Ecobee rolling out HomeKit Secure Video support for its SmartCamera with voice control

Ecobee today has announced HomeKit Secure Video support for its SmartCamera with voice control, which we first reviewed back in April. HomeKit Secure Video support allows users to access and record motion events directly in the Home app via iCloud.

To update your Ecobee SmartCamera with HomeKit Secure Video, open the Ecobee app on your iPhone, choose your camera, then tap the settings icon in the upper-right corner. The SmartCamera will need to be on version 4.6.35.32 to use HomeKit Secure Video. For most users, the update should automatically install itself.

Once you’ve confirmed that your SmartCamera is updated, you can access HomeKit Secure Video settings via the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Simply choose the camera and tap the settings icon in the upper-right corner.

You can set different recording preferences based on whether you are at home or away. There are four different settings from which to choose:

• Off: No one can stream and nothing is recorded. This camera cannot detect activity and will not trigger automatons or send notifications.
• Detect Activity: This camera can detect activity to trigger automations and to send notifications, but no one can stream and nothing is recorded.
• Stream: People invited to this home can view this camera’s live stream, but nothing is recorded. This camera can also detect activity to trigger automation or to send notifications.
• Stream & Allow Recording: People invited to this home can view this camera’s live stream. Activity detected by this camera will be recorded and can also be used to trigger automations or send notifications.

HomeKit Secure Video requires an iCloud storage plan, though the recorded footage does not count toward your iCloud storage limit. The 200GB plan ($2.99 per month) allows you to have one camera accessed via HomeKit Secure Video, while the 2TB plan ($9.99 per month) allows for up to five cameras.

For more details on the Ecobee SmartCamera with voice control, you can read our full review right here. It supports 1080p video with a 180-degree field, as well as panning, tilting, and zooming, though those features are not available via the Home app because of HomeKit limitations. The SmartCamera with voice control retails for $179.

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