Ring is welcoming the Halloween spirit by putting a seasonal novelty on sale. The Candy Cam is a bundle that includes a brand-new outdoor camera, a fun cover, and a small bowl mount for sweets.
When combined, the components present a way to take a peek at trick-or-treating without getting up from the couch. The excitement is a little overwhelming — some find it funny, and some think the practical joke has gone too far. A Candy Cam bundle will undoubtedly be much discussed before Halloween.
The pack is focused on the Cam Pro Outdoor, a small, resistant model suitable for high-quality video, integrated motion alerts, and two-way talk via the Ring mobile application. The set includes a 3D costume cover and accompanying mount to snap the camera onto a candy bowl, aiming the lens instantly at everybody’s fun.
The pack contains five costumes — a spider, bat, black cat, ghost, and a pumpkin lantern. Customers can also download a printable cover for free, which is a nice touch for the DIY community that popularized surveillance cameras in the first place. The bundle is offered for $200, sweetening the cam for the season. It will be a slightly different device during a quiet morning walk around the porch, but the fun outside it will last long after the last candy in the bowl.
Pointing a security camera at trick-or-treaters — usually children wearing costumes, no less — is certain to raise fair concerns. Civil liberties groups like the ACLU and digital rights warriors at the EFF have long warned that ubiquitous consumer cameras are normalizing surveillance in our public spaces. Although in the United States it’s generally legal to film on your property, audio can implicate two-party consent laws in some states, and posting identifiable footage of minors online adds its own host of ethical considerations.
Context matters. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 7 in 10 U.S. households take part in Halloween, and neighborhood porches are essentially transformed into micro public squares for one evening. That moment turned into a surveillance zone can feel invasive, even if the intent is lighthearted. Plenty of residents, however, would appreciate an eye on the porch to dissuade petty mischief or package theft, a tension that frames much of the smart camera market.
Charitably interpreted, the Candy Cam setup helps you get in on the fun from indoors during a movie or while you’re out playing with your own kids. Two-way talk provides a shout-out to trick-or-treaters, motion alerts can identify pockets of activity, and color night vision helps brightly colored costumes stand out in the dark. If you’re out and about, you can check in as well as add more candy to the bowl between groups, or switch to continuous monitoring after that.
Keep in mind: Features such as cloud video history and smart alerts usually require a Ring subscription plan. For the category, that’s standard, but worth factoring into the true cost if you’re buying this for a one-night rager.
How Ring is leaning into seasonal flair with Candy Cam
Over the last decade, though, networked cameras have snuck into the mainstream. Industry researchers like Parks Associates also say that a significant share of U.S. internet households now have at least one connected security camera, with that figure ticking up as doorbell cams gain in popularity. Holiday-themed accessories are a predictable extension — they not only help create a marketing moment, but they push fence-sitters to buy into the idea of trying out a camera with a fun first use case.
The Candy Cam bundle also taps into home tech’s larger design moment — transforming gadgets from cold, imposing objects to humanized companions with the power of customization. Though the hardware and software may remain locked up, Ring is trying to appeal to a community that values personalization and transparency around accessories by giving away these 3D print files.
How to use Candy Cam safely and respectfully on Halloween
If you’re the type to be tantalized by the package, several common-sense best practices can help maintain friendly relations with neighbors and parents:
- Turn off the recording of audio overnight, especially in two-party consent states.
- Use privacy zones and aim the camera at your bowl and your porch — not toward the sidewalk or street.
- Disable or limit what’s uploaded to the cloud if a video history of visitors isn’t necessary, and refrain from posting identifiable footage of kids on social media.
- Include a small sign indicating that the area is monitored; transparency can be an ally in community spaces.
Bottom line: a playful bundle with real privacy trade-offs
The Candy Cam bundle is part novelty and part nudge — a way to spruce up an outdoor camera that can already do the job of providing security, while adding a jocular twist on Halloween night.
It’s also a reminder that the convenience of always-on video should be weighed against neighbors’ comfort and kids’ privacy. If you maintain those guardrails, this is a seasonal kit that can bring you a fun porch moment on the biggest night of October and an essential security upgrade for most of the rest of the year.
