HomeKit Secure Video and much mor

eufy cameras have long been some of the best options for outdoor HomeKit cameras. I had the original model of the eufyCam 2 in my old house, and I loved them. They were a breeze to install, and the battery life was fantastic. They worked great with HomeKit Secure Video, but they also worked great as HomeKit motion sensors and recording back to the eufy base station. Overall, I had zero complaints. I recently picked up the eufy E30, and it’s a fantastic HomeKit camera if you’re looking for an indoor camera that supports HomeKit Secure Video.

/HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.

eufy app vs Home app

First things first: If you look at the product page, the eufy E30 is rated as a 4K camera. However, if you only watch and store it in the HomeKit/Home app, it’s capped at 1080p. Apple hasn’t brought 4K support to HomeKit at this time.

Keeping with that theme, this camera can do a lot:

• Pan/Title
• 4k support
• Pet tracking
• Recording to SD card
• No subscription fees

All of these work awesome, but they don’t work in the Home app. These are all features that Apple should at least be able to do if the camera supports it. If you want to use some of the eufy E30’s incredible features, you’ll have to use the eufy app. You can use the eufy app alongside HomeKit, though. You can use HomeKit for the recording, but then still leverage some of the built-in camera technology. if you only want to use HomeKit/Home app, though, you’ll basically get a really good standalone 1080p camera with night vision.

Adding the eufy E30 to HomeKit

For cameras, I want to see it be a HomeKit-only experience and the eufy E30 delivers. There’s a HomeKit code on the camera, and you can completely onboard it to HomeKit and HomeKit Secure Video without ever setting up an account with eufy.

Over the years, products have gotten better and better about is how fast and error-free they are when onboarding to HomeKit. No resets, no errors, and in 3 minutes, it was working and showing video in the Home app.

The eufy E30 will work great as a baby monitor, indoor camera looking at one of your exterior doors, or really anywhere. Because it can be leveraged as a HomeKit motion sensor, you can use it to trigger other HomeKt devices like lights, etc.

Wrap up

Although many of the eufy E30’s headline features are not compatible with HomeKit, it is totally possible to set it to record in HomeKit and then use the eufy app to access some of the advanced features. Eufy makes solid HomeKit cameras, and the eufy E30 is no exception.

You can buy it from Amazon or directly from eufy.