Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, and Apple says supported HomeKit Secure Video cameras can now stream and record in 4K. The feature has moved beyond beta, but that does not make every existing camera 4K and it is not an announcement that Apple Home supports cameras through Matter.
Apple's wording is the first buying filter: the 4K change applies to supported HomeKit Secure Video cameras. Recording with HomeKit Secure Video requires iCloud+, and Apple says video is encrypted by a compatible home hub before it is uploaded. The camera maker still needs to expose a 4K feed through the Apple Home integration. A higher platform limit cannot add resolution that the camera, firmware, or integration does not provide.
The Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410 shows why model-level checks matter. Aqara advertises 2K video for the doorbell but documents its HomeKit Secure Video stream at up to 1200p. Apple's change does not turn that feed into 4K.
Matter cameras remain a separate check
The Connectivity Standards Alliance added camera support in Matter 1.5. That gives camera makers and smart-home platforms a standard route for features such as live video and audio, but each product and platform still has to implement it. Apple's current iOS 27 page describes the 4K change specifically as HomeKit Secure Video support. It does not say that Apple Home has adopted the Matter camera device type.
For a new camera purchase, require the manufacturer to confirm three things for the exact model and firmware: the resolution available in HomeKit Secure Video, which iCloud+ plan covers the household's camera count, and which features travel over Matter rather than the brand's own app or another integration. A Matter logo elsewhere on the box does not answer those camera questions.
iOS 27 removes the need to install beta software for this feature, but it does not remove the compatibility check. Existing owners can update their Apple devices and home hub, then verify the actual stream and recording resolution for one camera before assuming the rest of the home will follow. New buyers should wait for the camera maker to name the exact resolution available in HomeKit Secure Video and should treat Matter camera support as a separate claim.
Updated September 20, 2026, after iOS 27 moved from beta to public release.
- Editor
- JC Martinez
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