One among 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 in the marketplace that help this characteristic, and listed here are my favorites as somebody who’s examined quite a bit of HomeKit equipment over time.
What’s HomeKit Safe Video?
HomeKit Safe Video is Apple’s platform for recording and managing safety digicam footage. The whole lot is dealt with immediately via the Dwelling app, the place you may handle settings, view recording historical past, and examine dwell feeds out of your cameras.
There are a number of advantages to utilizing HomeKit Safe Video. For instance, all the things is totally end-to-end encryption. It’s additionally good having the ability to see all your 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 should 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 be sure you disable all recording in that producer’s app.
One of many greatest drawbacks to HomeKit Safe Video, nevertheless, is it doesn’t document steady video. As an alternative, it solely data particular “occasions,” like when movement is detected. That is nice more often than not, however it 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+ equivalent to extra iCloud storage, iCloud Personal Relay, and Disguise My Electronic mail.
- $0.99 per 30 days: 1 digicam
- $2.99 per 30 days: 5 cameras
- $9.99 per 30 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 a number of the greatest sensible thermostats in the marketplace, and it ventured into the safety digicam market in 2021 with the SmartCamera. At launch, the Ecobee SmartCamera was a bit powerful to advocate as a result of its excessive value level and lack of HomeKit Safe Video.
Within the intervening years, nevertheless, the Ecobee SmartCamera has change into rather more compelling. It’s now competitively priced at $99 and helps HomeKit Safe Video. Plus, when you have different Ecobee equipment, you may weave collectively a whole-home system fairly simply. It packs a 1080p digicam, two-way audio, a premium design, and extra.
The Ecobee SmartCamera could be discovered on Amazon for $99.99.
Eufy C120
My first foray into HomeKit Safe Video was with the Eufy Indoor Cam C120. You received’t discover any bells and whistles with this one, however I can report that it’s rock strong by way of efficiency and reliability. There’s by no means been a time once I’ve gone to the Dwelling app to verify the dwell 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 affordable choice on this checklist. A single digicam is available in at underneath $45 on Amazon, whereas you may get a two-pack for lower than $80.
Logitech Circle View
One among 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 should preserve 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 strong by way of reliability.
Compared to the aforementioned Eufy digicam, the Logitech Circle View unlocks just a few notable options like upgraded night time imaginative and prescient, a extra premium design, and a 180-degree vast angle digicam.
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 a giant profit.
Eve Out of doors Cam
Top-of-the-line and most feature-rich outside cameras with HomeKit Safe Video comes from Eve. The Eve Out of doors 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 primarily based on movement detection.
One factor to bear in mind is that the Eve Out of doors Cam will not 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 value it should you 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 might 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 checklist up to date as I attempt extra cameras, too.
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