video Doorbell Pro is a front-door safety tool, not an emergency power device. It helps you see and speak to callers without opening the door², and it keeps watch while you are at home or away, provided it has power and a connection. It does not keep working in a power cut, and it does not replace a chain, a lock or a torch.

For a household building a plan, it sits alongside the basics: a chain or peephole at the door³, a torch for power cuts¹³, the 105 number for outages⁵, and a habit of checking the doorbell before you go away⁴. If you want the wider system it belongs to, see the SimpliSafe range, and for the category as a whole, our guide to video doorbells sets out how the different types compare.