Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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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
PBA
Observer
Observer

 

If anyone is looking for a Homekit camera, there is the Logitech Circle 2, available NOW

 

If anyone decides to purchase, please leave a message here so @DawnM can report back to Arlo managers how many customers they have lost to a competitor due to their attrocious customer relations and lack of roadmap.

kennysamuerto
Follower

I'm going to join this movement.

 

I'm tired of silences and deceit. For me it is very important that I support HomeKit.

 

I'm going to see if I can fool some unsuspecting guy and sell him my Arlo PRO, and buy a camera that does support homekit.

 

You've done it, NETGEAR, to make your users angry with a very good product.

sshadowssin
Aspirant

I have been happy with Arlo. I woke the sleeping giant of topic when Apple announced firmware only updates for homekit support on legacy products. I actually hadn't looked into other camera systems until the logitech circle was brought up by Dawn, and I must say it looks very appealing. I didnt know they had a similar solution to Arlo.

 

I'm in no hurry to change, but do like the idea of Homekit on my cameras and am happy to see there are valid options. Any others you guys are aware of? 

 

Must have for me are plug in options, indoor/outdoor capable, as well as battery support. This will meet my current arlo requirements in somethign that supports homekit, like the Circle. 

Garinus
Aspirant

wow! So someone IS actually reading those messages, but they have just been ignoring them uuntil the release note error!

i guess they’re back to ignoring them 

glennf
Fledgling

I am hoping with Arlo Baby having HomeKit support that it means the cameras and lights will eventually have it and just a software update will get it to existing cameras.  I am happy with the Arlo system and it does what I need it to.  Really would like HomeKit though.  Unfortunately I cannot just invest more money in another system.

ittroll
Apprentice

I'm guessing they are unable to implement this on their wireless cameras for some reason. If it was possible, or on the roadmap, surely they would have said something at this point.

Stwert
Aspirant

Honestly I think it’s time for me to dispose of Arlo and move on to something else. 

 

I mean, I’ve been with Netgear’s Arlo since the start. Back then customer support said in an email that HomeKit would be “coming soon”. I think I’ve given them more than enough time. 

Not to mention that I dobt they’ll be adding it to the original Arlo and maybe even Pro Gen 1 at all. 

 

Speaking as an iOS developer and someone who’s looked into the new software based HomeKit authentication protocols. There’s no good reason I can see why they can’t add HomeKit to all existing Arlo cameras. It’s not exactly demanding on system resources. Heck even my kettle is getting HomeKit support. 

 

I think by now we all know exactly why Netgear aren’t going to give us HomeKit support. It’s a purely financial decision. The bean counters think that by launching a new generation of Arlo cameras with HomeKit support, we’ll all run out and upgrade our systems. 

 

I’m sure some of you will. But I won’t be one of them. I’ve wasted more than enough time and money on Arlo, based on gnomic statements from the occasional Netgear support person on HomeKit support. 

 

It’s time to jump ship to a company who delivers. There’s plenty of other options now. 

speedlimiter
Aspirant
As far as I know, there are no battery powered security cameras that are compatible with HomeKit. Even the Logi Circle is only supported in the wired variant. I’ve read somewhere, that Apple at this time doesn’t allow battery powered cameras in HomeKit. The Arlo Baby can do both ac/ battery. Anyone with experience if HomeKit is supported in both modes?
Stwert
Aspirant

The fact that the Arlo Baby is both mains and battery proves that Apple must be flexible on the spec. Whatever Logitech’s issue was, Netgear got around it. 

 

But the limitations and and lack of products, support and versatility is why I’m thinking of shifting away from any one manufacturers products. 

 

I already run Homebridge for my Harmony Hub, Kettle, Coffee machine, some lights and a couple of indoor IP cameras. So it seems logical to me now to abandon the locked-in nature of Netgear and the rest and move over to a completely open platform which gives me the flexibility and compatibility I’ve been wanting. 

 

Thanks to Homebridge I can use almost any device I want and have it do things Apple and the manufacturers don’t want me to do. 

 

Even off the top of my head there’s the Reolink Argus. A camera I’ve seen in action. It’s actually a really good device. But thanks to the flexibility of Homebridge and it’s IP camera plugins I could spread out to any budget and feature set I want. If I want to add a £50 Freecam outdoor rechargeable IP camera, I can. Or a £20 indoors camera, yup that too. 

 

Pity there’s not a plug-in for Arlo yet (well there’s one for switching modes and such, but no video). Though it’s probably only a matter of time. 

 

Still, I think moving to Homebridge cameras will give me what I’ve been wanting from Netgear for years, now. 

Lrepass
Aspirant

Well congratulations Netgear. You’ve managed to p*** off all of your most loyal customers. I’ve spent well over $1000 on your products and will now be taking my business elsewhere.