The new HomeKit Secure Video features include AI-powered video summaries and search capabilities, and they come with a much higher price tag. Apple released these changes alongside iOS 27 and tvOS 27, and the subscription tiers now sit at a significantly higher level than before. A single camera placed on the Apple Intelligence tier runs $9.99 a month, while the maximum of five cameras reaches up to $59.99 a month. That represents a large increase from the earlier $1 a month plan that previously covered the service.
The new additions are genuine. Apple Intelligence for Home delivers AI-driven video overviews to HomeKit Secure Video, offering brief written explanations of who and what compatible security cameras detected, paired with the clip itself. The update also introduces a fresh video search tool and the capacity to join footage from several cameras into a single clip, which makes it simpler to monitor what’s happening around your home without scrolling through footage. The Verge‘s going on. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy tried the features during their beta phase and came away favorably impressed.
What Apple Intelligence Actually Does
Apple Intelligence for Home’s central function is easy to state. It processes video from a HomeKit-linked camera and generates brief text summaries of the scene, covering who appears, what is occurring, and where items are positioned. The system delivers both the clip and its accompanying summary, letting users review the footage at a glance rather than watching every second of it.
You can use the video search function to hunt down particular events across all your connected cameras. The stitching function brings together footage from several cameras into one continuous clip, which comes in useful when watching over wide spaces or following motion that crosses several rooms.
The whole setup aims to make recorded footage easier to use. Rather than moving through hours of video, you get a summary of the key moments instead. These features pair with security cameras that carry HomeKit certification and are compatible with the system.
The Pricing Structure Explained
One camera is covered by the 2TB iCloud Plus plan, which begins at $9.99 a month. That represents a notable rise compared to the earlier HomeKit Secure Video plan, which charged only $1 a month for its 50GB of storage. The $9.99 tier bundles recorded footage from one camera alongside smart alerts and facial recognition.
A second camera demands another payment. An Apple support page states that adding Apple Intelligence to a second camera calls for the 6TB iCloud Plus plan, costing $29.99 a month. Up to five cameras require the 12TB plan, raising the monthly cost to $59.99. The company has not said if more than five cameras can be added, and recordings from HomeKit-connected cameras do not count against your storage limit.
Here’s how the tiers break down:
- One camera: $9.99 a month (2TB plan)
- Two cameras: $29.99 a month (6TB plan)
- Up to five cameras: $59.99 a month (12TB plan)
If someone already has an arrangement set up, the numbers don’t stay easy to work with. The Verge’s writer currently spends $40 a month on Apple One Premier, which covers 2TB of iCloud storage while also bringing HomeKit Secure Video support for five cameras along with it. Under the new prices, keeping all those advantages and adding Apple Intelligence on one camera comes at no extra cost. But to put it on every single one of those five cameras, the bill would rise by an added $60 a month.
How This Compares to the Competition
Both Amazon’s Ring and Google Nest charge roughly $20 a month for subscription tiers that come with comparable AI-powered features for their cameras. The two companies provide more features than Apple currently offers. While an iCloud Plus plan does cover storage for photos, files, and device backups, and pricier plans may grant you greater limits for Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features, Apple has yet to release any specifics on those upgrades.
The comparison shows the difference in monthly cost. Ring and Nest each charge $20 a month for comparable AI features, and they bundle more functionality into their plans. Apple’s $9.99 minimum is nearly three times that amount for a single camera, and the $59.99 cap for five cameras puts it far ahead of the competition.
“While the improved video features are useful — I’ve been testing them in beta and have been impressed — they’re not good enough to justify that big a price jump.”
What Stays the Same
Nothing about HomeKit Secure Video has changed for users at this point. New software updates have added behind-the-scenes upgrades that boost speed and reliability, along with support for 4K video resolution. These additions are real improvements, though the issue lies with the pricing.
The writer’s position is clear: the value just isn’t there at these prices. The AI features feel like a significant improvement for Apple Home, but the cost is a huge barrier.
The Price Jump in Detail
The pricing structure is the story. Apple is charging $9.99 a month for one camera, $29.99 a month for two, and $59.99 a month for five. That’s a steep climb for a service that previously cost $1 a month. The jump is so large that it changes the calculus for anyone with more than one camera.
For households with multiple cameras, the math stops working. Under the new plan, a family with four cameras would pay $59.99 a month for up to five cameras — a $10 a month premium for the privilege of adding a fourth camera. That’s a hard cost to justify when the old plan was $1 a month.
The Bottom Line
HomeKit Secure Video gains real value from Apple’s intelligence, with AI summaries, search features, and stitching capabilities offering genuine help for managing security footage. Yet the cost stands as a barrier for most people who would otherwise use it.
A single camera costs $9.99 a month for this feature, which makes it a luxury. Five cameras cost $59.99 a month, and at that price, it becomes a hard sell even for people who want the technology.
The Verge’s coverage is worth reading for the full breakdown, including the screenshots and the writer’s hands-on testing. The features are real, and they work well. The pricing is the problem, and it’s a big one.
The comparison to Amazon and Google shows the gap. Apple’s features are better, but the price is far worse. The iCloud Plus plans include storage for photos, files, and backups, which is a bonus, but it doesn’t offset the monthly commitment. Apple hasn’t detailed what higher-tier plans get you beyond Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features, so the full picture is still missing.
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