GoKawiilThe challenge with HomeKit Secure Video is that the manufacturer sees no option for recurring revenue, so I suspect that might be part of the holdup for many new cameras (on top of the lack of new features). When Aqara originally released the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro with HomeKit Secure Video support back in 2025, it ended a long drought. I have had one outside for over a year now, and if you have a porch area, this is a great outdoor camera.
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I have been using Aqara products since 2020 and am a huge fan of what they offer. It is a nice balance of low cost and great reliability. With the release of the Camera Hub G5 Pro, they officially entered the outdoor camera market. It is available in both Power over Ethernet and Wi-Fi versions. The G5 Pro is designed to work anywhere. Its 4MP resolution paired with True Color Night Vision ensures you won’t have blind spots, even at night. Beyond just the video feed, the device has multiple sensors you can use to trigger other automations around the exterior of the house.
What is in the box
The unit I have is the Wi-Fi-only model, but I love that they are offering a Power over Ethernet model. Especially if you can run new cabling, powering the camera is much easier than trying to hide the USB-C cable. The camera does not come with a wall plug, so you will need to provide your own. You will also get screws and anchors in case you want to mount it. The Power over Ethernet edition is also great for places with Wi-Fi dead spots or where cabling is easy to run (or new constructions)
Smart home-wise, the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro has everything you want. It includes an integrated Zigbee 3.0 radio, Thread support as a border router, and Matter compatibility, so it works perfectly with HomeKit, Samsung, Amazon, and Google. It also supports eMMC storage for syncing with local NAS servers. For my testing over the last year, I stuck with HomeKit Secure Video. I will be honest and say that HKSV is passable but has its benefits. It is not the most robust recording platform, but having everything securely encrypted and accessible right inside the Apple Home app makes up for some of the feature limitations.
If you are using the Aqara app, it has onboard AI that detects and recognizes faces, vehicles, pets, and packages. Otherwise, you will have access to what Apple has inside HomeKit.
Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro verdict
The Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro is super easy to install and set up. The HomeKit and Matter code is physically on the camera. Plug it up to power, let it boot up, scan the code, and then HomeKit completes its onboarding process. I had zero issues, and everything went through on the first try.
The camera looks awesome during the day. Where it really shines is at night, though. It has an integrated light, so when it comes on, you get a really impressive recording. You can see some examples below of this camera with the light off versus a camera without it. The light can be broken out independently from the camera as a HomeKit tile as well.
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