Certainly one of my favourite HomeKit options is HomeKit Safe Video, which lets me view and handle safety digicam recordings proper within the Dwelling app. There are a selection of various cameras available on the market that help this function, and listed below 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 digicam footage. All the things is dealt with straight via the Dwelling app, the place you’ll be able to handle settings, view recording historical past, and examine reside feeds out of your cameras.
There are a number of advantages to utilizing HomeKit Safe Video. For instance, all the pieces is totally end-to-end encryption. It’s additionally good with the ability to see your whole cameras and recordings within the Dwelling app, alongside controls for different sensible residence equipment.
Moreover, once you use a digicam by way of HomeKit Safe Video, you don’t need to depend on the digicam producer’s app or cloud service. This implies you don’t have to fret concerning the producer of the digicam’s safety practices. Simply make sure you disable all recording in that producer’s app.
One of many greatest drawbacks to HomeKit Safe Video, nevertheless, is it doesn’t report steady video. As an alternative, it solely data particular “occasions,” like when movement is detected. That is nice more often than not, but it surely signifies that if there’s a glitch and HomeKit fails to catch an occasion, you haven’t 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. After all, this additionally will get you the opposite advantages of iCloud+ comparable to extra iCloud storage, iCloud Personal Relay, and Conceal My E mail.
- $0.99 per thirty days: 1 digicam
- $2.99 per thirty days: 5 cameras
- $9.99 per thirty days: 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.
The perfect HomeKit Safe Video cameras
Ecobee SmartCamera
Ecobee makes among the greatest sensible thermostats available on the market, and it ventured into the safety digicam market in 2021 with the SmartCamera. At launch, the Ecobee SmartCamera was a bit powerful to suggest because of its excessive value level and lack of HomeKit Safe Video.
Within the intervening years, nevertheless, the Ecobee SmartCamera has grow to be rather more compelling. It’s now competitively priced at $99 and helps HomeKit Safe Video. Plus, in case you have different Ecobee equipment, you’ll be able to weave collectively a whole-home system fairly simply. It packs a 1080p digicam, 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 stable by way of efficiency and reliability. There’s by no means been a time once I’ve gone to the Dwelling app to test the reside feed or have a look at recordings and been hit with an error message.
Options embody 1080p decision by way of HomeKit, two-way audio, and an adjustable (however plastic) stand. Learn my full evaluate of the Eufy Indoor Cam C120 for extra particulars. Additionally, it may be used solely by way of HomeKit Safe Video – which negates safety considerations associated to Eufy and Anker.
Better of all, the Eufy Indoor Cam C120 is the most cost effective choice on this record. A single digicam is available in at beneath $45 on Amazon, whereas you will get a two-pack for lower than $80.
Logitech Circle View
Certainly one of my different HomeKit Safe Video cameras comes from Logitech. The Logitech Circle View can function an indoor or outside digicam with its weatherproof design. You’ll need to hold it in vary of an influence outlet, although, because it’s a wired digicam. I’ve two of those cameras and have discovered them to be rock stable by way of reliability.
Compared to the aforementioned Eufy digicam, the Logitech Circle View unlocks a number of notable options like upgraded night time imaginative and prescient, a extra premium design, and a 180-degree broad angle digicam.
These higher-end options come at a better price. The Logitech Circle View will price you $139.99 on Amazon. Nonetheless, the flexibility of being weatherproof for outside use is an enormous profit.
Eve Outside Cam
Top-of-the-line and most feature-rich outside cameras with HomeKit Safe Video comes from Eve. The Eve Outside Digital camera options a flexible and sturdy design with 1080p decision, two-way communication, and night time 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 Outside Cam isn’t wi-fi. It requires each a impartial wire and a connection to a floor wire.
The Eve Outside Cam is costly, however effectively value it in case you don’t thoughts the wired design. You’ll find it on Amazon for beneath $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 make sure you hold this record up to date as I attempt extra cameras, too.
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