HomeKit Recording Options not working

Question

Level 1

7 points

HomeKit Recording Options not working

Hello Everyone,

I recently purchased a Vocalize Opto Smart Indoor Camera along with a HomePod Mini. I was able to seamlessly set them up and get them to work except I can't for the life of me figure why the Recording Options in the HomeKit app do not work as they should.

I have set the Recording Option to "off" When Home and "Stream & Allow Recording" When Away. Location Sharing on my primary device is turned on so based on all the research I've done this should be working but it does not, i.e. the camera should not be on when I home and should start streaming and recording when I am out of the house.

The only way I can get the camera to stream & record when I am out of the house is to toggle the Recording Options off and on. I've tried removing both devices and setting them up again but no change. The HomePod is up-to-date and so is my phone. It seems that the "When Home" recording option is completely ignored and the only one that works only when I toggle it to Off or Stream or Stream & Record is the "When Away" option.

Anyone else experience this and have a possible fix?

Thank you.

Regards,

P.

HomePod mini, 16

Posted on Feb 21, 2023 08:11 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 23, 2023 07:03 AM in response to pedrum

Hello pedrum,

If you're experiencing an issue using security cameras in Home on iPhone, please check out this link to ensure compatibility, and that the cameras are set up correctly: Set up security cameras in Home on iPhone

You can use the Home app to view video activity captured by your home’s cameras. With any HomeKit-compatible camera, you can view video streams in the Home app, choose who can view those streams, and set up notifications when activity is detected.

See the Home accessories website for a list of compatible security cameras.

If you need additional assistance, please contact Apple Support for help. You might be able to reach them here: Contact Apple Support

Thanks!

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

277,729 points

Feb 23, 2023 10:37 AM in response to pedrum

Eufy Solo 2k pan & tilt. Only just bought it and I cannot figure out where I'm going wrong. It won't pan & tilt in the Home app either and I've read at least one report saying that it should with the latest firmware.

tt2

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

277,729 points

Feb 23, 2023 09:55 AM in response to pedrum

You're doing better than me. I've just bought a camera that is supposedly compatible, and I can get it to stream live, but I don't seem to be able to get it to record anything that I could later review. I've checked my iCloud+ settings and I should have support for a single camera. 😕

tt2

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Answer 4

pedrum Author

Level 1

7 points

Feb 23, 2023 10:11 AM in response to Brittany1416

Hi Brittany1416,

Thank you for your reply to my request for assistance. I have viewed this link many times in the course of my research for a fix to my problem and I've setup HomeKit and Camera correctly. The only item is my camera is not listed on the list of home accessories website but other accessories from the same manufacturer are listed. I am just wondering if perhaps Apple hasn't updated their list of approved cameras recently. Nevertheless the manufacturer claims that the camera is HomeKit compatible. Not sure if this is the root cause of the problem. Since I am not getting anywhere I'll contact Apple Support.

Regards,

P.

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Answer 5

pedrum Author

Level 1

7 points

Feb 23, 2023 10:42 AM in response to turingtest2

Hmmmm.... Have you tried removing the camera and setting it up again from scratch? If not, it's a worth a try. Otherwise if you can't find anything in the community I would then contact Apple Support.

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Answer 6

turingtest2

Level 10

277,729 points

Feb 23, 2023 10:52 AM in response to pedrum

I had enough trouble setting it up. It wouldn't set up natively in Home, then I had trouble getting an account created with Eufy. Did the hide my email address thing and the verification messages weren't coming through so I had to change where they went. My ISP blocking iCloud relay perhaps? It is very odd being the one with a problem rather than a solution for a change. I'll probably try Apple Support tomorrow so they can earn their keep.

tt2

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Answer 7

m.cobo

Level 1

19 points

Apr 8, 2023 05:35 AM in response to turingtest2

As I reading we are not alone with the same issue. In my case, the cameras recording worked for a months before of 2023. From this year, the recordings are not working properly. Same settings as before, nothing to solve the issue. Notifications and recording are affected and not working actually. Searched for Eufy and I see different users with the same issue.

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Answer 8

turingtest2

Level 10

277,729 points

Apr 8, 2023 07:22 AM in response to m.cobo

In the end I resorted to the old remove and reinstall steps, which worked fine for me. I just forgot to come back to this thread to report success.

While it does now work with HomeKit, giving me offline storage/review via iCloud rather than having to pay Eufy if does seem to go on & off line more frequently than I would expect. It may only be brief periods but I've had to turn off all the notifications because there are too many right now to be useful.

tt2

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Answer 9

pedrum Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 15, 2023 12:08 PM in response to pedrum

Just an update.... I ended up returning the camera and purchasing a camera that is listed on the list of approved camera's on the Apple HomeLink site. I checked my phone settings further and realized that all these issues could have been due to my customized Location Sharing settings for privacy under General Settings/Privacy & Security/Location Services/System Services. Regardless the new camera, Logitech brand, is working perfectly as it was intended to.

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