Add More HomeKit Secure Video Cameras
The ability to do more things with HomeKit cameras is joined by support for even more cameras. You’ll still need a paid iCloud plan (now called “iCloud+”) to use HomeKit Secure Video at all, but Apple has upped the number of cameras you can use at each tier, and you can now get started for as little as $0.99/month.
Previously, you needed to sign up for at least the $2.99/month 200GB plan to use even a single camera, while the top-tier 2TB plan gave you up to five cameras for $9.99/month. With iCloud+, however, Apple has shifted the single-camera and five-camera plans down a notch and opened up the 2TB plan to unlimited cameras.
- One camera, 50GB iCloud Storage for $0.99/month
- Five cameras, 200GB iCloud Storage for $2.99/month
- Unlimited cameras, 2TB iCloud Storage for $9.99/month
This also applies to Apple One bundles as well, since these simply include the same iCloud storage tiers. Users on the base Apple One plan will get a single HomeKit Secure Video Camera, while those on the Apple One Family plan will get five cameras, and those paying for Apple One Premier can add as many HomeKit cameras as they like.
Only the camera limits have changed. Just like before, HomeKit Secure Video recordings won’t count against your iCloud Storage. Although Apple only stores up to 10 days of footage from each of your cameras, so you’ll have to manually save anything you want to keep beyond that time.