4 Best Apple HomeKit Video Doorbells [Only in the UK!]

Apple’s been busy creating its own smart home ecosystem via HomeKit-enabled devices, however, the biggest video doorbell manufacturers have yet to add support (looking at your Google and Ring).

But, at long last, there is a good range of HomeKit enabled video doorbells and a few really exciting ones on the horizon. In this guide, I’ll share my top recommended video doorbells that support HomeKit straight out of the box.

Quick Summary

In a rush? Here’s a quick summary of my 3 favorite doorbells for Apple HomeKit:

Image	Summary
	Best Overall: Arlo Essential • Calls your phone like a video call when rung • Both wired and wireless installation options • Advanced object detection	View on Amazon
	Runner Up: Netatmo • See who is at the door before you choose to answer • Wired installation only • Store footage on the device without the need for a subscription	View on Amazon
	With HomeKit Secure Video: Logitech Circle View • Only doorbell to work with HomeKit Secure video • Store your footage securely with iCloud Note: Only available on Amazon.com, not Amazon.co.uk	View on Amazon (Amazon.com Only)

What is HomeKit Secure Video and Why Does it Matter?

First things first, let’s run through Apple’s new Secure Video protocol as this will significantly impact video doorbells. Essentially, this means that Apple handles your video, rather than the doorbell manufacturer.

Doorbells and cameras with HomeKit Secure Video will encrypt the footage locally on a Homepod, iPad or Apple TV and upload it to Apple’s servers where you can access it via iCloud.

Here is a rundown of the key differences between standard HomeKit support and HomeKit Secure Video support:

Comparison Table

Here’s a comparison table with the specs and my ratings for each of the 3 top doorbells that work with Apple HomeKit in this article. Keep reading for full reviews and feature breakdowns.

	Arlo Essential	Netatmo	Logitech Circle View
Image
Responsiveness	9	8	9
Video Quality	8	8	9
Features	8	7	9
Value for Money	9	7	8
Overall Score	8.5	7.5	8.75
Price	££	£££	£££
Resolution	1080p HD	1080p HD	1200 x 1600
Two-Way Audio	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wired/Battery Powered	Wired or Battery Powered	Wired Only	Wired Only
HomeKit Secure Video	No	No	Yes
Storage	Cloud or Local	Local Only	Cloud Only
Subscription Required	No	No	No
Where to Buy	Amazon	Amazon	Coming Soon - See Below

Best HomeKit Video Doorbells

Here are my recommended HomeKit video doorbells:

• Best Overall: Arlo Essentials
• Runner Up: Netatmo Video Doorbell
• Best with Secure Video: Logitech Circle View (only on Amazon.com)
• Wildcard: Google Nest (with Starling or HOOBS)

Below you’ll find some further information about each of these products.

Best Overall: Arlo Essentials Video Doorbell

Arlo have done a few things differently with their new video doorbell which is why it earned a spot in my best video doorbells 2022 round-up and is being featured as the top pick for Apple users here too

. One thing I really like is that when it rings, the doorbell calls your phone like a video call, rather than an app notification (see image below) so you’ll never miss a visitor again. It’s also very speedy with minimal lag between the doorbell press and the call, unlike other doorbells I have tested.

The Arlo Essentials is an upgrade on the original Arlo doorbell which also includes a battery pack so that you can install it wire-free.

It has advanced AI that can detect people, animals, and cars although a subscription is required for this. It has a wide angle lens of 180 degrees and a 1:1 screen ratio which removes any distortion like other video doorbells.

It can be used with or without a subscription depending on whether you want to store your footage in the cloud or in your home. However, if you want to use it without a subscription, you will need an extra piece of hardware called the Arlo Smarthub which sits in your home to store your footage. If you have other Arlo cameras, the same hub can be used for local storage across your network.

In order to use your Arlo doorbell when away from your home WiFi network, you will need an Apple Home Hub in addition to the Arlo SmartHub. The downside to this device is that it doesn’t support Apple’s HomeKit Secure video protocol so the processing is still done by Arlo. Still, they are a trusted brand when it comes to home security so I see no reason why they can’t be trusted with your doorbell feed.

Runner Up: Netatmo Video Doorbell

The Netatmo is a long-awaited video doorbell with HomeKit compatibility. It has a 140 ° viewing angle (diagonal) with 1080p footage, infrared night vision and an IP44 waterproof rating.

One of my favourite features is that you get to see the live view of the doorbell before having to answer.

The Netatmo has standard HomeKit integration which means you can use your HomePod as a chime, and stream straight to your Apple TV (With tvOS 14). However, it does not support Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video at the moment.

Unlike the Arlo which allows both local and cloud storage, the Netatmo is local only. Your footage is stored on an SD card on the device itself, this is beneficial as it means you don’t need a subscription to review your footage and you don’t have to purchase any additional hardware, However, keep in mind that this means if your doorbell is stolen then all the footage is gone too.

The Netatmo device rivals the Arlo doorbell in terms of advanced features such as activity zones and person detection. However, it’s a wired-only device which is something that put me off because I don’t have existing doorbell wiring to use.

It’s the larger of the devices reviewed here at 135mm tall, although not by too much as the next largest is the Arlo at 127mm so I wouldn’t be too concerned. if you want something sleek looking, check out the next option.

Best With Secure Video: Logitech Circle View

If you want an Apple-enabled HomeKit device but are willing to wait a little bit, then the Logitech Circle View is the first video doorbell to support Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video.

This allows an extremely well-integrated experience for anyone already engrossed in Apple’s ecosystem.

All of the video processing is done by Apple, as opposed to being done on the devices or by the doorbell manufacturers.

This includes end-to-end encryption via the HomePod, activity zones, facial recognition, and the ability to use your doorbell as a HomeKit-enabled motion detector.

It also has the functions that a standard Apple HomeKit integration brings, including picture-in-picture live view on an Apple TV and chimes via a HomePod. I would argue that this is the best looking of the doorbells shared here with its sleek colour and small profile at just 119mm high.

The downside to this doorbell is that it only comes as a wired version and only in black, so if that doesn’t match the look of your porch then you can’t do much about it. However, this is the first doorbell from Logitech so hopefully, they will expand the range in future as other manufacturers have tended to do.

For some reason, this doorbell is only available here on Amazon.com and not Amazon.co.uk. You can still use your regular Amazon account and ship it to a UK address.

Wildcard: Google Nest Doorbell

So, this final recommendation is a bit of a wildcard since it doesn’t have native integration with HomeKit, however, once you go through the hassle of getting it set up, you can enjoy a solid doorbell with some great features.

To integrate the Google-owned device with Apple, you need to use a third-party platform. there are two choices; Starling and HOOBS. Both are very similar and I’ve put together a dedicated guide to connect Nest Hello with HomeKit here.

Some of the top features that make the Nest Hello worthwhile include Familiar Faces, which recognises regular guests and announces their arrival by name over a smart speaker.

If you have a Chromecast, you can stream, the doorbell footage to your TV via a picture-in-picture display, and it has very smart alerts to notify you about packages and to tell the difference between pets and people.

Like the first two devices I shared, unfortunately, this one doesn’t support HomeKit secure video which again is a bit of a letdown. Another downside to keep in mind is that an ongoing subscription is required to Nest Aware in order to access all of the doorbell’s features.

Video Doorbell Buyers Guide

Here is a run down of some key specs and features to keep in mind when deciding which video doorbell to buy:

Video Quality and Viewing Angle

First and foremost, a video doorbell is a security camera, so you need to clearly see who is at your front door. Ensure a high resolution and ideally some infrared night vision to make use of it at night too.

The viewing angle is important, not just horizontally but vertically  too if you intend to keep an eye on any packages delivered.

Wired vs Battery Powered

A battery powered doorbell is usually the simplest to install as no cabling is required, connect to the WiFi and attach to the wall. However, you will need to regularly recharge it, usually every month although some will last a lot longer.

The alternative is a wired device, this requires extra work to install as you’ll need to do some cabling, but you won’t need to worry about the battery running out.

Activity Zones

An activity zone allows you to set certain areas of the camera to monitor for motion, rather than monitoring the entire view.

This is particularly important if you live on a busy street with people or cars constantly passing which could set off the motion detection.

Storage

How and where the video doorbell stores the footage is important. Some doorbells do not have local storage (on the device) which means it must use the cloud, usually with an ongoing cost.

For those that do store footage locally, the best option is a hub inside the house, otherwise thieves could steal the footage along with the doorbell.

Does Ring Work with HomeKit?

No, Ring doorbells, cameras and other devices do not work with Apple HomeKit out of the box.

Ring have repeatedly said they are working on HomeKit integration for a number of years, however with Amazon now at the helm, it’s unlikely that we’ll see this come to fruition.

However, with a third party go-between called HOOBS (Homebridge Out Of the Box), it’s possible to set up an unofficial integration between the two.

HOOBS is opensource software that can be installed on a Raspberry Pi or purchased pre-installed.

Find out more about this integration in my full guide on connecting Ring to HomeKit.

Does Nest Hello Work with HomeKit?

No, Nest Hello does not integrate directly with HomeKit. Google and Apple are fierce rivals in just about every market so this isn’t something I’d expect to see anytime soon.

That being said, you can still connect the two unofficially using these third-party bridges:

One is using HOOBS as mentioned above in the section about Ring, but a more streamlined way (and cheaper) is using the Starling Home Hub.

The Starling Home Hub is from the same makers as HOOBS, but it’s only purpose is to connect Google’s Nest products (including the Nest Hello doorbell) with HomeKit.

Find out more about this integration in my article on connecting Nest Hello to HomeKit.

Does Eufy Video Doorbell Work with HomeKit?

No, Eufy’s video doorbell doesn’t support HomeKit via official or unofficial methods.

However, hope is not lost because in 2020 Eufy upgraded a number of it’s security camera’s to support Apple’s Secure Video protocol, so fingers crossed their video doorbells will follow suit.