What is Apple HomeKit Secure Video? How Does It Work?

Apple HomeKit Secure Video is a feature that enhances the functionality of home security cameras, giving users the ability to stream, record, and receive notifications for captured footage securely and privately. Integrated into the built-in iOS Home app, HomeKit Secure Video ensures secure storage and privacy for all compatible devices in your home.

To use Apple HomeKit Secure Video, you will need a compatible security camera and a home hub such as an Apple TV, HomePod, or an iPad acting as a central command for all HomeKit devices. With this setup, HomeKit Secure Video analyzes the footage for motion events, detecting people, pets, and vehicles, and sends you alerts. You can even share access and manage permissions with other iCloud users, making it easy to collaborate and ensure your home’s security while maintaining privacy.

What Is Apple HomeKit Secure Video?

Apple HomeKit Secure Video is a feature designed to enhance the security and privacy of your smart home. With this feature, you can stream, record, and receive activity notifications directly in the Home app on your iOS devices. HomeKit Secure Video is built with a focus on privacy and security, offering a more reliable solution compared to other options in the market.

When you set up HomeKit Secure Video, your security cameras and video doorbells integrate seamlessly with the Home app, allowing you to monitor your home from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The system is designed to detect people, pets, and cars, sending you notifications in the Home app when it identifies activity. You can also share access with other iCloud users, giving them the ability to view or manage your cameras remotely.

One of the key aspects of HomeKit Secure Video is that it processes all the data locally on your home hub (an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) before sending it to iCloud. This ensures that your videos remain private and secure; Apple doesn’t have access to your footage, and only you and the people you share access with can view the recordings.

Apart from the enhanced security, the system also offers convenient features like 10-day recording storage in iCloud, which does not count against your iCloud storage limit. Keep in mind that HomeKit Secure Video requires a specific level of iCloud storage plan (200GB for one camera and 2TB for up to five cameras), though there is no additional subscription fee for the video storage itself.

How Homekit Secure Video Works

End-to-End Encryption

HomeKit Secure Video provides end-to-end encryption, ensuring that your video footage remains secure and private. When your security camera captures video, it’s encrypted on the device before being sent to iCloud. You and only those you share access with can decrypt and view the recordings, keeping your home security footage confidential.

iCloud Storage

With HomeKit Secure Video, your video footage is stored securely in iCloud rather than on third-party servers. Apple provides 10 days of free storage for your recordings, which doesn’t count against your iCloud storage limit. This allows you to access and review footage from the past 10 days without worrying about running out of storage space.

Activity Zones

One useful feature of HomeKit Secure Video is the ability to set Activity Zones. These are specific areas within the camera’s field of view where you’d like to focus on motion detection. By defining these zones, you can minimize false motion events and ensure that you’re only notified of relevant movements in your designated areas.

Footage Recording

HomeKit Secure Video records footage based on detected motion events within the Activity Zones you set. This means that continuous recording isn’t available, but it helps conserve storage and battery life for battery-powered cameras, such as the eufyCam 2C. You can review the recorded footage at any time within the 10-day window in iCloud.

On-Device Intelligence

Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video uses on-device intelligence to analyze video footage. This means that the camera itself determines whether motion events contain people, animals, or vehicles, and only then sends the information to your Home Hub. This approach ensures that your privacy is maintained, as data is processed on the device itself, reducing the need to send your footage to external servers for analysis.

Automatic Notifications

When HomeKit Secure Video detects motion events in your Activity Zones, it automatically sends notifications to your iOS devices. These notifications can be customized based on the types of events you wish to be notified about, giving you greater control over your home security. The Home app also enables you to view and manage your camera’s footage and settings, making it simple to stay informed about what’s happening in and around your home.

Compatible Devices

Apple HomeKit Secure Video provides a secure and encrypted way to store and view the footage from your security cameras. In this section, we will discuss the devices compatible with HomeKit Secure Video and their roles in the system.

Cameras

To benefit from HomeKit Secure Video, your security camera must be compatible with Apple HomeKit. Various leading brands offer HomeKit compatible cameras, ensuring a wide range of choices. Keep in mind that the compatibility of your camera is essential for utilizing HomeKit Secure Video features, such as end-to-end encryption and intelligent activity detection.

Home Hubs

Home Hubs are necessary to enable remote viewing, secure storage, and other features available with HomeKit Secure Video. The compatible Home Hubs include:

• Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K: These devices act as a Home Hub, allowing you to enable HomeKit Secure Video features when connected to your iCloud account.
• HomePod or HomePod mini: These smart speakers can also serve as your Home Hub, allowing remote management and communication with your security cameras.
• iPad: When left at home and connected to your home Wi-Fi network, an iPad can serve as a Home Hub to manage your HomeKit-compatible devices.

To set up a Home Hub, sign in to each of these devices using your Apple ID. Your iPhone, iPod touch, and Mac can be used to access HomeKit Secure Video footage through the Home app, but they don’t act as Home Hubs. When investing in devices for your smart home ecosystem, ensure that they are compatible with Apple HomeKit and your chosen Home Hub for optimal performance and security.

Setting Up Homekit Secure Video

Apple HomeKit Secure Video is a feature that streams and records video from compatible security cameras directly and securely to the Home app on your iOS device. To set up HomeKit Secure Video, follow these steps:

1. Update your device to the latest iOS version: Make sure your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is running the latest iOS version to ensure seamless integration with HomeKit Secure Video.
2. Turn on Home settings: For iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later, open the Home app, tap Show All, and then turn on Home. If you’re using iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or earlier, just turn on Home.
3. Add security cameras to the Home app: Using your iOS device, add compatible security cameras to the Home app. Make sure your camera is HomeKit-enabled and powered on. Open the Home app, tap the Add Accessory button, and scan the QR code or HomeKit setup code found on your camera or its packaging.
4. Configure streaming and recording settings: During the setup process, you will be prompted to choose streaming options, recording settings, and user permissions for your camera. These settings can be adjusted later if needed.
5. Enable Activity Notifications: To receive notifications on your iOS device when your HomeKit Secure Video camera detects motion or activity, go to the Home app, tap Cameras & Doorbells, select the camera you want to configure, and tap Notifications. Enable Activity Notifications and customize the settings based on your preferences.

Once your HomeKit Secure Video camera is set up, you can view live footage, access recorded clips, and adjust settings directly in the Home app. The on-device intelligence detects people, pets, and cars, providing relevant notifications in a secure and private manner.

Remember, you can also share access to your HomeKit Secure Video cameras with other iCloud users, allowing them either to view the live stream or manage cameras remotely.

Browsable Footage and Storage Plans

Apple HomeKit Secure Video offers an impressive way to store your home security camera footage. With this feature, you can record, live stream, and browse through your video recordings conveniently using the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Apple provides a straightforward storage plan with HomeKit Secure Video. You don’t have to worry about the recorded footage using your iCloud storage space since none of the video counts toward it. However, you do need an iCloud+ subscription and a compatible iCloud storage plan to use this feature.

There are different subscription tiers available:

• 50GB iCloud+ plan: Supports one camera
• 200GB iCloud+ plan: Supports up to five cameras
• 2TB iCloud+ plan: Supports an unlimited number of cameras

HomeKit Secure Video automatically stores 10 days of recordings in iCloud, which you can browse through at any time. Keep in mind that you need a home hub, such as an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad, to enable remote streaming and recording.

The security of your footage is taken seriously with HomeKit Secure Video. The feature ensures end-to-end encryption so that the video content can only be accessed by individuals who have permission or those you have invited.

In summary, Apple HomeKit Secure Video offers a convenient and secure storage solution for your home security camera footage. With different iCloud+ subscription options and seamless integration with the Home app, you can easily manage and access your video recordings without worrying about privacy or storage limits.

Integrations and Compatibility

Smart Home Devices

Apple HomeKit Secure Video is compatible with a wide variety of smart home devices, including security cameras, lighting, locks, and Wi-Fi routers. When setting up your HomeKit ecosystem, ensure the devices you choose are compatible with HomeKit Secure Video for seamless integration and enhanced functionality.

Some compatible brands include Logitech, Netatmo, and Eufy. These devices often utilize wireless connections and can be controlled through the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. HomeKit Secure Video supports Zigbee 3.0, which is a robust, low-latency communication protocol popular among smart home devices.

Speakers and Assistants

Apple HomeKit Secure Video integrates well with Siri, Apple’s voice-activated assistant, providing you with convenient voice control over compatible devices. By connecting to smart speakers like the Apple HomePod, you gain the ability to control your devices without lifting a finger. This includes video doorbells and wireless security cameras, improving your overall home automation experience.

While Apple HomeKit Secure Video is primarily built around Apple’s devices and services, it’s worth noting that some devices, such as certain Wi-Fi routers, might also be compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. However, end-to-end encryption and Home app integration might not be available for these non-Siri assistants.

Remember, to achieve the best HomeKit Secure Video experience, use devices that explicitly support Apple HomeKit and prioritize compatibility when selecting additional smart home components.

Popular Homekit Secure Video Cameras

Eve Cam

Eve Cam is a great choice for your indoor security needs. This camera is designed specifically for HomeKit Secure Video, allowing you to monitor your home with a clear, 1080p resolution. Its 150-degree wide-angle lens, night vision, and two-way audio features make it easy to keep an eye on what matters most to you.

Logitech Circle 2

Logitech Circle 2 is a versatile security camera, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. With its 1080p HD video, combined with a 180-degree wide-angle lens and night vision capabilities, it keeps your home and surroundings secure. You can easily set up the wired or wireless version for HomeKit Secure Video compatibility.

Logitech Circle View

The Logitech Circle View offers a sleek design with a high-quality video output. It boasts a 1080p resolution, 180-degree wide-angle lens, and night vision, ensuring a clear view of your home. Its weatherproof build and easy setup make it a popular choice for your HomeKit Secure Video-enabled outdoor camera.

Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera

Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera supports HomeKit Secure Video and offers facial recognition capabilities. This camera features a 1080p resolution video and night vision, making it suitable for monitoring your home day and night. It also includes privacy settings, allowing you to customize access to your video feed.

Eufycam 2 Pro

Eufycam 2 Pro is another worthy contender for your HomeKit Secure Video camera needs. This wireless camera offers 2K video quality, ensuring detailed footage of your home. The Eufycam 2 Pro is weather-resistant, which makes it perfect for outdoor use, and its wire-free setup ensures easy installation.

Eufycam 2C

Similar to the Eufycam 2 Pro, the Eufycam 2C offers HomeKit Secure Video compatibility. It’s designed with a smaller form factor, making it a more compact option for your indoor or outdoor security needs. This camera features 1080p video quality, night vision, and two-way audio.

Wemo Smart Video Doorbell

Wemo Smart Video Doorbell supports HomeKit Secure Video, providing security and convenience at your doorstep. With 1080p video quality, night vision capabilities, and a wide viewing angle, you can monitor who’s at your front door. Its two-way audio allows for easy communication with visitors.

Aqara Camera Hub G3

Aqara Camera Hub G3 is an indoor camera supporting HomeKit Secure Video. It offers 1080p video quality with a 140-degree viewing angle. This camera also serves as a hub for other Aqara smart home devices, making it an all-in-one solution for your smart home setup.

Aqara 2K Security Indoor Camera Hub G3

The Aqara 2K Security Indoor Camera Hub G3 is an upgraded version of the Aqara Camera Hub G3 with 2K video quality, providing even more detail in your video footage. Like its predecessor, it supports HomeKit Secure Video and acts as a hub for other Aqara devices in your smart home.

Ecobee SmartCamera

Lastly, the Ecobee SmartCamera is an indoor camera that integrates with HomeKit Secure Video and has Alexa built-in, allowing voice control and smart home functionalities. It offers 1080p video quality, a 180-degree field of view, and intelligent alerts based on activity detection.

Privacy and Security Features

Apple HomeKit Secure Video ensures your privacy and security by implementing several advanced features. When you opt for this service, you can rest assured that your home’s video recordings are safe and accessible only to you.

End-to-end Encryption

One crucial element of HomeKit Secure Video is end-to-end encryption. This technology provides the highest level of protection for your personal data on smart devices. With end-to-end encryption, your videos are encrypted during transmission and storage. They can be decrypted only on your authorized Apple devices, making it nearly impossible for unauthorized users to access your content.

iCloud Secure Storage

HomeKit Secure Video leverages iCloud for secure storage. When your cameras detect motion, the system records and stores up to 10 days of events in iCloud. These stored files do not count against your iCloud storage limit, ensuring you have enough space for other items, such as photos and files.

Privacy

Another aspect that sets HomeKit Secure Video apart is its commitment to privacy. Unlike some competitors, Apple doesn’t analyze your video recordings or use them for marketing purposes. Your videos remain private and secure at all times.

Family Sharing

Family Sharing is a feature that allows you to grant access to your HomeKit Secure Video recordings to family members or other trusted individuals. By utilizing Family Sharing, you can keep your loved ones in the loop and ensure that everyone can monitor your home’s security. This feature also maintains privacy by allowing access only to those you invite, ensuring you retain control over who can view your videos.

In summary, by choosing HomeKit Secure Video, you are opting for a secure, private, and reliable video monitoring system. With features like end-to-end encryption, iCloud storage, strict privacy standards, and Family Sharing, Apple delivers a safe and user-friendly solution for your home’s security needs.

Conclusion

Apple HomeKit Secure Video is a valuable feature that allows you to store and view footage from your compatible home security cameras. By utilizing iCloud for storage, this feature gives you access to 10 days of event recordings, such as motion detection, without counting towards your iCloud storage limit. This makes reviewing footage an easy process.

In terms of security, HomeKit Secure Video provides end-to-end encryption, ensuring that your video data remains private. The analysis of motion events is done locally, adding an extra layer of privacy. Your HomeKit hub processes the video data, allowing it to distinguish between people, pets, or cars, avoiding unnecessary notifications.

To make use of HomeKit Secure Video, you will need an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV. Integrating your home security cameras with this feature allows you to monitor your home from anywhere, giving you peace of mind about your property’s safety.

When considering Apple HomeKit Secure Video, be aware that its motion-triggered recording function may not be as reliable as expected. However, as a highly secure and valuable service, it’s worth integrating it into your smart home ecosystem. As a user, embracing HomeKit Secure Video grants you a greater sense of control over your home security while maintaining confidence in data privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions