Eufy’s Safety Indoor Cam C120 defies the notion that HomeKit-compatible cameras are sometimes expensive. Whereas many HomeKit cameras can price over $70, this inexpensive possibility will not break the financial institution.
HomeKit is a worthy selection for iPhone customers as a result of it incorporates appropriate house home equipment into the Apple ecosystem and allows you to management them straight out of your gadgets.
Moreover, for cameras, Apple presents HomeKit Safe Video, which encrypts your recorded movies with an iCloud+ subscription. This particularly is useful when you have a plan that provides 2 TB of iCloud storage as a result of then you possibly can add limitless cameras to your account.
HomeKit-compatible cameras are sometimes priced larger than their opponents, which can deter sure shoppers from choosing them as their major good house ecosystem.
The Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 goes in opposition to the high-price notion by being an inexpensive safety digital camera that works with HomeKit Safe Video and your HomeKit gadgets.
Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 — Easy design
Measuring 2.24 x 2.24 x 4.11 inches and weighing 3.68 ounces, the Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 is sufficiently small to slot in tight corners and lightweight sufficient to mount on a wall or the ceiling.
The digital camera on the entrance can seize video as much as 2K decision at 125-degree FOV (Subject of View). Nonetheless, if you’re utilizing the C120 with HomeKit, then the decision is capped at 1080p.
Night time imaginative and prescient can also be provided on the C120, and it’ll mechanically activate when the setting round it will get darkish. When this occurs, the feed and recordings will likely be in black-and-white and never in coloration. There’s additionally a microphone and LED indicator on the entrance. In case you select, the indicator will be turned off throughout the Dwelling app.
Beneath the top of the C120 is an adjustable neck that may be tilted roughly 225 levels and swivels roughly 180 levels. This flexibility makes it straightforward to place the digital camera to your liking and seize the precise space you wish to see.
On the again of the C120 is the micro-USB port to energy the digital camera — with the included 6.7-foot cable — and a button to pair and reset the digital camera if wanted. There’s additionally a speaker for two-way conversations by the C120.
The machine additionally includes a microSD card slot, permitting you to avoid wasting recorded movies for later viewing with out paying a subscription charge for cloud storage. A microSD card isn’t included with the C120 and have to be bought individually.
Beneath are two holes that permit the C120 to hook up with the included mounting plate. Connecting the mount is straightforward — inserting the pegs into the container and sliding them in till they really feel safe.
If you wish to unmount the digital camera, then all it takes is sliding out the pegs from the bottom of the digital camera with just a little power. When mounting the digital camera on a wall or ceiling, be sure to connect the plate first earlier than connecting it to the digital camera. The method solely requires screwing within the two included screws.
In case you determine to mount the digital camera on the ceiling, there’s an possibility throughout the Eufy Safety app to flip the image so it isn’t the other way up when viewing it. The C120 is just for indoor use and shouldn’t be positioned exterior, or it will be topic to wreck.
Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 — App connectivity
There are two methods you possibly can join the Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 to your machine — both by the Dwelling app or the Eufy Safety app.
Each apps make the most of an identical code to pair along with your machine, which will be situated beneath the digital camera. Though it isn’t troublesome to entry, you need to pair the digital camera to your machine earlier than mounting it, because the mounting plate will hinder the code in any other case.
Relying on which app you primarily use, it is going to provide completely different options and settings you should utilize with the digital camera.
Eufy Safety app
The C120 comes with its personal native app referred to as the Eufy Safety app. This app presents varied customization choices to manage the video high quality and notification settings. You’ll be able to even arrange sound and movement automations throughout the app.
The digital camera’s video, audio, and notification settings will be simply custom-made to your preferences. With many choices obtainable, you possibly can fine-tune every space of the digital camera settings to your liking.
For video settings, you possibly can set the streaming high quality, recording high quality, and if you would like a watermark of a timestamp or Eufy’s emblem in your video. You may also select if you would like steady recording enabled whenever you insert a microSD card into the digital camera.
Audio settings are essentially the most fundamental settings within the digital camera. It means that you can flip the microphone on and off if you would like audio to be captured when the digital camera is recording video and what the speaker’s quantity is about to.
Notifications will be turned on or off based mostly on detected sounds, comparable to people, pets, crying, or all motions and sounds. Every class will be set individually. You may also determine the way you need notifications to be offered to you — if it is solely by textual content, textual content first after which a thumbnail, or each being delivered concurrently.
One characteristic distinctive to the digital camera from the native app is Pet Command. This lets you file a command, and it will be performed mechanically from the digital camera when it detects an animal in a preset exercise zone.
This characteristic is helpful for the occasions if you find yourself out of the home, and you don’t need your canine on the sofa. The C120 will detect the canine leaping on the couch and can mechanically play a recording of you saying “Get off” — or another command you set — when it does.
Nonetheless, this characteristic is unavailable for those who join the digital camera to the Dwelling app. You may also share the digital camera with family and friends who’ve the Eufy Safety app on their gadgets.
Dwelling app
In case you do not take care of these further options or don’t need the additional app taking over house in your machine, you possibly can pair the C120 straight within the Dwelling app.
Setting it up is similar as connecting another HomeKit machine, and it solely takes a couple of minutes to place every little thing collectively. As soon as you have accomplished all the required steps, the C120 will mechanically be added to the highest of your Dwelling dashboard.
Everytime you open the Dwelling app, it is going to mechanically refresh the dashboard and show the view’s timestamp. When viewing the feed from there, you’ll solely get a snapshot. To entry the stay feed, you need to faucet every digital camera individually.
The setup for the stay feed is straightforward and places what the digital camera sees because the focal point. You’ll be able to zoom out and in throughout the view to get a better take a look at a selected space.
Positioned on the underside is a log of beforehand recorded moments that have been triggered by movement taking place inside an exercise zone. Recordings are stored for as much as ten days.
There’s additionally a chat button that means that you can converse to anybody within the room by the digital camera. Similar to with the speaker on the again, this enables for two-way conversations by the C120.
There’s a button on the underside proper with 4 squares. It permits quick access to different HomeKit equipment in the identical room.
Positioned within the higher heart of the display screen is the title of the digital camera. If you faucet on it, a menu shows all the opposite cameras in your house. By tapping on one other digital camera, you possibly can swap to its stay feed. Moreover, within the higher left nook, you will see that an “X” button to shut the stay feed, a button for activating picture-in-picture for multitasking, and entry to the digital camera’s settings.
Whereas the settings provided are largely the identical as those within the Eufy Safety app, some particular options are fairly useful. This consists of altering the recording choices, setting facial recognition, and having the C120 activate completely different automations.
Recording choices allow you to select if you would like simply streaming, recording, or each to be enabled always or simply whenever you’re house. It additionally means that you can set whenever you need the digital camera to start out recording. This may be set to on a regular basis or when a selected object seems within the body — like a bundle, animal, or individual.
Facial recognition permits the Dwelling app to intelligently establish folks in-frame. It will reference recognized folks within the Images app and use it to establish them if they’re recorded. But, generally, it will not acknowledge the individual, so you possibly can manually establish them.
Automated integration is helpful for triggering actions upon detecting movement. For instance, lights can activate when somebody enters a room, or the warmth can activate upon detecting movement.
Whereas the C120 works nice with the Dwelling app, there have been some situations the place the digital camera went offline. We thought it was the digital camera itself, nevertheless it was on-line in its native app, so it appears to be the HomeKit inflicting the problem. Nonetheless, restarting the digital camera by the Eufy Safety app appeared to repair the issue.
Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 — A price-efficient HomeKit digital camera to purchase
The Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 is among the finest methods so as to add HomeKit Safe Video to your house. With stunning digital camera high quality and a number of customization choices, the cost-efficient value is simply the cherry on high.
The digital camera is retailed decrease as a result of most helpful options are put behind a paywall — like video storage. Nonetheless, for those who already subscribe to iCloud+ or one of many Apple One plans, you needn’t fear about these further charges since these options are included in your subscription.
Establishing the C120 is simple and would not require superior data or talent. Whether or not inserting it on a desk or the wall, it solely takes a number of steps to configure the digital camera to your liking.
By pairing with the Dwelling app, you possibly can entry all HomeKit options, together with movement alerts and saved video recordings. It is vital to notice that some options could require an iCloud+ subscription, so be sure to test your plan earlier than making a purchase order.
If you wish to centralize your house safety gadgets and dive deeper into the HomeKit ecosystem, the Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 is a good place to start out. It offers top-notch HomeKit safety at an unbeatable value in comparison with its opponents.
Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 — Professionals
- Funds-friendly
- Simple set up
- Works with HomeKit Safe Video
- MicroSD card slot
Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 — Cons
- Goes offline generally
- HomeKit code is beneath the digital camera
- HomeKit solely information as much as 1080p
- HomeKit limits distinctive options provided throughout the native app
Score: 4 out of 5
The place to buy the Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120
You should purchase the Eufy Safety Indoor Cam C120 from their web site for $42.99. It is obtainable in white.