Arlo Rolls Out Apple Home Support for 2nd-Gen Essential Camera Lineup (2025)

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Friday April 25, 2025 2:38 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Arlo has begun rolling out Apple Home integration for its Essential Second-Generation camera lineup, reports The-Ambient.

The integration allows devices like the Arlo Essential 2K Video Doorbell, 2K Indoor Camera, and 2K Outdoor XL Camera (all second-gen models) to be added to the Apple Home app. That's provided they are connected to a compatible Arlo Base Station or SmartHub.

When properly connected, users will be able to view live feeds and screenshots, receive motion and audio notifications, and use two-way audio directly from the Apple Home app. The update also brings Siri voice control functionality and the ability to view camera feeds on Apple TV, making it convenient to check who's at the door without reaching for your phone.

As noted by The-Ambient, this update should prove a big improvement for Apple Home households, where third-party camera support has traditionally been inconsistent at best. While Arlo still hasn't implemented HomeKit Secure Video support (something many users have been clamoring for), standard HomeKit integration is a meaningful step toward a more unified smart home experience.

The rollout appears to be specifically for second-generation Essential devices, so owners of first-gen or other Arlo camera lines might need to wait a bit longer (or invest in newer hardware) to enjoy the same Apple Home integration.

Tags: Arlo, HomeKit Guide

[ 39 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

Rob__Mac

5 days ago at 02:57 am

Eurgh. Smart hubs. Absolute bane of smart home. This is what Matter is designed to get away from - so you don't need half a dozen Apple TV sized boxes sitting in your cupboard just to run a load of proprietary bridges.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

SilmarilFinder

5 days ago at 04:36 am

I'm currently looking for a doorbell to integrate into HomeKit but, after all this time, there still seems to be so little choice, and reviews are varied, to say the least...
Does anyone have a recommendation? Currently looking at the Aqara Video Doorbell G4 - but as I say, reviews are mixed...

On paper Aqara seems really nice but (a big but) its a Chinese company and whatever data gets in, there is no way out from China. It could be used for anything from AI training to tea break entertainment.

Yes, I know most budget cameras are made in China, but Aqara is suspiciously cheap and suspiciously good. Their privacy statement is about as convincing as a ‘trust me’ from a Facebook marketplace seller.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

CouldBeWorse

5 days ago at 06:31 am

its a Chinese company and whatever data gets in, there is no way out from China.

That is the beauty of Homekit Secure video. I have two Aqara cameras, both of which are blocked from accessing the internet via my router. Apple takes care of everything via HKSV and I have no need to use Aqara's software or cloud services.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

TomaxXamot

5 days ago at 06:29 am

No HomeKit Secure Video support makes it a non-starter for me.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

tiptopp

5 days ago at 03:26 am

I'm currently looking for a doorbell to integrate into HomeKit but, after all this time, there still seems to be so little choice, and reviews are varied, to say the least...

Does anyone have a recommendation? Currently looking at the Aqara Video Doorbell G4 - but as I say, reviews are mixed...

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

DogHouseDub

5 days ago at 06:02 am

Eurgh. Smart hubs. Absolute bane of smart home. This is what Matter is designed to get away from - so you don't need half a dozen Apple TV sized boxes sitting in your cupboard just to run a load of proprietary bridges.

I completely agree...or agreed, until HomeKit lost connection with all of my bulbs and switches, and I had to go about the house accessing and rescanning all those barcodes to get everything active again. Devices that were connected through an intermediary hub only required re-adding the hub, not each individual device. That experience and the improved connection stability via the intermediary hub led me to reevaluate my previously held opinions. However, that is based on the current state of technology and could be resolved by Matter.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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