August Doorbell Cam Exposed to HomeKit?
UPDATE: August have released a statement clarifying the situation regarding the Reddit post we initially reported on:
None of August’s doorbell cameras, including the newly announced August View, are compatible with Apple HomeKit. Recently there was a post on Reddit from a user who was able to see their August Doorbell Cam in their HomeKit app. We believe that this is due to third-party software called Homebridge. This integration is not supported by August or Apple. (source: 9to5mac.com)
A user on Reddit’s r/HomeKit sub has recently reported that, without any action on their part, the feed from the August Doorbell Cam has appeared in the Apple Home app, showing up as it would if it were a regular HomeKit enabled camera. We’ve confirmed that this also is the 1st gen August Video Doorbell camera, so it’s a safe bet the 2nd gen will also appear. The user does, however, go on to say that when the image of the camera’s feed is clicked on, there is no live feed and no two-way audio. It would seem that this new found connection to HomeKit has nothing to do with using a HomeBridge or Home Assistant plugin, and as it stands, we have no reason to doubt this is a hoax, although it could well be. So, could this be a way of August getting into HomeKit after the disastrous launch of their newest product, the August ‘View’ Video Doorbell Camera, for which preorders were cancelled not long after the official launch?
We have a first gen model here, collecting dust at the moment, and once we heard the news, we booted up the August app and were immediately asked for access to our ‘Home’ Data, which is usually reserved for 3rd party HomeKit apps, although this would also be for the purposes of connecting their Smart Locks, so nothing unusual in that as such.
When August first launched, the plan was to bring HomeKit compatibility to their products, only for them to retreat from that idea a while later. As it stands, the only HomeKit compatible devices at present are the August Smart Lock Pro (all generations), so after all this time of not being HomeKit compatible, their 1st Gen (and onwards) Doorbell cams suddenly getting HomeKit support will not only be a massive boost to owners of these devices but also ‘one in the eye’ to Ring, who have yet to come to the table, despite years of promises.
