HomeKit Secure Video Explained: Compatible Cameras and Setup (2025)
HomeKit Secure Video stores encrypted camera footage in iCloud with no monthly subscription beyond iCloud+. Here's which cameras support it, what you need, and how to set it up.
What Is HomeKit Secure Video?
HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) is Apple's end-to-end encrypted camera recording system built into the Home app. When a camera with HKSV support detects motion, it records a 10-day rolling clip that is encrypted on the camera, sent to your home hub (Apple TV, HomePod), and then uploaded to iCloud — where it is encrypted such that only you can view it. Apple cannot access your footage, and neither can the camera manufacturer.
This is a meaningful privacy improvement over most camera systems, which upload footage unencrypted (or with manufacturer-accessible encryption) to cloud servers. The trade-off is that HKSV storage counts against your iCloud storage, and you need an iCloud+ plan.
Storage Requirements
HKSV requires an iCloud+ subscription. The 50 GB plan ($0.99/month) supports one camera. The 200 GB plan ($2.99/month, shareable with family) supports up to five cameras. The 2 TB plan ($9.99/month) supports unlimited cameras. This is typically cheaper than Ring Protect Plus or Nest Aware subscriptions for multiple cameras.
Footage is stored for 10 days, after which it's automatically deleted. You cannot extend the retention period. Clips are organized by camera and date in the Home app, and you can scrub through 24-hour timelines for any camera.
Hub Requirement
HKSV requires an always-on home hub: Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini, or HomePod (2nd gen). The hub performs the local video analysis (person detection, animal detection, vehicle detection) and handles the iCloud upload. Without a hub, HKSV recording does not work — the camera may still work for live view only.
The hub also provides the 'Activity Zones' feature, where you can draw regions of the camera's frame and receive alerts only for motion within those zones. This runs locally on the hub using on-device machine learning, without sending video to Apple's servers for analysis.
Which Cameras Support HKSV?
HomeKit Secure Video is supported by: Logitech Circle View (indoor/outdoor), Aqara Camera Hub G3 (indoor, pan/tilt), eufy Security cameras (via HomeBase 3), Netatmo Presence and Smart Indoor Camera, Eve Cam (indoor), and Belkin Wemo Smart Video Doorbell. Some newer Arlo cameras also support HKSV.
Ring and Wyze cameras do not support HKSV — even when integrated via HomeBridge, they appear as live-view-only cameras in HomeKit. The HomeBridge integration provides motion sensor functionality but not encrypted iCloud recording.
Setting Up HKSV
After adding a HKSV-compatible camera to HomeKit, open the Home app, long-press on the camera tile, and tap the gear icon for settings. Under 'Recording Options', choose 'Allow' and set when to record (always, or only when I'm away). The camera will immediately begin recording motion-triggered clips to iCloud.
Notifications are configured separately — you can receive alerts for person detection, motion, or both, with options to include a thumbnail image or video clip preview in the notification. These settings can be different for 'when I'm home' and 'when I'm away'.