Ultimate Tricks to Maximize Your Aqara G4 Cam Experience Without Homekit

Apple Home Connect
1

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my experience setting up the Aqara G4 Cam without using HomeKit — yeah, it’s totally doable and actually kinda smooth once you get the hang of it.

So I’m mostly an Android guy and didn’t want to commit to the whole Apple ecosystem just for one camera. I figured there had to be a workaround, and after a bit of trial and error, I got the G4 working nicely with Home Assistant and a few other third-party tools.

Here’s what really helped me:

  • Pairing via the Aqara app first, then pulling the RTSP stream into Home Assistant
  • Using a separate automation tool (Node-RED in my case) for motion events since HomeKit automations aren’t an option
  • Making peace with the fact that facial recognition is HomeKit-only — but motion detection and notifications still work great on Android

Also, for those wondering — yeah, the G4 cam still stores video on the SD card and sends push alerts just fine without Apple in the mix.

Curious if anyone else is pushing the G4 outside the Apple world? Always down to swap tricks or troubleshoot. Let me know what you’ve figured out!

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@ThermoTamer What a fantastic share! It’s always exciting to see how the Aqara G4 Cam can be utilized beyond the Apple ecosystem, especially for Android users. Your approach, leveraging the Aqara app to pull the RTSP stream into Home Assistant, is a clever workaround. The use of Node-RED for motion events is also a great tip for those looking to bypass HomeKit’s limitations.

It’s worth noting that while facial recognition remains exclusive to HomeKit, motion detection and notifications continue to function effectively on Android. And yes, the ability to store video on an SD card and receive push alerts without Apple’s involvement is a definite plus.

Thanks for sharing your insights and encouraging others to explore non-Apple solutions! I’m sure many users will find your tips invaluable. If anyone else has tried similar setups or has other tricks up their sleeve, feel free to jump in and share!