Two floodlight cameras currently support HomeKit Secure Video: the Eve Outdoor Cam at $249.95 and the LG Floodlight Cam at $399.95.
The field of HomeKit-compatible floodlight cameras is smaller than the packaging suggests — “Works with HomeKit” is a different badge from HomeKit Secure Video, and only the second one records into Apple’s cloud. In Apple’s current US listings, two floodlight models qualify: the Eve Outdoor Cam and the LG Floodlight Cam. Both cost real money ($249.95 and $399.95), and both need the same three things before a single clip saves: a supported iCloud+ plan, a home hub, and the Home app on an iPhone or iPad.
Which Floodlight Cameras Support HomeKit Secure Video?
| Listed Spec | Eve Outdoor Cam | LG Floodlight Cam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.95 | $399.95 |
| Video | 1080p at 24 fps | 2.5K |
| Field of view | 157° | Not listed by Apple |
| Power | AC, 100–240 V | AC |
| Connection | Wi-Fi through HomeKit | Thread, Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz |
| Size and weight | 6.7 × 2.6 × 3 in, 63 oz | Not listed by Apple |
| Finish | Not listed by Apple | Essence Silver or Graphite |
| Event history | Up to 10 days | 10 days per camera |
Eve built the Outdoor Cam around HomeKit Secure Video specifically, pairing a dimmable motion-triggered floodlight with an infrared motion sensor, night vision, and a 157° view. LG’s version steps up to 2.5K, adds Thread alongside dual-band Wi-Fi, and Apple lists 10 days of event history per camera with iCloud+.
Plan the install around an existing outdoor junction box or a licensed electrician rather than an extension cord.
Hub placement and Wi-Fi reach decide how reliable either camera feels after the novelty wears off, and our tested roundup of HomeKit floodlight camera picks gets into how the current models behave once they’re mounted.
Where The Footage Goes, And What It Costs
The home hub analyzes and encrypts each recording, then sends it end-to-end encrypted to iCloud, where only you and the people you share the home with can open it.
Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video guide covers the rest: viewing on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, recordings that leave your ordinary iCloud storage untouched, and up to 10 days of activity history. Camera capacity follows the iCloud+ tier you buy:
- 50 GB: one camera
- 200 GB: up to five cameras, $2.99 a month
- 2 TB and above: unlimited cameras, $9.99 a month for 2 TB
Someone in your Family Sharing group can supply that subscription, so the person paying for storage doesn’t have to be the one on the ladder. The plan alone still isn’t enough — without a HomePod or Apple TV 4K configured as the home hub, the camera streams live on your own network but loses remote viewing and automations.
Setup Order That Avoids The Usual Dead Ends
Most setups stall at the hub, not the camera. Without a home hub in place, the camera still shows live video at home, but remote access and automations both disappear.
- Turn on Home in iCloud on your iPhone or iPad: Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Show All > Home.
- Sign the hub in with the same Apple Account. On Apple TV that’s Settings > Users and Accounts > [account] > iCloud; footage sits in Control Center under the HomeKit tab.
- Add the camera from the Home app on an iPhone or iPad. Apple notes a Mac can’t add a security camera, and LG’s NFC pairing wants the latest iOS version.
- Set activity zones and recording options per camera, then walk the driveway to trigger a test event.
Two mistakes cause most of the frustration. Buying on “Works with HomeKit” alone is the first, since that badge doesn’t promise Secure Video recording. Assuming the vendor’s app and Apple Home expose identical features is the second: Apple’s listings confirm HomeKit support and the specs above, not every option Eve or LG builds into its own app. Waterproof housings also don’t make outdoor AC wiring safe to improvise, so follow the manual and your local electrical code.
Common Questions
Does HomeKit Secure Video Need An iCloud+ Plan?
Yes. The camera and home hub can’t record on their own; HomeKit Secure Video needs an active iCloud+ subscription with enough camera slots — 50 GB covers one camera, 200 GB covers five, and 2 TB or more covers unlimited cameras. Anyone in your Family Sharing group can carry the plan, and it doesn’t have to be the person who set up the home.
Can You Add A Security Camera From A Mac?
No. Apple’s setup documentation says a Mac can’t add a security camera, so pairing happens in the Home app on an iPhone or iPad running current software. A Mac signed in with the same Apple Account can still view live feeds and clips, as long as the Home feature is enabled in iCloud settings.
Do Recordings Count Against iCloud Storage?
They don’t. HomeKit Secure Video clips stay outside your regular iCloud storage quota, which is why a 50 GB plan still holds one camera’s footage, and Apple keeps up to the last 10 days of activity. Footage remains end-to-end encrypted, viewable by the owner and anyone the owner has shared the home with.
Sources
- Apple. “HomeKit Secure Video in iCloud” Supports encrypted recording, storage treatment, and camera limits by iCloud+ tier.
- Apple. “Set up HomeKit Secure Video” Source for the hub, iCloud toggle, and Home app steps above.
- Apple. “Set up security cameras in Home on iPhone” Confirms camera pairing requirements, including that a Mac cannot add a camera.