Can the Owlet Baby Monitor Be Hacked?

Besides hacking the monitor camera, I feel like Owlet has sensitive data about my baby that no hackers should access. Learn more about Owlet security!

This article will cover:

• Why are parents concern?
• Is it normal to be worried?
• Should you worry?
• Takeaway

Owlet is another baby monitor that is Wi-Fi enabled. I was worried that Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitors were the most prone to hacking. A quick search in google will return several stories about users’ personal experience ranging from infuriating to the stuff of horror movies. However, the chances of it happening to you are as slim as getting hit by lightning, although the thought of it is still scary.

Nevertheless, there are parents concerned about the Owlet being susceptible to hacking.

Why are parents concern with the owlet monitor been hacked?

Although the Owlet manufacturer assures that the Wi-Fi connection is secured, most parents are still worried about the possibility of their Owlet baby monitor being hacked. This is understandable given the extent of information this monitor can provide.

As of today, there has been no incident that can prove a breach in this product user’s security. Suppose you have Owlet devices watching over your kid. You can easily rest that all the valuable information this baby monitor has about your baby is safe. It is only available to you and to those you have given access to.

Below are the details this baby monitor can provide and the features you might find useful.

Monitor heart rate

Owlet baby monitor uses a professional and medical grade method of tracking your baby’s oxygen level and heart rate. It is the same technology that is used in hospitals, only more comfortable.

The pulse oximetry in the Owlet Smart Sock is non-invasive and extremely accurate, detecting even the slightest changes in the distribution of oxygen into body parts away from the heart.

This feature is valuable during the crucial first weeks and months of your baby when there are high SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome cases. But that is not to say that using this accessory means you can forego safety measures when putting your baby to sleep.

It’s still important that the baby’s mattress is firm and bare without pillows and blankets that can pose a suffocation hazard to your newborn. Always put your baby down to sleep on his back, not sideways or facedown.

Monitor Room temperature

Owlet baby monitor also tracks the fluctuation in your baby’s room temperature. You will get an alert if it gets too hot or too cold so you can adjust the baby’s environment by providing better ventilation. You can turn up or down the AC or heater or add or remove layers of your baby’s clothes.

Every parent should know the ideal room temperature for your baby is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 22.2 degrees Celsius. Anything lower might be too cold, while any higher poses risks of overheating, which had been linked to SIDS.

Send notification and alert

Baby monitors allow us, parents, to accomplish more (including getting a good night’s sleep and power naps). It is reassuring that the Owlet baby monitor can reach out to parents when their babies need them. Whether you’re busy doing some chores, working in the garage, or sneaking in some needed snooze, your baby will get through to you so long as you keep your phone or tablet around.

Note that the app doesn’t send notifications about the current temperature in your baby’s room. Still, you can check by simply viewing the video feed, which indicates the information on the screen.

Camera

The Owlet cam was added in 2019 to supplement the Smart Sock. Other than the vital information from the wearable sensor, parents can view their baby’s remote via the smartphone app.

Although it doesn’t pan and tilt likes other cameras like that of Eufy’s, its 130 degrees lens of wide-angle provides a complete view of your baby in his crib. It also has a digital zoom if you want a closer look. Its 1080p display gives you clear and detailed images, while night vision provides visibility even when the lights are off.

Connected to an App

You can check in on your baby through the app installed on your smartphone from anywhere you are in the world. You can easily view the live video feed, access the stats on your baby’s oxygen level and heart rate. You can also keep an eye on the sleep history and analyze your baby’s sleeping needs and issues.

The Owlet baby monitor doesn’t have a parent unit, unlike non-Wi-Fi cameras, so the app on your phone will serve as your remote viewing device.

When it comes to hacking concerns, it is usually because new users did not or forgot to change the user ID and default password. So, anyone who knows the default password (which is the same for all units) can easily access the camera and other information about your baby.

Creating a unique ID and password can be compared to having double locks on your doors. The best password should be a mix of numbers, letters, and characters. It’s most advisable to use phrases as passwords instead of names and dates. An example of a unique and strong password using this advice is #Pl3as3d0nTHackm3. It’s a group of words that reads “please don’t hack me” but spelled out using letters with random capitalization, numbers, and other characters. It’s easier to remember because it’s not some random numbers but an influential group of words. Still, it’s extremely difficult to guess and take an expert or a dedicated hacker a few years to breach.

Can connect with Wi-Fi

Owlet camera and Smart Sock are both Wi-Fi enabled. It means your wireless connection depends on your internet connection. And that is only for the best, unlike non-Wi-Fi baby monitors, which will only work within a limited range, usually around 600 meters. The internet connectivity of Owlet allows you to access the camera even if you’re on a business trip while your baby is at home with a granny.

Owlet uses an encrypted Wi-Fi connection. As long as you make sure you set up your app and network with maximum security, you will keep the hackers away.

Can connect with Bluetooth

The connection between the Owlet Smart Sock and the base is Bluetooth. It does not require Wi-Fi for the wearable sensor to send data to the base. But that’s the limit of the Bluetooth. The base uses Wi-Fi to send a notification to your smartphone the phone app.

Monitoring from a Distance

Because of the internet connectivity, the Owlet baby monitor can transmit the live video feed anywhere in the world to your smartphone via the app.

Most often than not, our parents or our baby’s grandparents will always be eager to check on your little one. They can download the app on the device and, if you permit them, they can also access the live feed.

Suppose you are anxious that unauthorized individuals are accessing the camera remotely via the internet. In that case, this can easily be solved. Just turn off this feature when not in use, and no one else can access it. You can set a particular time for your parents or other authorized users. You’ll enable remote viewing for them to access the monitor and then turn it off again after a given timeframe.

If hackers want to find a way, you too can find your own to avoid them.

With all those critical features, it’s normal to be worried.

Wearable sensors and breathing and heart rate tracking seem to be the bells and whistles that the newest baby monitors are all about. With all that vital information about your baby accessible with a wireless device, it can become a source of worry or even anxiety to some parents.

However, professionals are likewise worried about the parents relying too much on these baby monitor features. They fear that the parents might be growing complacent with the sense of comfort and the level of assurance these products are providing. Instead of knowing practical safety measures, parents must be doing for their baby. They simply leave it up to the products to tell them if something is wrong.

False Alarms

It rare, but it still does happen. Like all sensors and alarms, manufacturers design their devices to err on the side of safety. It is called a false-positive which is a much better mistake your device will make than notify you when something is wrong.

For Owlet Smart Sock, there are only a few reasons for false alarms.

• Loose sock – if your baby is not used to wearing the accessory, she might try to kick it off. That’s when a false reading might result in a false red or yellow alert. Even in hospitals, improper attachment of sensors leads to the same result. Make sure the Smart Sock fits perfectly on your baby’s foot.
• Feeding – oxygen level naturally drops while the heart rate rises during feeding. Remove the sock first to avoid false alarms.
• Motion and vibrations – if your baby’s crib has that feature that allows it to rock back and forth, this might do an inaccurate reading. Tapping on your baby while putting her to sleep might also cause this.
• Lost connection – the sensor might come completely disconnected from the base, which will trigger an alert. Make sure to regularly check the wireless pairing of the devices.

Has been hack or server is down

There was a time when parents could not view their baby’s sleep stats through the app. Parents were afraid that there was a hack or some sort of security breach.

Owlet explained that the incident was due to a bug that occurred on one of their application updates which caused the server to go down, which they could resolve after a few days.

So, should you worry about your owlet baby monitor been hacked?

Baby monitor hacking might be a real security threat on some brands. Still, for Owlet, there is no proven incident so far.

Here are 3 important security tips:

1. Turn the baby monitor and all cameras when not in use.
2. Regularly check for firmware updates.
3. Update passwords (use the advice I mentioned earlier)

Takeaway

Owlet understands its customers’ security concerns, which is why they make sure their products are hack-proof. As users, parents also have the responsibility of keeping their network secured by ensuring that the appropriate measures are in place. 

When using a baby monitor, there is one extra step we should always take. Still, because parents are always busy, many forget to switch their monitors off. If you value your privacy, or if you are worried about your baby monitor getting hack, this simple action will give you the peace of mind you’re looking for.

For more details about the features check out the Owlet on Amazon here!