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What Is Canary?

Canary is a home security company known for its simplicity, flexibility and affordability. Their central product offering is security cameras, for which they offer month-to-month no-contract Premium Service plans at an affordable price. Customers choose contract or no contract, and can decide on a month-by-month basis.

Canary Service Area & Coverage Map

Who is Canary?

Funded by an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013, Canary develops and manufactures home security systems. Their main products are systems based around security cameras which enable users to see what’s happening at home and take action. Canary mission is to provide a smart home security device for everyone and bills itself as a “complete security system in a single device.”

Why They’re Different

Canary, with its back-to-basics attitude, stands out from a crowd of competitors by offering true flexibility. Customers can choose whether to pay or not to pay for a subscription, and if they opt to subscribe, month-to-month services means customers also determine how long to pay and thus the price the would like to pay.

While the Free Plan package has no contract requirement, it carries higher up-front costs and a device limit. For $9.99/month, Premium Service provides extra features, discounts and a longer warranty.

Who They’re For

Canary is a top-notch option for those seeking basic equipment, month-to-month no-contract services at an reasonable price. Canary is great for those desiring a complete security system in a single device, without all the bells and whistles. It’s ideal for homeowners and renters alike, and easy to bring with you in the event of a move. But it’s not meant for those who want professional monitoring or seek to personalize with add-on equipment.

Key Features & Tech

  • DIY Installation
  • 24/7 Live Video
  • Key Integrations
  • Mobile App & Alerts
  • Remote Control
  • Power Outage Protection

Hardware and Equipment

Canary is the maker of three home security cameras: Canary Flex, Canary All-In-One, and Canary Flex.

  1. Canary Flex is a battery-powered indoor/outdoor home security camera
  2. Canary All-in-One is the original indoor camera, which includes bonus features like a built-in siren and air quality sensors
  3. Canary View is also an indoor camera with a smaller price tag and fewer features

You can also purchase additional accessories — although these are only for the Canary Flex. These include:

  • Secure Mount – allowing attachment to a wall or surface
  • Twist Mount – for attachment around a tree, rail or similar structure
  • Stake Mount – to secure your camera via a drive stake into the ground

For more information on what Canary offers, you can read our in-depth Canary review.

Monitoring Options

Canary offers two service plans: the Free Access plan and the Premium Service plan.

The Canary Premium Service plan provides:

  • 30-day video history
  • unlimited video downloads
  • two-way talk
  • desktop streaming
  • 2-year device warranty
  • discounts on Canary devices and accessories

The Basic Experience, which comes with all Canary cameras, includes:

  • 24 hours of free cloud storage for up to five cameras
  • 30-second Video Previews only
  • 1-year device warranty

Customer Support Experience

Because Canary specializes in home security cameras, their agents are specially equipped and knowledgeable in the area of expertise you need. Unlike larger providers with a wide array of telecommunication and security services, with Canary support you are likelier to reach an individual with the appropriate technical knowledge sooner (no time-consuming department transfers!) and who can help you solve an issue quicker.

The Help Center has a comprehensive database of helpful articles that answer many common questions and issues. If you encounter a specific problem with your Canary system, the guided assistant walks you through precise troubleshooting steps to find a solution.

Support Hours

If you still need to talk to a real individual directly, you can reach out via live chat, SMS, email or even Twitter. Canary support is available from 8AM to 5PM Eastern time, 7 days a week. If you prefer to chat via SMS, U.S. customers can text 1-833-682-6132 (note that there is a 60 character limit and standard message rates will apply).

For urgent questions, you can chat with a Canary representative. For less urgent questions, open up a ticket via email.

FAQ

  • How much does Premium Service cost?

    Canary customers will receive extended privileges and product discounts of Premium Service for $9.99/month or $99/year (two free months). Additional devices (more than 5) will be $4.99 per device or $49/year.

  • What comes with Canary Premium Service?

    Canary Premium Service gives users additional features like 30 days of full-length Video History, Two-way Canary Talk, and Desktop Streaming. US Customers also benefit from Incident Support services and a two-year Extended Device Warranty.

  • Do I need to purchase a Premium Service subscription for my device to function?

    No, each Canary Camera comes with a Free Access Plan for up to four devices. This includes 24 Hours of Video History, 30 Second Clips, Mobile App Access, Unlimited Bookmarks and a one-year warranty for your devices.

  • What is Incident Support?

    According to Canary, “Incident Support: In the event of a qualifying incident, we’ll (Canary) provide you with a dedicated agent to help retrieve video evidence and assist through a home theft event.”

  • How does Extended Device Warranty work?

    All Canary devices come with a one-year limited warranty. As part of Canary Premium Service, all devices at the location under the service will receive a two-year limited warranty from the original date of purchase. Note that, in order to qualify, devices must be purchased directly from Canary or an authorized reseller.

  • What if I have multiple devices?

    The Premium Service applies to each device at a specific location, but the price will vary according to the number of devices you have at that location.

  • Where can I find more information on Premium Service?

    For a detailed explanation, see our full assessment of Canary Premium Service plans and pricing. You can also review the Canary Premium Service FAQ.

  • Does Canary offer a home insurance discount?

    Canary has confirmed eligibility for State Farm®, Liberty Mutual Insurance®, and Allstate®. State Farm customers with a Canary device may qualify for an insurance discount up to 7%.

  • Does Canary have their own server?

    They use AWS.