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The Best HomeKit Cameras for Your Apple Smart Home

Building a smart home around Apple's HomeKit and looking for a compatible smart home camera? You've got quite a few options.

By Tucker Bowe
collage of homekit cameras
courtesy

A smart home camera allows you to check in on your home when you're not there. You can access a live feed whenever you want, but the camera can also send you smart notifications in real-time when it detects motion. This can come in handy for checking that your kids made it home on time, making sure that packages were delivered and just generally seeing what went on in your house. It can also be used as a security measure to identify thieves or deter them away.

Apple doesn't make its own smart home camera — in fact, it doesn't make many smart home gadgets in general — but it does make the platform, HomeKit, and the gadgets (such as your iPhone, iPad or Mac) for controlling third-party gadgets, including smart home cameras.

Below, we've rounded up the best smart home cameras that work with Apple's HomeKit.

What to Look for

Resolution: The better the resolution, the better the image you're going to see. Most smart home cameras are able to deliver a 1080p (or HD) picture, but there are high-end options that can deliver 4K (as well as some advanced tracking features), but they can be significantly more expensive.

Field of view (FOV): This is how much area the smart home camera is able to capture and keep in frame. The wider the FOV, the more you're going to be able to see, which is what you want.

Wired or Battery: Some security cameras are battery-powered, giving you more freedom in where they are placed, at the cost of having to remember to charge them. Depending on your situation, the tradeoff might be worth it.

Security features: Pretty much every smart home camera has built-in security features such as motion detection, night vision, two-way talk and built-in siren alarms. But some cameras have additional features such as spotlights and floodlights.

What Is HomeKit Secure Video?

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logitech smart camera
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One of the best features that a HomeKit smart home camera can have is support for HomeKit Secure Video. This is a protocol that Apple released several years ago, in 2019, which allows the smart home camera to record videos and then upload them to your iCloud so that you can view them from wherever. The videos will stay there for up to 10 days.

There are two other major benefits of HomeKit Secure Video. First, every video that is uploaded to your iCloud is end-to-end encrypted, so you can be assured no unwanted guests can assess your footage. And second, none of the uploaded videos count toward your iCloud storage.

There are a few prerequisites for HomeKit Secure Video. You need to have a device that functions as a HomeKit smart home hub, such as an Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini or an iPad. And as mentioned, you have to subscribe to iCloud+, which to be honest you probably do already to get extra iPhone storage.

Depending on the iCloud+ plan you subscribe to also has benefits and implications for how many HomeKit Secure Video you can use to access footage from anywhere.

• 50 GB plan ($1/month): Add a single camera.
• 200 GB plan ($3/month): Add up to five cameras.
• 2 TB plan ($10/month): Add an unlimited number of cameras.

It's important to note that HomeKit Secure Video essentially replaces the subscription service that many third-party makers also offer — however, all those additional features might not transfer over. You may still need to use a third-party app or subscribe to their own service to get a smart home cameras' more advanced features (if it has them) such as facial recognition, person alerts and the ability to share clips.

Logitech Circle View
Logitech
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  • Delivers a solid picture with a wide field of view
  • Designed to work exclusively with Apple's HomeKit
  • Waterproof design means it can work indoors or outdoors

  • Not the cheapest option
  • It's a little bulky

• Resolution: 1080p
• Field of view: 180-degrees
• Wired or battery: wired
• Storage: cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The Logitech Circle View is a wired smart home camera that has a weatherproof design so you can use it either indoors or outside. It's also cool because it has a fully-articulating base and works with different accessories. It supports HomeKit Secure Video.

Eufy eufyCam 2C
Eufy
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  • Wireless cameras offer more freedom to place them wherever you want
  • Delivers solid HD picture
  • Option of local or cloud-based storage

  • On the expensive side
  • You have to remember to charge the cameras every few months

• Resolution: 1080p
• Field of view: 135-degrees
• Wired or battery: battery (portable)
• Storage: local and cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The EufyCam 2C Pro is a system of portable smart home cameras — they're not wired so you can place them around your home as long as their connected to Wi-Fi. Each camera can go about six months between charges.

Eufy Security Solo IndoorCam C24
Eufy
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  • Extremely affordable
  • Both local and cloud storage options
  • Delivers a solid HD video

  • Field of view isn't as wide as other options

• Resolution: 1080p
• Field of view: 105-degrees
• Wired or battery: wired
• Storage: local and cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 is one of the most entry-level and affordable smart home cameras that works with HomeKit. It delivers a solid picture with a wide (105-degree) field of view, gives you the option of cloud-based or local storage. And it supports HomeKit Secure Video.

Aqara Camera Hub G3
Aqara
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  • Pan and tilt abilities allow for most viewing angles and options
  • Delivers above average image quality
  • Both local and cloud storage options

  • Design might not be your cup of tea

• Resolution: 2K (or 1440p)
• Field of view: 360-degrees (rotating base)
• Wired or battery: wired
• Storage: local and cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The Aqara Camera Hub G3 is a wired smart home camera that delivers way more than you'd think. It's unique because it has pan and titling ability, thanks to its rotating base, so you can use its app to get a compete 360-view of its surroundings. It also can use AI to track people and things that come into frame. Additionally, if you have other of Aqara's other smart home devices, this little camera can function as a hub.

Eve Cam
Eve
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  • Delivers a solid picture with a wide field of view
  • Neat magnetic base and adjustable stem add versatility

  • Relatively expensive for its abilities
  • No local storage option

• Resolution: 1080p
• Field of view: 150-degrees
• Wired or battery: wired
• Storage: cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The Eve Cam is an entry-level smart home camera that works with HomeKit. It's unique because it has a magnetic base so you can wall mount it if you like. Its stem also is adjustable, so you can tilt it in either direction to get the perfect viewing angle.

Eve Outdoor Cam
Eve
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  • Delivers a solid picture with a wide field of view
  • Has an integrated floodlight
  • One of the few outdoor options that work with HomeKit

  • Requires more advanced installation
  • On the expensive side

• Resolution: 1080
• Field of view: 157-degree
• Wired or battery: Wired
• Storage: cloud
• HomeKit Secure Video: Yes

The Eve Outdoor Cam is a more feature-packed, outdoor version of the Eve Cam. It's a wired smart home camera that gets its power an existing outdoor light that you; yes, it replaces it, but the Eve Outdoor Cam also has a built-in floodlight with night vision.

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a collage featuring smart home cameras from blink, ring and google
20th Century Studios

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