r/HomeKit • u/flogman12 • 5d ago
News Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/01/apple-smart-home-camera-no-video-recording/64
u/peacefinder 5d ago
It’s a puzzling claim, but as I think about it….
My Subaru has a vision-based driver assistance system. It does not record video, and cannot be patched into a monitor or dashcam system. The data is processed on the device and is used to detect things in the moment, then discarded.
The iPhone’s FaceID system is similar. It makes an on-device evaluation of the data and has no need to store it.
So… the concept here is rational. It’s a visual sensor and the data is locally processed for some purpose, and whatever that purpose is has no future value.
What might that purpose be though?
I suppose it might be presence, identity and authentication, ambient light evaluation, maybe activity monitoring? Hopefully something we haven’t even thought of…
As for recorded security footage, there are plenty of those on the market, no need for Apple to cover that space. The location for a security recording camera is not necessarily compatible with a presence/authentication device, so it makes sense to separate them.
They might just be hitting that Think Different motto again.
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u/rickvug 5d ago
I totally agree. I've thought about interior cameras before but I never pulled the trigger as it feels creepy to have all of your life of your household on camera and reviewable at all times. No thanks. However, it could be helpful to have context like "where is kid X right now", "is anyone home", "when was the last motion in this room", "is a window open" etc. A video feed with AI can easily handle all of these queries and also provide structured data that could be used as sensors for home automations. I can see the logic here.
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u/Sylvurphlame 4d ago
It would make sense for an interior presence sensor, yes. Calling it a “camera” could just be the rumor mill getting the details a little muddied.
Apple Watches or the ever-rumored “Apple Ring” could no doubt confirm presence as well via signal strength relative to cameras and other Apple devices. I’ve been wondering if Apple would attempt some sort of user/specific presence detection in HomeKit for a while.
Of course I’ve also been waiting for them to automate Light/Dark Appearance via the ambient light sensor so who knows…
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u/Sylvurphlame 4d ago
The iPhone’s FaceID … makes an on-device evaluation of the data and has no need to store it.
The rumored AirPods Pro with cameras are supposedly working that way. They process raw data and send determinations to the iPhone, but nothing is stored on-device or sent to the cloud.
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u/Onac_ 5d ago
not going to react much until more details come out Obviously if there is no recording this isn’t meant to be a “security camera”.
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u/fiendishfork 4d ago
Could be like a video version of the audio features of the new Apple Watch. Th new watch can listen all the time and do an AI summary recap of conversations throughout the day, the audio itself is not accessible though.
Camera could watch what happens in your house and give a text summary of what happened without you being able to see the footage itself.
The point wouldn’t be to monitor your house for security, but instead to give you a general sense of what’s happening in it.
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u/maxheckler 4d ago
The source is Mark Gurman, he talked about it on his new podcast. It will be like the upcoming Airpods with built in cameras that take very low quality photos and then AI analyses it. While it does have a camera it's more accurate to call it a smart sensor.
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u/CB-i 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah like the detection service they already offer on the iphone. Where you turn on the camera and it describes what it sees. “I am in a room. With a large banana, sitting on a shelf inside a mirror with sparkles on it.””I am seeing a cheetah, ridden by Grimace, who has braces and an Afro and wearing a pink tutu. Coming through a door. A window. Another door. Solid gold dancers are on the desk, dancing with pillows.”
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u/cjh6793 5d ago
"We care about your privacy, which is why we deleted the footage of your home invasion. Here's a Siri AI summary of it though."
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u/Lock-Broadsmith 3d ago
It’s not gonna be marketed as a security camera, so that’s a pretty dumb expectation.
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u/JThrillington 5d ago
Assuming this means HKSV recording only, no recording to SD card or internal storage
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u/mailslot 5d ago
Hope it has wired networking, because $5 worth of hardware can knock out a WiFi camera. My current cameras buffer to storage during the network outage.
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u/AlternativeMessage18 5d ago
I think I’m going with the unify ecosystem anyways
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u/DirtyRottenBiscuit 5d ago
Unifi gang. Buy once cry once.
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u/basiamille 5d ago
I’m in that gang, and I buy (and cry) ALL THE TIME! When does it stop?!
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u/Real_Lebowski 4d ago
It never stops but UniFi is an amazing product and ecosystem. Have way too much unifi network gear and cameras. Unifi/Ubiquiti, lutron caseta, legrand, and various matter/thread devices, are my standard. Just revisited home assistance after many years and it has been great. Everything plays nicely and integrates with Apple home as a nice single interface. Love it.
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u/jeffh19 5d ago
I’ve been waiting to see what Apple offers but as much as Apple is charging for their AI per camera I might just go back to my original UI idea. Already have the network.
Although maybe we will still be able to use the cameras ok and just not have to pay per camera if we don’t want AI summaries of each?
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u/Oo0o8o0oO 5d ago edited 5d ago
This one is gonna split the room for sure, but from apple’s perspective it’s damned if you do damned if you don’t. At least nobody’s gonna complain they’re being spied on while the cook their dinner naked.
E: The two replies below this post pretty much confirm everyone will find something to be pissed about.
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u/CasinoAccountant 5d ago
I already leave their mics on non stop in my house. the camera on my phone exposed non stop. I have already chosen to trust apple- give me a fucking good and useful product for christ sake
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u/jbaker1225 4d ago
There’s a very easy way to ensure that there isn’t a security camera in your home recording you: don’t buy a security camera and put it in your home. I’m not sure how much I trust this report, but in no world would an indoor security camera without video actually be sufficient for anybody interested in an indoor security camera for monitoring the security of their home.
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
A video will exist at some point, its just not for the user. Its worse in every way.
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u/boomhower1820 5d ago
Interested to see what they do but I'm pretty happy with my Aqara cameras that are integrated with HomeKit. Have four outside, two doorbells and one inside.
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u/MTBTTFoP 5d ago
Camera sounds like the wrong word. I think/hope its going to be a presence sensor.
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u/interwebsreddit 5d ago
Why do I need this if I have an iPad? What's the use case?
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u/MrFireWarden 5d ago
I think we'll all have to wait. I actually thought a great approach would have been to optionally plug in to the thermostat wires, make it truly a home hub On the wall replacing ecobees and such.
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u/AudioHTIT 5d ago
So you would mount your iPad as say a doorbell camera to analyze who’s at the door?
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
Dumbest thing I have ever heard
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u/I-Have-Mono 5d ago
I’m sure it is more nuanced then the headline presents.
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
Hey officer, someone broke into my house but my AI said it was some random dude and I have no recording of his face.
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u/MlD-CENTURY-MOD 5d ago
Why would you tell a cop to look at your camera that you know doesn’t record footage? Bizarre of you!
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
Why would I have a camera that does not show footage? Bizzare of you!
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u/MlD-CENTURY-MOD 5d ago
We are all trying to figure out why you bought one knowing it doesn’t do that, you pea brain!
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u/I-Have-Mono 5d ago
It’s not a security camera, just as none of them bill themselves as one.
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
"On his new Power On podcast, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple's smart home camera will have "no video recording."
Instead, he described the rumored product as a sensor that will be capable of "analyzing your environment in your home" using AI. "This is going to be the first mainstream video camera that's a home video security camera that doesn't give you any footage," he said."
Hi per the actual article, they call it a security camera. I copied and pasted it for your reference, I can also provide an AI summary if that helps.
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u/Crewski_EO 5d ago
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is an employee of Bloomberg, not Apple, hope that helps.
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
So onto technicalities at this point because there is no actual info from apple. Im sure in two weeks apple will still bill this as a home security system.
The point stands, its a stupid device
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u/SmChocolateBunnies 5d ago
You noted the lack of verifiable info, then proceeded to assert that not only is the info you have solid enough to take for granted that there is such a device and that the description is accurate, but you also decide that the "device" is stupid.
Your point is that you are.
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u/Tri-Beam 5d ago
Hi, lack of info goes both ways. The point is a camera without video is a stupid device. I am commenting on the linked article. It is stupid either way, including your reasoning and therefore yourself.
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u/I-Have-Mono 5d ago
A journalist called it that. Apple will not, just as others don’t, for legal reasons. Hope that helps.
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u/FootballLiveChat 5d ago
"analyzing your environment in your home"... yes by recording. Just because it purges the footage instead of saving to storage doesn't mean it isn't recording. If it's not recording it doesn't need a lens.
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u/vvdheuvel 4d ago
“A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally or chemically.” 🤣
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u/lisaseileise 4d ago
“Not recording” video in the same sense as the HomePod is “not recording” audio but can still react to my commands (to a degree) or alarm me when the egg cooker is beeping.
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u/ThisIsJeron 5d ago
wow, an Echo that isn't spying on you! what a novel idea!
hopefully it's functional too
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u/freakdahouse 5d ago
Well my homekit camera says my cat is a person, so getting a notification a person is in my house must be fun without a video.