Camera compatibility

Camera Bridge works by standard, not by brand. If your camera offers an RTSP stream, it can be in Apple Home. If it also speaks ONVIF, Camera Bridge can find it, read its settings and use its own motion events. This page explains what each level gets you and how to check your camera.

What works

Any camera with an RTSP stream: IP cameras, PoE cameras, panoramic and PTZ cameras, and cameras already wired to an NVR. H.264 is best; H.265 works but is converted, which uses more of your Mac.
ONVIF Profile S or Profile T cameras: discovery, settings and events on top of the stream.
Video doorbells that expose RTSP and ONVIF events: they appear in Apple Home as real doorbells, with chimes and notifications when the button is pressed.

What each level gets you

RTSP stream only

Add the camera by its RTSP address.

You get: Live view in Apple Home and on your Mac, and HomeKit Secure Video recording.
Motion and doorbell events: RTSP carries no events, so motion comes from Camera Bridge's built-in motion detection. A doorbell without ONVIF events has no button-press event.

ONVIF Profile S or T

The camera is found on your network, or add it by address, with an ONVIF user.

You get: Everything above, plus automatic stream detection and, where the camera allows it, settings changed over ONVIF.
Motion and doorbell events: The camera's own motion events, and doorbell presses on doorbells that send them.

ONVIF plus a vendor API

Some cameras also have a local HTTP API that Camera Bridge can use.

You get: Fuller settings and one-click optimization for the things ONVIF can't change.
Motion and doorbell events: Same as ONVIF. Where there is no API, Optimize for HomeKit tells you what to change on the camera yourself.

Recommended camera settings

Set these on the camera. “Optimize for HomeKit” checks them and applies what it can where the camera allows it.

H.264 video. H.265 is converted, which uses more of your Mac. Turn off “smart” or “plus” codec modes that stretch the keyframe interval.
Keyframe (I-frame) interval of about 4 seconds or less. A long interval is the most common reason clips go missing. 1–2 seconds is ideal.
A sub stream around 640×360 for fast live view.
NTP time sync, so the camera clock is right.
An ONVIF user account, if the camera supports ONVIF. Many cameras keep ONVIF users separate from the web admin login. See Support for the steps.

How to tell if your camera qualifies

Open the camera's web page or app settings, or its manual, and look for RTSP and ONVIF in the network or integration settings. Some cameras ship with them switched off, so turn them on.
An RTSP address looks like rtsp://user:password@camera-address:554/path. The port is usually 554 and the path depends on the model, so check the manual for the main and sub stream paths.
For ONVIF, look for “ONVIF Profile S” or “Profile T” on the box or in the manual, or check the model in the conformant products list on onvif.org.
Not sure? Add it in Camera Bridge. It detects the camera's type, streams and events and shows what it found before anything is added.

What does not work

Cloud-only cameras with no RTSP stream and no ONVIF. If the only way to see video is the maker's app, there is nothing for Camera Bridge to connect to.
Battery cameras that only stream on demand. They sleep between events and have no always-on stream. Many solar and cellular cameras are in this group, so check your model first.

Cameras we've tested

The Shop lists cameras and accessories the developer has tested with Camera Bridge, and marks which ones were.

Camera profiles

Camera Bridge downloads a small list of known camera quirks from this website so it can pick the right setup method for your model. The list contains only model patterns and setup steps — nothing about you or your cameras is sent to fetch it.