View and record video from security cameras in Home on Mac

1. Go to the Home app on your Mac.

2. Click the camera tile on the Home screen.

   Live video plays automatically. Click to view live video in a separate window.

3. If you’ve chosen to record video, click a clip to play it, or scrub through the timeline at the bottom of the screen to browse recorded clips.

4. To switch back to live video, click Live.

You can choose when to receive a notification (at any time when you’re not home, for example), when motion is detected, or when a clip is recorded. You can also choose to allow snapshots to be taken when motion is detected.

1. Go to the Home app on your Mac.

2. Click the camera tile, then click .

3. Click Status and Notifications.

4. Choose when you want to be notified.

5. Click , then click in the top-right corner.

   If a camera becomes unavailable (or available), or if all the cameras in your home become unavailable and the Apple device you use to control your home has internet access, you can receive a notification. To receive the notification, in Recording Options for When Home, When Away, or both, choose Stream & Allow Recording.

With a compatible camera, you can record video when the camera detects motion.

1. Go to the Home app on your Mac.

2. Click the camera tile, then click .

3. Click Recording Options, then click either When Home or When Away.

   You can create separate settings for when you’re home and when you’re away. For example, when you’re home, you might choose to stop streaming and recording for a camera inside your home, but continue to stream and record from an outdoor camera.

4. Click Stream & Allow Recording.

5. Click More Options, then choose when you want to record.

   Your camera can record when any motion is detected or when specific motion is detected. Choose “Specific Motion is Detected” to have video recording triggered by the motion of people, animals, vehicles, or package delivery.

   Tip: Choosing a specific motion, rather than any motion, results in fewer clips (and fewer clip notifications) and less video to review. For example, choose People, and your camera won’t capture the movement of leaves on a tree.

6. Click , click again, then click in the top-right corner.

When you set up a camera to detect specific motion, the timeline displays unique symbols for people, animals, vehicles, and package delivery.

With a compatible camera, after you set up to record at least one significant event type, you can narrow the area you want to focus on.

1. Go to the Home app on your Mac.

2. Click the camera or doorbell tile, then click .

3. Click Select Activity Zones.

   If Select Activity Zones isn’t shown, make sure you’ve selected to record video when motion is detected. Click Recording Options, click either When Home or When Away, then click Stream & Allow Recording.

4. Click to add corners.

   Click a corner again to delete it. Drag a corner to shape the area.

   

5. Click Add Zone when you’ve outlined the area you want to record.

   To exclude the outlined area and record everything outside it, click Invert Zone.

6. Click Done, then click in the top-right corner.

With a compatible camera or doorbell, you can use the Home app to be notified when someone you know is at the door. Based on images from your Photo Library and recent visitors, you see the name and face of the person at the door (or a message that the person isn’t recognized).

1. Go to the Home app on your Mac.

2. Click the camera or doorbell tile, then click .

3. Click Face Recognition.

4. Turn on Face Recognition.

   To see recent visitors you’ve confirmed you know, but who aren’t in your Photo Library, click Known To Household.

5. Click , then click in the top-right corner.

When you receive a notification, click it to see more about your visitor.