Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
× Arlo End of Life Policy Notice
To view Arlo’s new End of Life Policy, click here.

Apple HomeKit

To integrate arlo into the Apple Home Kit would be a great improvement.

 

Now I have a great camera system with an app, a weather station with an app and some other sensors in the Apple home kit and they do not work together. 

 

E.g. an alarm could be triggered by the motion sensor of the camera or the camera could be switched on by a door or windows sensor even if the motion sensor is not activated because the object is too far away and so on. There are a lot of possibilities with connecting the systems. 

 

Is this planned to do?

Comments
Muadib
Tutor

I too am requesting HomeKit compatability with the Arlo Pro 2 as soon as possible please. A definitive answer would be appreciated regardless.

 

I have been carefully adding to our smarthome with Homekit compatible products. I had delayed getting security cameras until a solid Homekit compatible option was available. In October I was convinced that the Arlo Pro 2 was the best option for us, but again delayed purchasing until Homekit compatability was confirmed. About a month later our fence was tagged along with neighbor's homes with grafitti threatening local schools that made primetime regional news in multiple states (FYI - The threats upset many and caused significant disruptions but were not acted upon and deemed not credible). I felt stupid because I delayed installing cameras that I had planned on for months prior to this. I could have been of great assistance to law enforcement because of my location.

 

After that I felt that since I waited that long I could wait a little while more for confimration of Homekit compatability before I made the investment. I waited too long because my wife's car was broken into in our driveway and about $266 worth of items were stolen. I had no suspect information to give the police. Today I decided to buy cameras without further delay. I researched and read through the threads going back to 2015 and decided to purchase the Logitech Circle 2 cameras as I needed to get something installed and didn't want incompatible products. I have been so careful about slowly and deliberately building my Homekit Smart Home; however, although the Circle 2 are decent cameras too I reconsidered. I was just too impressed by the Arlo Pro 2 to let it go so I chatted with a Netgear representative who would only say that there was no information regarding Netgear considering adding Homekit compatability to the Arlo Pro 2. Seeing these cameras hands on at a friends home today must have motivated me to then call Netgear customer service and I spoke to a helpful representative. She confirmed that the engineering team is currently working on Homekit compatability with the Arlo Pro 2 cameras; but of course couldn't provide a guarantee of anything or a timeline. So my friends at Netgear, based on this I am ordering the 5 camera kit from Costco today in good faith that you are working towards integrating Homekit with these cameras. I delayed purchasing for far too long and I hope to see Homekit compatability, or at least a definitive answer about it, very soon.

pinkoos
Apprentice

See this article:  https://www.imore.com/how-homekits-software-authentication-works

 

iOS 11.3 gives software authentication options for HomeKit

 

"Software authentication is likely to be a boon for those smart home manufacturers who already have products on the market. Instead of designing and manufacturing (or buying) new Apple-approved hardware for their smart home products, companies can opt for software-based authentication. If there's a smart camera, doorbell, light, garage door opener, or any other smart home product that you wishworked with Apple HomeKit, this new option means it's all the more likely to become a reality."

LaraCroft835
Aspirant

It's this second element which has just changed with the arrival of iOS 11.3.

This iOS update introduced Home software authentication, which, Apple says, provides a great new way for developers to add HomeKit support to existing accessories while protecting privacy and security.

It's quite the game-changer.

Now, software authentication means that many smart home gadgets which didn't work with HomeKit before because they were missing that crucial, Apple-demanded piece of hardware, can now work. Dated March 31 from a Forbes article.

mjlc
Fledgling

HomeKit support is a must have.. ANY NEWS?

Alangp
Guide

Seriously. No update in HomeKit inclusion and you screw with PTT on iOS 11.3.

 

bring HomeKit integration and fix PTT!

Stefan83
Onlooker

Any News or Roadmap???

mjlc
Fledgling

Engineering Investigation .... Any status update?

I-spy
Star

I have the same request. I really hope the Netgear team will listen and provide those addtional homekit features soon. According to this website, this should come in future firmware updates:

 

Netgear did confirm to AppleInsider that temperature, humidity, air quality, and light control are coming "within the next couple versions of firmware updates," which should make HomeKit support far more useful — assuming it can be linked to scenes.

miu-miu
Novice

That will be really good if Arlo can link to Apple Homekit.  Why it takes so long when people asked this question from 2015? 3 years and you cant get the software done...Netgear should be better than this. 

brettknows
Fledgling

I too find it rather strange that Netgear can’t even deny it. It is costing them whether they realize it or not. I noticed their software getting worse and worse with each update as I wait for the feed to come up. My Arlo Q was better when I purchased it over a year ago. Since I discovered the Wyzecam, I decided to hold out for HomeKit and try this $20 camera. Amazing. So similar to the Arlo Q, but better streaming perhaps from the slightly lower frame rate. The audio quality is a bit muffled too, but for $20?! This will hold me until I pull the trigger on a Circle 2 or something else with HomeKit. It may even make it to Wyzecam! My Arlo Q returns to Costco we’re nearly $700 worth. I’m glad to hear Netgear will feel this, rather than Costco. Apparently security cameras don’t fall under the 90 day return limitation. Thank you Costco! Hopefully this will help others in the same boat.