beerstalker

From what I understand there are some of these cameras that ship with a HomeKit code sticker on them.  These cameras can be added directly to HomeKit without using the Eufy App.  

Other versions of these cameras ship with a generic QR code that does not work with HomeKit.  These cameras have to be added to the Eufy app first, and then you can turn on the setting that exposes the camera to HomeKit and allows you to add it.

I bought a two pack of these cameras off Amazon and received ones with the generic QR code sticker on them.  I was able to add them to the Eufy App, and then get them working in HomeKit.  I had them set up this way and everything worked pretty well in my opinion.  It was saving videos to iCloud (I have an Apple One Family plan), identifying people by name using my photo album, I was getting notifications, etc.

Then I decided I wanted to get rid of the Eufy App hoping that might keep the cameras from using their server, and that is where the trouble came in.  At first I just deleted the two cameras from the Eufy App while the cameras were still plugged in.  As soon as I did that the cameras stopped working in HomeKit.  I did some more reading and found out that others had this problem too.  I saw a couple people say that you had to unplug the cameras from power before deleting them from the Eufy App or this would happen.

So I had to delete them out of HomeKit, add them to the Eufy App again, add them to HomeKit again, and set everything up all over.  Once I finally got it all up and running again I left it alone for a few days and made sure notifications, etc. were all working.  Then I unhooked the cameras from power, and deleted them from the Eufy app.  I plugged the cameras back in, and a few minutes later they showed up in HomeKit again.  However, from that time on they no longer saved videos to iCloud, identified people, or sent notifications.

So pretty much as far as I can tell all of the HomeKit Secure Video features require you to use the Eufy App if you get the cameras with the generic QR code on them.

I have not been able to find if there is a way to look at UPC numbers or anything like that to try to figure out if the camera is going to have the HomeKit sticker, or QR code sticker before buying and opening the camera.  I'm not sure if the ones with HomeKit stickers are older, newer, or random throughout their production.  If anyone here can comment and help me figure it out it would be greatly appreciated.  I was really happy with the quality of the cameras, I just don't really like how I had to have the Eufy app installed and set up in order to make them work.

Right now I've got the Ecobee Smart Camera to try it out and I am not impressed.  It was easy to add to HomeKit without using the Ecobee app, I was able to get it set up to record to HomeKit Secure Video, and notifications and everything worked for a while, but then it stopped.  I rebooted the camera and it worked again for a little while and now it has stopped again.  I'm not sure why it keeps losing access to HKSV.  The night vision on it is pretty much worthless also.  It shows the shelf it is sitting on and that is about it, the rest of the garage is mostly blacked out.  The Eufy camera would see my whole garage in the dark.  I am very happy with my Ecobee thermostat, but between the night vision and dropping HKSV, I don't think it is worth the money.

I've got the Aqara G3 on order to try out next.

The Eufy C120 is not battery powered, it is powered by a USB adapter and micro-usb cable.  Another thing I liked over the Ecobee which uses a transformer with built in cable and barrel plug for power.  It's easy to buy a different length/color micro USB cable if I want one, much harder to replace the Ecobee transformer/cord.