Explore top smart home security systems. Find reviews, guides, and tips on choosing the right system to keep your home safe.
The Blink Sync Module 2 is the small white hub that lets a group of Blink cameras share one wifi connection and (more importantly) record clips to a USB drive instead of forcing you onto a paid Blink subscription. If you own an Outdoor 4, an XT2, or an older Indoor/Outdoor camera, you need one. … Read more
Blink cameras are dead simple to mount – the included hardware covers most situations right out of the box. But depending on where you’re installing and what you’re worried about (theft, weird angles, siding you don’t want to drill through), there are better options than the stock setup. This guide covers what comes in the … Read more
Blink cameras run on AA lithium batteries – not alkaline. That distinction matters more than it sounds. Alkaline voltage drops gradually as they drain, which means your camera starts throwing low-battery warnings well before the batteries are actually dead. Lithium holds a steady 1.5V through its whole life, handles temperature swings without complaining, and lasts … Read more
No. SimpliSafe still does not work with Apple HomeKit natively, and as of May 2026 the company has no announced plans to add HomeKit or Matter support. If you want SimpliSafe in the Apple Home app, your only option is running a Homebridge plugin on a separate device you already own (a Mac, a Raspberry … Read more
A Raspberry Pi camera works fine as a HomeKit accessory – you just need the right software layer between them. This isn’t a one-click process, but it’s not hard either. If you’ve ever used the terminal and installed a package or two, you’re qualified. Budget about an hour for a clean install. The standard approach … Read more
No. Blink cameras do not work with Apple HomeKit natively, and they never have. Blink is an Amazon-owned brand, Amazon and Apple don’t play well together at the platform level, and there’s been no announcement from either side that this is going to change. If you want a Blink camera tile in the Apple Home … Read more
HomeKit Secure Video is Apple’s privacy-first approach to home security cameras. Instead of sending raw footage to a corporate server for processing, your camera streams to a HomePod or Apple TV on your local network, that device analyzes it on-device, and only then does encrypted video get uploaded to your iCloud account. Apple never sees … Read more