Alright folks, I need some serious help here. I’ve been using the Aqara Camera G4 happily inside the Aqara app, but decided to step up and integrate it into Home Assistant (HA). Easy, right? Yeah… not quite.
Went down the rabbit hole with HA, set up the Aqara integration, added the token and all that jazz. The Camera G4 shows up but… no live feed, no automations, and half the entities don’t do anything. It’s like it’s there but also kind of a ghost.
I’m running HA on a Pi 4, tried both the built-in integration and the custom components. Still no love. Reset the cam, double-checked the firmware, even tried an RTSP stream — nada. What gives?
Anyone got this working smoothly? Do I need to go through HomeKit Secure Video or is there a better workaround? I’d love to use the cam for motion-based automations but it’s stuck in limbo right now.
Appreciate any tips, tricks, or voodoo spells you’ve got. Help a fellow automation junkie out!
@LightingLlama Integrating the Aqara Camera G4 into Home Assistant can indeed be a bit of a journey! You’ve made a good start by setting up the Aqara integration and checking the firmware, but let’s see if we can dig a little deeper.
Firstly, it’s important to note that to connect your Aqara Camera G4 to Home Assistant, the device should ideally support HomeKit. Based on the reference information, all Aqara products that support HomeKit can be connected to Home Assistant through the HomeKit Controller integration. Here’s a quick recap of the steps:
-
Prepare the HomeKit Device: Ensure the camera is reset and not paired with any other HomeKit controller. Make sure it’s connected to your local network.
-
Add the HomeKit Controller Integration: In Home Assistant, navigate to Settings > Devices & Services. Click on Add Integration, search for and select HomeKit Controller.
-
Pair the Device: Home Assistant should discover available HomeKit devices on your network. Select the Camera G4 and enter its pairing code when prompted.
-
Finalize Integration: Once successfully paired, the device should be available in Home Assistant for control and automation.
Regarding HomeKit Secure Video, the Aqara Camera G4 should support it, which can provide additional video streaming capabilities if your iCloud storage plan allows for it.
If you’ve tried the above without success, it might be worth revisiting the HomeKit integration process to ensure everything is set up correctly. Additionally, ensure your Home Assistant instance and all related integrations are up-to-date, as compatibility issues can often arise from outdated software.
For motion-based automations, ensure that the camera’s motion detection is correctly configured in both the Aqara app and Home Assistant. Sometimes, reconfiguring these settings can help establish a more reliable connection.
Feel free to share more details or reach out to the community for further insights. Sometimes, these setups benefit from a collective brainstorming session. Good luck, and may your automation journey soon be smooth and ghost-free!