One in every of my favourite HomeKit options is HomeKit Safe Video, which lets me view and handle safety digital camera recordings proper within the House app. There are a variety of various cameras available on the market that help this characteristic, and listed here are my favorites as somebody who’s examined loads of HomeKit equipment over time.
What’s HomeKit Safe Video?
HomeKit Safe Video is Apple’s platform for recording and managing safety digital camera footage. Every little thing is dealt with straight by way of the House app, the place you may handle settings, view recording historical past, and look at reside feeds out of your cameras.
There are a number of advantages to utilizing HomeKit Safe Video. For instance, the whole lot is totally end-to-end encryption. It’s additionally good with the ability to see your whole cameras and recordings within the House app, alongside controls for different good residence equipment.
Moreover, if you use a digital camera through HomeKit Safe Video, you don’t need to depend on the digital camera producer’s app or cloud service. This implies you don’t have to fret concerning the producer of the digital camera’s safety practices. Simply be sure you disable all recording in that producer’s app.
One of many greatest drawbacks to HomeKit Safe Video, nonetheless, is it doesn’t file steady video. As an alternative, it solely information particular “occasions,” like when movement is detected. That is nice more often than not, however it implies that if there’s a glitch and HomeKit fails to catch an occasion, you don’t have any recourse.
There are two different issues to bear in mind. First, you’ll want an iCloud+ subscription to make use of HomeKit Safe Video. In fact, this additionally will get you the opposite advantages of iCloud+ comparable to extra iCloud storage, iCloud Personal Relay, and Disguise My E mail.
- $0.99 monthly: 1 digital camera
- $2.99 monthly: 5 cameras
- $9.99 monthly: Limitless cameras
Lastly, you’ll additionally want a “residence hub” to make use of HomeKit Safe Video. HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV can all function a house hub.
One of the best HomeKit Safe Video cameras
Ecobee SmartCamera
Ecobee makes among the greatest good thermostats available on the market, and it ventured into the safety digital camera market in 2021 with the SmartCamera. At launch, the Ecobee SmartCamera was a bit robust to advocate because of its excessive worth level and lack of HomeKit Safe Video.
Within the intervening years, nonetheless, the Ecobee SmartCamera has turn into way more compelling. It’s now competitively priced at $99 and helps HomeKit Safe Video. Plus, when you’ve got different Ecobee equipment, you may weave collectively a whole-home system fairly simply. It packs a 1080p digital camera, two-way audio, a premium design, and extra.
The Ecobee SmartCamera may be discovered on Amazon for $99.99.
Eufy C120
My first foray into HomeKit Safe Video was with the Eufy Indoor Cam C120. You gained’t discover any bells and whistles with this one, however I can report that it’s rock strong when it comes to efficiency and reliability. There’s by no means been a time after I’ve gone to the House app to verify the reside feed or have a look at recordings and been hit with an error message.
Options embody 1080p decision through HomeKit, two-way audio, and an adjustable (however plastic) stand. Learn my full assessment of the Eufy Indoor Cam C120 for extra particulars. Additionally, it may be used completely through HomeKit Safe Video – which negates safety issues associated to Eufy and Anker.
Better of all, the Eufy Indoor Cam C120 is the most affordable choice on this listing. A single digital camera is available in at underneath $45 on Amazon, whereas you will get a two-pack for lower than $80.
Logitech Circle View
One in every of my different HomeKit Safe Video cameras comes from Logitech. The Logitech Circle View can function an indoor or outside digital camera with its weatherproof design. You’ll need to preserve it in vary of an influence outlet, although, because it’s a wired digital camera. I’ve two of those cameras and have discovered them to be rock strong when it comes to reliability.
Compared to the aforementioned Eufy digital camera, the Logitech Circle View unlocks just a few notable options like upgraded evening imaginative and prescient, a extra premium design, and a 180-degree vast angle digital camera.
These higher-end options come at a better value. The Logitech Circle View will value you $139.99 on Amazon. Nonetheless, the flexibility of being weatherproof for outside use is an enormous profit.
Eve Out of doors Cam
Probably the greatest and most feature-rich outside cameras with HomeKit Safe Video comes from Eve. The Eve Out of doors Digicam options a flexible and sturdy design with 1080p decision, two-way communication, and evening imaginative and prescient. Most notably, it additionally has a built-in floodlight that may be mechanically activated based mostly on movement detection.
One factor to bear in mind is that the Eve Out of doors Cam shouldn’t be wi-fi. It requires each a impartial wire and a connection to a floor wire.
The Eve Out of doors Cam is expensive, however effectively price it for those who don’t thoughts the wired design. You’ll find it on Amazon for underneath $250.
Extra choices
Wrap up
These are the HomeKit Safe Video cameras I’ve used and may vouch for. What about you? What HomeKit Safe Video cameras are you utilizing? Tell us within the feedback. I’ll be sure you preserve this listing up to date as I attempt extra cameras, too.
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