HomeKit camera buying guide
Updated: 23 October 2026
You already have an iPhone, and the amazon.co.uk table of six HomeKit cameras looks ready to sort by stars. It is not. A HomeKit camera buying guide starts with what you already own: a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV if you want clips when you are out, an iCloud+ plan that will take the number of Secure Video cameras you intend to add, and a clear answer to who else in the house must watch. The [HomeKit camera comparison](/hub/electronic-surveillance/homekit-camera) keeps the product rows. This page is the order of questions. It is not a lab test, and it does not name a top pick.
You already have an iPhone, and the amazon.co.uk table of six HomeKit cameras looks ready to sort by stars. It is not.
You already have an iPhone, and the amazon.co.uk table of six HomeKit cameras looks ready to sort by stars. It is not. A HomeKit camera buying guide starts with what you already own: a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV if you want clips when you are out, an iCloud+ plan that will take the number of Secure Video cameras you intend to add, and a clear answer to who else in the house must watch. The HomeKit camera comparison keeps the product rows. This page is the order of questions. It is not a lab test, and it does not name a top pick.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | HomeKit path | Power | Who can watch | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  eufy Security eufyCam E40 add-on | Named, disputed | Solar, HomeBase extra | eufy app | 7.3 | about £89.99 | View offer |
 eufy Security eufy IndoorCam E220 | Home mode, 1080p | USB indoor | eufy app as well | 7.9 | about £39.99 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Eve Eve Cam | Secure Video only | USB indoor | Apple only | 6.2 | about £126.05 | View offer |
On this page
Start with the hub and the plan you already pay for
Live view in the Home app is the smaller feature. Clips when you leave the house need HomeKit Secure Video: a compatible camera, a home hub, and iCloud+. Eve’s indoor and outdoor listings say a HomePod or Apple TV with tvOS 15 and iCloud+ are required and not in the box. Logitech Circle View’s specification block does not name the hub; UK reviews still describe a HomePod, Apple TV, or a home-designated iPad for away view. If you only have a MacBook, that is not a hub.
iCloud+ on Apple’s UK page is £0.99 a month for 50 GB (one Secure Video camera), £2.99 for 200 GB (up to five), and £8.99 for 2 TB (unlimited). Apple says the last 10 days of encrypted video do not count towards those gigabytes. The plan still caps how many cameras you add. The free 5 GB iCloud allowance is not a recording plan. If you do not already own a hub, price one before you treat Eve Cam at £126.05 or Circle View at £159.99 as the whole bill.
Then decide who must watch
Eve Cam and both Eve Outdoor Cam colours list Apple HomeKit only. Compatible devices on Eve Cam are Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini, and iPhone. There is no Android path in that specification block. Circle View’s controller type is Apple HomeKit. A household where someone only has an Android phone should not buy Eve or Logitech and hope a workaround appears later.
The eufy Solo IndoorCam E220 lists Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit. You can watch in the eufy app and, after a second add, in Home at 1080p. That is a different job from exclusive Secure Video. The eufyCam E40 add-on names HomeKit in a bullet; a UK review titled "Not compatible with Apple HomeKit" says activity zones grey out after the camera is added back to Home. Do not treat the E40 as confirmed Secure Video, and do not buy it if the only reason is an Apple-only timeline.
Choose a socket before a weather line
Eve Cam and the E220 are USB plug-in indoor cameras. Eve Cam’s box lists a USB power supply and a 220 cm cable. The E220 lists a USB adapter and a USB cable. Both say batteries required: No. eufy’s UK page also says the E220 is indoor only, so the IP65 row on that amazon table is not permission to put it on a wet wall.
Circle View is wired, with an indoor power supply in Logitech’s set-up guide and an IP64 body in the amazon title. The specification still says Indoor and IP21. If you want the body on an outside wall, Logitech’s outdoor note keeps the brick indoors and the cable routed through. That is a third job, not a tidy outdoor floodlight.
Eve Outdoor Cam is 240 V. The box lists a mounting kit and connection terminals. Eve’s FAQ asks for live, neutral, and earth. A new outdoor circuit in a dwelling in England is notifiable under Approved Document P. Do not put that Part P label on Scotland or Northern Ireland. The E40 is solar, IP66, and still needs a HomeBase S380 or HomeBase 2 sold separately. It does not replace a 240 V floodlight, and it does not include the hub.
Keep the lens inside your boundary
Inside your own rooms, data protection usually stays a household matter. If the lens sees a pavement, a shared hall, or next door, the ICO says UK GDPR applies. You need a real reason, no more footage than you need, and a sign. Consent is rarely the lawful basis. The ICO will not take the camera down for you. Circle View’s 180° view is wide enough that UK reviews mention activity zones so a neighbour is not the alert. Eve Outdoor Cam’s 157° floodlight on a front wall is the same problem if it covers the street.
PSTI rules from 29 April 2024 ban universal default passwords and require a vulnerability contact and a published update end date. This pass did not audit the boxes. Do not claim these six cameras were checked against that regime. A flat that only sees its own hallway is a different legal job from a driveway camera that also sees the pavement.
A shortlist from this set
Use the answers, then look at the six amazon.co.uk rows from 19 October 2026. Do not add Aqara or Netatmo. Do not add the black and white Eve outdoor review counts; they share one 3.5 from 593.
Apple-only indoor Secure Video, USB, hub and iCloud+ already paid: Eve Cam at £126.05, or Circle View at £159.99 if you want 180° and will keep the brick inside. Cheap indoor pan-tilt that can also appear in Home at 1080p, with a brand app for Android: E220 at £39.99. Do not read that 2K line as the Home picture. 240 V floodlight on your own wall, after neutral, earth, and the water and Wi-Fi reviews: Eve Outdoor Cam black at £200.46 or white at £216.00. The black table says IP65; the white table and Eve’s FAQ say IP55. Solar add-on if you already own a HomeBase S380 or HomeBase 2: E40 at £89.99. Skip the E40 if you have no HomeBase, and skip it if you need confirmed Secure Video. Stars come last. For who each camera actually fits, use the best HomeKit camera UK page.
Common questions
Do I need a HomePod for a HomeKit camera?
You need a home hub for clips when you are out. Eve’s listings name a HomePod or Apple TV with tvOS 15, not in the box. A HomePod mini counts. Live view in Home is the smaller feature and is not the same as the 10-day Secure Video timeline. A MacBook is not a hub.
Which iCloud+ plan do I need?
Apple’s UK page prices iCloud+ at £0.99, £2.99, and £8.99 a month for 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB. Those tiers take one, five, and unlimited Secure Video cameras. The video does not fill the gigabytes. The plan still caps the camera count. The free 5 GB iCloud plan is not a recording tier.
Can someone watch on Android?
Not on Eve Cam, Eve Outdoor Cam, or Circle View. Those listings are Apple HomeKit only. The E220 also has the eufy app, Alexa, and Google Assistant. The E40 names HomeKit in a bullet; a UK review denies full compatibility. An Android-only household should not buy Eve or Logitech.
Does a HomeKit camera that films the street need extra rules?
If the lens sees beyond your boundary — a pavement, a shared hall, or next door — the ICO says UK GDPR applies. You need a real reason, no more footage than you need, and a sign. Consent is rarely the basis. The ICO will not remove the camera for you.
Which Wi-Fi band should the iPhone use when I add the camera?
Eve Outdoor Cam and Circle View want 2.4 GHz, with the iPhone on that band during the add. Eve Cam’s FAQ allows 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz; UK adds still fail when the phone is on 5 GHz. The E220 is 2.4 GHz only. Put the phone on the band the camera can join, then add from iOS.
What should I not assume about the eufyCam E40?
The listing names HomeKit and says the add-on needs HomeBase S380 or HomeBase 2, sold separately. A UK review says it is not fully compatible with Apple HomeKit. Do not treat Secure Video as confirmed, and do not buy the camera as a standalone unit.
Is this page a ranking of the six cameras?
No. It is the order of questions: hub, plan, who watches, socket, and boundary. The comparison table stays on the main HomeKit camera page. A fit and a skip for each model sit on the best-camera page.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk shelf prices are from the listings dated 19 October 2026.
- Apple iCloud+ UK (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Apple Support UK, Secure Video storage (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- ICO, home CCTV (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, connectable product security (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, Approved Document P (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Eve Outdoor Cam FAQ (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Logitech, Circle View offline (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- eufy UK, Indoor Cam E220 (retrieved 19.10.2026)