Doorbell · Swann
Swann EVO Wireless Video Doorbell (SWIFI-EVOVDB) privacy & local-first review
Battery or wired, Wi-Fi · List price: $99.99 (list)2
Last verified · 5 unverified items
28Local-First Score
how we score
how we score
At a glance
| Works without internet | Unverified |
|---|---|
| Local storage | Yes microSD (up to 256 GB, not included)12 |
| Home Assistant | Unverified We found no official Home Assistant integration for Swann. |
| Open protocols | Unverified |
| Subscription needed? | Not needed No ("at no ongoing subscription fees" for microSD clips)2 |
| Cloud account required? | Unverified |
| End-to-end encryption | Unverified |
Score breakdown
| Works without internet | Unverified | 0 / 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Local video storage | Yes | 15 / 15 |
| Home Assistant, locally | Unverified | 0 / 15 |
| Open protocol (RTSP / ONVIF / Matter) | Unverified | 0 / 10 |
| No cloud account required | Unverified | 0 / 10 |
| No subscription for core recording | Not needed | 8 / 8 |
| End-to-end encryption | Unverified | 0 / 7 |
| Privacy policy: does not sell your data (brand) | Ad sharing disclosed Swann's US privacy policy says it shares tracking data "with our data analytics providers, cookie providers, and ad networks to provide targeted advertising", and that this "may be deemed a sale or sharing under the CPRA".3 | 0 / 5 |
| Police requests: warrant or no access (brand) | Discretionary Swann's US privacy policy: shares information "where we are legally required to do so, such as in response to court orders, law enforcement or legal process", and for potential threats to personal safety. No warrant requirement stated.3 | 0 / 5 |
| No incidents in our tracker, last 5 years (brand) | None tracked None in our tracker | 5 / 5 |
| Total | 28 / 100 |
Privacy notes
- Swann's US privacy policy says sharing tracking data with ad networks for targeted advertising "may be deemed a sale or sharing" under California law.3
- The doorbell includes Swann's SwannShield AI voice assistant, which can speak to visitors for you; Swann does not say where that processing happens.1
- Not scored (below our incident threshold): Consumer Reports reported in April 2024 that four other Swann cameras (SWIFI-4KFLOCAM, SWiFi-SpotCam-GL, SWIFI-TRACKCM32GB, CorePro-GL) served video streams with no authentication, and said Swann had not responded to it.4
- Not scored (CVSS 6.2, below our threshold): CISA advisory ICSA-26-286-02 (Oct 13, 2026) says Swann SWIFI-SE2KIC firmware 2.0.22 and earlier could let an attacker view video without authentication.5
Police & law-enforcement requests (Swann)
Discretionary Swann's US privacy policy: shares information "where we are legally required to do so, such as in response to court orders, law enforcement or legal process", and for potential threats to personal safety. No warrant requirement stated.3 Compare companies
Security incidents & settlements (Swann)
None found in our tracker. Brands with a tracked incident in the last 5 years lose the 5 incident points.
Similar doorbells compared
| Device | Score | Offline | Local storage | Home Assistant | RTSP/ONVIF | Subscription | Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubiquiti UniFi G4 Doorbell ProDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring or PoE kit) | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi)Doorbell · Wired (PoE or 12–24 VAC) | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Amcrest AD410 Video DoorbellDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring) | 73 | Yes | Yes | Local polling | Yes | Not needed | Unverified |
| Swann EVO Wireless Video Doorbell (SWIFI-EVOVDB)Doorbell · Battery or wired, Wi-Fi | 28 | Unverified | Yes | Unverified | Unverified | Not needed | Unverified |
Reolink RTSP/ONVIF setup note (added Oct 22, 2026): on many current Reolink models, RTSP and ONVIF (and on some, HTTP) ship switched off. Reolink says to enable them once in the Reolink App or desktop Client under Network > Advanced > Server Settings, or in the web interface where it is reachable67. For cameras attached to a Reolink NVR or Home Hub, enable the ports on the NVR/hub instead6. The App and Client can manage a camera as a "Local Device" using only its UID, username and password, so no Reolink account is needed for this step8. Home Assistant users report the same out-of-the-box behavior on recent firmware9.
More from this company: Is Swann safe? Policies and incident record. Have a question about this device? Ask us or suggest a device.
Spotted an error? See our corrections policy. Informational only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Swann Support: FAQ about SWIFI-EVOVDB · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Swann: EVO Wireless Video Doorbell (SWIFI-EVOVDB) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Swann (US): Privacy policy · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Consumer Reports Innovation Lab: Risks of RTP video streams (Apr 2024) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-26-286-02: Swann SWIFI-SE2KIC (Oct 13, 2026) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: How to configure Reolink ports settings · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Reolink Home Assistant integration (prerequisites) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Local Device vs Account Device · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant Community (user report): Reolink cameras ship with open-protocol ports off · checked Oct 22, 2026