HomeKit secure video stopped recording clips from doorbell.

Question

HomeKit secure video stopped recording clips from doorbell.

I setup up the new Logitech doorbell in the home app and everything was working properly for a couple of days. All of a sudden I can only view a stream of the doorbell’s video. It stopped recording clips and sending motion notifications. Everything in the Home app is setup correctly like I had originally set. I’ve tried removing the doorbell from the app, resetting the doorbell and adding it back. Still won’t record. I’ve also tried turning off several hubs (Apple TVs, HomePods and iPad mini) can’t seem to isolate the issue. One thing that is strange is when I have my main Apple TV (connected as home hub) connected via Ethernet, I can no longer view the stream from the Home section of the Apple TV. It says no response. However, I can still view the live stream from my iPhone’s Home app.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Posted on Dec 19, 2020 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 23, 2020 5:27 PM in response to zinacef

An update: I realized that if an Apple TV is used as a home hub, the HomeKit secure video doorbell won’t load the live stream or won’t get doorbell notifications. Ever since I disabled both my Apple TV’s as home hubs the doorbell has been working properly. Must be a bug.

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Answer 2

NGil_NM

Level 1

13 points

Jan 2, 2021 12:29 PM in response to Ijoshbautista

I was surprised that your video and notifications stopped working with your Apple TV as a hub. I just verified that, in my instance, when I unplugged the Home Pod and allowed my wifi connected 4th Gen Apple TV to take over as the "connected" hub, that live and recorded video were working as well as person detection and doorbell notifications. I've seen in other discussions that an Apple TV with a wired network connection fails to work as a hub - haven't tried that yet but perhaps that's the issue you're experiencing.

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Answer 3

NGil_NM

Level 1

13 points

Dec 30, 2020 3:25 PM in response to Ijoshbautista

I have not noticed that with Apple TV being the “connected” Hub (vs HomePod) that recording and analytics cease to function. My issue has to do with the hubs associated with my Apple ID randomly assuming “connected” status.

After talking to Logitech and Apple, I posted:

Apple Home feedback: (which had to be posted to HomePod feedback)

Under my single Apple ID I have two “Homes” configured. In each home I have multiple “Hub” compatible devices. I recently installed the Logitech Circle Doorbell in one of my homes. I discovered that I could not place the Doorbell “online” without powering off remote hubs and “force” a local hub to “connected” status. Once this was done I received notification that the doorbell was online and all advanced functions of the doorbell started working.

Under “Home Settings”, “Hubs & Bridges” all Hubs associated with my Apple ID are listed with no respect to which “Home” they are associated with. Adding the ability to specify primary and/or secondary “connected” hubs or the ability to assign hubs to a specific “Home” and allow one “connected” Hub per home would solve my issue.

Logitech feedback:

Provide feedback to Apple regarding the limitations of defining multiple homes in the Apple Home construct. Circle doorbell will not function without a local connected Hub. When Connected Hub migrates randomly to the non local home, doorbell analytics and recording ceases to function.

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Answer 4

zinacef

Level 10

89,082 points

Dec 19, 2020 12:30 PM in response to Ijoshbautista

Interesting as I only thought the Apple TV served as the hub.

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Answer 5

zinacef

Level 10

89,082 points

Dec 23, 2020 8:53 PM in response to Ijoshbautista

Happy to hear you got it resolved (somewhat).

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Answer 6

Dec 19, 2020 11:28 AM in response to zinacef

So, I disabled my Apple TV as being a hub from the Apple TV settings and clips and notifications are working again. The hub is a HomePod now. As soon as I enable the Apple TV 4K as a hub it reconnects as the hub and the doorbell stops recording again, though I can still view the live stream. Again if I connect via Ethernet it stops working all together. All devices are up to date.

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Answer 7

zinacef

Level 10

89,082 points

Dec 19, 2020 10:45 AM in response to Ijoshbautista

You mentioned you turned off the hubs. Does that mean you restarted them from within the Settings?

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Answer 8

Dec 19, 2020 10:48 AM in response to zinacef

No, since HomePods don’t have an option to turn off being used as a hub, I unplugged them from power. Unplugged Apple TV’s too. Did this one at a time.

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