Ultimate Guide to HomeKit Secure Video: Secure Your Home with Apple

HomeKit Secure Video provides an excellent management platform for security cameras. Surveillance from traditional ways might be less efficient because of high latencies. Instead HomeKit Secure Video provides a smart solution to monitor your belongings.

In this article, we will discuss all about HomeKit Secure Video and let you know the essential needs to get started. We will also share the pros & cons and some alternatives.

What Is HomeKit Secure Video?

HomeKit Secure Video is a feature offered by Apple for smart surveillance. It integrates with the Apple HomeKit ecosystem and allows you to store the recording in your iCloud accounts. The HomeKit Secure Video provides end-to-end encryption, which means only the assigned users can access the footage. It also offers intelligent detection of moving objects like humans, animals, and vehicles passing nearby. People prefer HomeKit Secure Video because of its high-end privacy and security features.

First, you must buy a compatible security camera and set it up with HomeKit Secure Video. It requires a home hub such as an Apple TV or iPad as a management and monitoring device to locally process the data before uploading it to your cloud. It then senses the motion of the objects and allows you to monitor them on the hub.

HomeKit Secure Video will store the recording in your assigned iCloud storage and retain the recording within up to ten days to ensure you are not out of storage. It also allows you to give access to live footage monitoring to the family members. You can also customize the functionality of the cameras, such as any alarming sound or light turning on when motion is detected.

Pros And Cons Of HomeKit Secure Video

Pros

• It has End-to-End Encryption, allowing only the authorized person to access the camera.
• Strong recognition of humans and animals to get rid of false alarms.
• It saves the user's storage by automatically deleting the recordings after ten days.
• You can locally monitor the footage before uploading it to the iCloud storage.
• It allows you to specify the monitoring zones.

Cons

• The motion detection sometimes doesn't work.
• The hub might suddenly disconnect, and you will need to reboot it.
• You don't have any option to raise the video quality to more than 1080p.
• You cannot transfer the recorded videos to any external storage.
• There is no option to schedule the turning on and off of the camera.

What You Need To Prepare When Using HomeKit Secure Video?

Apple Home Hub

Apple Home Hub is a necessary tool to use the HomeKit Secure Video. It establishes an ecosystem where you can select a specific device and make it a hub. The hub will allow you to monitor the footage locally before uploading it to your iCloud storage.

Here is the list of devices you can assign as a hub. Make sure that the hub is efficient enough to present you with clear and sharp footage.

• Apple TV (5th Generation or later)
• iPad (With the latest iOS version)
• HomePod
• HomePod Mini

iCloud Subscription

To store camera recordings, you must have enough space on your iCloud. Set up a new iCloud ID or use the previous one. You must subscribe to a reliable and cost-effective iCloud plan according to your requirements.

Please don't choose a low-end plan if your requirements are high and you need continuous surveillance. The subscription plans differ from each other by limited camera connection. Here are the subscription plans offered by Apple.

• 50 GB Plan: You can connect only one camera.
• 200 GB Plan: Allows you to add up to 5 cameras.
• 2 TB and Above: You can add unlimited cameras.

Compatible Camera And Doorbell

Before installing cameras or doorbells at your home, you must ensure they are compatible with HomeKit Secure Video to manage them remotely. There are several compatible cameras and doorbells that you can connect with HomeKit Secure Video. Let's explore the list of compatible cameras.

• Logitech Circle view
• Aqara G2H Pro
• Arlo Ultra 2

HomeKit Secure Video Outdoor Camera/Doorbell Recommendation

Logitech Circle View Apple HomeKit

Logitech Circle View is a HomeKit-compatible smart camera. It supports 1080p HD video and has a 180° field view with clear and balanced contrast. It has an innovative design to tilt the camera at the best angle and you can capture the distance up to 15 ft.

Logitech Circle View Wired Doorbell

Logitech Circle view wired doorbell is an advanced and intelligent version of conventional doorbells. It is easy to use and has the best face recognition with head-to-toe scanning. It offers 160°of coverage and a color night vision facility.

Alternatives Of HomeKit Secure Video

For better features, performance, and reliability, you can consider the following alternatives.

Reolink Home Hub

Reolink Home Hub helps you manage multiple devices without any hassle. You can manage all your cameras without any extra fee. It can store your data on two 512GB microSD cards, so it offers incredible storage space. The best part is the security. The storage is encrypted and protected through anti-theft algorithms.

Reolink Argus 4 Pro

Argus 4 Pro is a dual-lens Wi-Fi 6 camera that captures 4K videos. You can visualize intricate details with optimal clarity. The dual lens captures a 180-degree field of view to offer more information in a single frame. It works on Reolink ColorX technology, so you see true colors all day. It's a battery-powered camera that can also be charged using a solar panel.

Reolink Argus 4 Pro

4k 180° Wire-free Color Night Vision Camera

4K UHD 180° Blindspot-free View; Color Vision Day and Night; 30% More Battery Life; Dual-band Wi-Fi 6; Smart detection.

Learn More about Argus 4 Pro

Reolink Video Doorbell

Reolink Video Doorbell offers 2K+ resolution to ensure crisp and clear videos and intricate details. It can automatically detect the motion of any object and send accurate alerts to your devices in real-time. You can even talk to the person in front of the doorbell and communicate directly through the app. It offers a stable connection, excellent speed, and weatherproofing.

Reolink Video Doorbell (WiFi)

Smart 5MP Video Doorbell with Chime

5MP Super HD Day & Night, Person Detection, 2.4/5 GHz Dual-Band WiFi, 180° Diagonal Viewing Angle, Two-Way Audio, Rich Notification.

Learn More about Reolink Video Doorbell (WiFi)

FAQs

1. How to view HomeKit Secure Video recordings?

From the HomeKit app, tap on any camera window from which you want to check the feed. You can watch the recorded videos by swiping at the bottom and selecting a specific event to filter.

2. Do you need a hub to connect a security camera to HomeKit?

Yes, a hub is necessary to manage security cameras through HomeKit. There are selected compatible Apple devices that you can assign as a hub to monitor the recordings locally.

3. Does HomeKit Secure Video record 24/7?

No, it doesn't have any feature to have 24/7 surveillance. HomeKit Secure Video is designed to recognize and detect the motion of Humans, animals, and vehicles. It saves the clips of detected motion instead of recording continuously.

Conclusion

Surveillance of your crucial assets is revolutionized through HomeKit Secure Video. You don't need huge storage devices to store the recordings because it only shows the data of the past ten days. You must read the whole article with all attention to get a detailed overview of the HomeKit Secure Video. It will help you set up and install a compatible security camera. We have also shared some better alternatives you can consider.