Ios 14 Home App Rich NotificationsSource: Apple

Starting this fall HomeKit Secure Video cameras are gaining the ability to recognize faces, enabling notifications to include the name of the person in view. The latest feature, just like all things Apple and HomeKit, delivers these smart notifications using local image processing through a HomeKit hub and a user's Photo Library. If that wasn't enough, the HomePod will also get in on the action by announcing the arrival, once it gets its update later this year. If you're on the latest betas already, here's how to enable and manage Face Recognition.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

How to enable Face Recognition in the Home app in iOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on Rooms in the navigation bar at the bottom of the app.
  3. Swipe to the left or right to navigate to the room that the camera is in.
  4. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  5. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  6. Tap Face Recognition.
  7. Toggle Face Recognition to the on position with a tap.
  8. Tap on the Face Library option with your name.
    • Other users in the Home will appear in the Face Libraries list if they are sharing them with everyone in the home.
  9. Turn on Use Photo Library with a tap if it is not already on to enable the feature.
  10. Tap on the toggle for Share Faces to share your Face Library with others in your home if desired.

How to turn off Face Recognition in the Home app in iOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on Rooms in the navigation bar at the bottom of the app.
  3. Swipe to the left or right to navigate to the room that the camera is in.
  4. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  5. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  6. Tap Face Recognition.
  7. Toggle Face Recognition to the off position with a tap.

How to manage recognized faces in the Home app in iOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on Rooms in the navigation bar at the bottom of the app.
  3. Swipe to the left or right to navigate to the room that the camera is in.
  4. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  5. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  6. Tap Face Recognition.
  7. Tap on the Name of the person you wish to manage.
  8. Tap on the Name of recognized face to rename the person.
  9. Tap on Hide Notifications to turn off notifications for this particular person.
  10. Tap on Remove Face to delete it from your list of recognized faces.

How to manage unknown faces in the Home app in iOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on Rooms in the navigation bar at the bottom of the app.
  3. Swipe to the left or right to navigate to the room that the camera is in.
  4. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  5. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  6. Tap Face Recognition.
  7. Tap on an entry that is listed as Unknown.
  8. Tap Add Name.
    • Tap Remove Face if the thumbnail image is someone that you do not wish to recognize.
  9. Type in the Name for the person who you wish to assign it to.
  10. Tap Done to confirm the face.

How to enable Face Recognition in the Home app in iPadOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Tap Face Recognition.
  6. Toggle Face Recognition to the on position with a tap.
  7. Tap on the Face Library option with your name.
    • Other users in the Home will appear in the Face Libraries list if they are sharing them with everyone in the home.
  8. Turn on Use Photo Library with a tap if it is not already on to enable the feature.
  9. Tap on the toggle for Share Faces to share your Face Library with others in your home if desired.

How to turn off Face Recognition in the Home app in iPadOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Tap Face Recognition.
  6. Toggle Face Recognition to the off position with a tap.

How to manage recognized faces in the Home app in iPadOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Tap Face Recognition.
  6. Tap on the Name of the person you wish to manage.
  7. Tap on the Name of recognized face to rename the person.
  8. Tap on Hide Notifications to turn off notifications for this particular person.
  9. Tap on Remove Face to delete it from your list of recognized faces.

How to manage unknown faces in the Home app in iPadOS 14

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Tap on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Tap on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Tap on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Tap Face Recognition.
  6. Tap on an entry that is listed as Unknown.
  7. Tap Add Name.
    • Tap Remove Face if the thumbnail image is someone that you do not wish to recognize.
  8. Type in the Name for the person who you wish to assign it to.
  9. Tap Done to confirm the face.

How to enable Face Recognition in the Home app in macOS 11

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Click on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Click on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Click on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Click Face Recognition.
  6. Toggle Face Recognition to the on position with a click.
  7. Click on the Face Library option with your name.
    • Other users in the Home will appear in the Face Libraries list if they are sharing them with everyone in the home.
  8. Turn on Use Photo Library with a click if it is not already on to enable the feature.
  9. Click on the toggle for Share Faces to share your Face Library with others in your home if desired.

How to turn off Face Recognition in the Home app in macOS 11

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Click on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Click on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Click on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Click Face Recognition.
  6. Toggle Face Recognition to the off position with a click.

How to manage recognized faces in the Home app in macOS 11

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Click on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Click on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Click on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Click Face Recognition.
  6. Click on the Name of the person you wish to manage.
  7. Click on the Name of recognized face to rename the person.
  8. Click on Hide Notifications to turn off notifications for this particular person.
  9. Click on Remove Face to delete it from your list of recognized faces.

How to manage unknown faces in the Home app in macOS 11

  1. Launch the Home app.
  2. Click on the Room name in the sidebar where your camera is located.
  3. Click on the Thumbnail image of your camera.
  4. Click on the Settings icon located near the top of the app.
  5. Click Face Recognition.
  6. Click on an entry that is listed as Unknown.
  7. Click Add Name.
    • Click Remove Face if the thumbnail image is someone that you do not wish to recognize.
  8. Type in the Name for the person who you wish to assign it to.
  9. Click Done to confirm the face.

Now that you have Face Recognition enabled, faces that pass in front of your HomeKit Secure Video camera will be analyzed automatically by HomeKit. Notifications will include a person's name if it is recognized. HomeKit utilizes your existing Faces and People from the Photos app, which means that there are no extra steps required.

If someone isn't recognized, you can review all of the faces that have been seen in the Home app, where you can assign as appropriate to further tune recognition. Need a refresher on how to use the Faces and People feature? Then check out our handy guides here.

Our top equipment picks

Indoors and out

Logitech Circle View

Secure video

The Logitech Circle View has one of the easiest set up processes around which only involves using the Home app. This means that you can be up and running with Face Recognition, and more in a matter of minutes. This camera also has all of the bells and whistles, including 1080p video, 2-way audio, and weather resistance.

The Logitech Circle View is our favorite built-for-HomeKit camera with a set up process that doesn't require downloading another app or establishing an account. Simply unbox the camera, open the Home app, and scan the HomeKit pairing code and you are up and running. Weather resistance allows this camera to work indoors and out, and it features crisp 1080p visuals, 2-way audio, and of course, HomeKit Secure Video, which works with Face Recognition, and stores video in iCloud.

Recognize them

Of course, Logitech's camera isn't the only one around that supports Apple's Face Recognition technology in HomeKit. Several others, including the completely wireless eufyCam 2, and the sleek Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera also support the latest HomeKit feature.

eufyCam 2 ($300 at Amazon)

eufy's completely wireless cameras not only work with HomeKit Secure Video, but they can last up to an entire year on a single charge of the integrated battery. Place this camera anywhere around or outside the home for smart notifications with Face Recognition.

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