Aqara G100: microSD or HomeKit Secure Video?
Automated research by Top10Scout editorial team · Not hands-on tested · Last verified 2026-10-05
Published · Updated
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Start with a microSD card if you want G100's continuous local history without adding a recording subscription. Choose HomeKit Secure Video when Apple Home access and cloud event history are worth its plan and home-hub requirements. These are different recording workflows, not interchangeable storage locations. Already paying for a suitable iCloud+ plan changes the extra subscription cost, but it does not supply a missing home hub.
Do you want the whole local timeline or Apple-selected clips?
What changes in daily use
| Decision | G100 microSD route | HomeKit Secure Video route |
|---|---|---|
| Recording behavior | Record 24/7 with a microSD card (up to 512GB, not included) | The video is privately analyzed by your home hub using on-device intelligence to determine if it needs to be recorded to iCloud. |
| Setup requirement | microSD card (up to 512GB, not included) | HomeKit Secure Video requires a supported iCloud plan, compatible HomeKit-enabled security camera, and a supported device running as a home hub. |
Aqara documents continuous recording to a card in G100. This is the natural starting point when the question is “what happened between the alerts?” Card capacity and recording settings determine how much history fits; we are not assigning a fixed retention period without matching those settings.
HomeKit Secure Video analyzes video on your home hub to determine what needs recording to iCloud. Apple provides the recent activity window described in You can view the last 10 days of activity in the Home app.. We would choose this for an Apple Home event-history workflow, not as a substitute for uninterrupted local footage.
Before buying storage, describe the incident you want to review. A delivery notification, a room's entire afternoon and a cloud copy accessible in Apple Home are different requirements. The more precise that requirement is, the easier the route choice becomes.
Will the recording resolution change?
G100's own product page documents native local recording and notes that HomeKit Secure Video supports up to 1080p resolution.. Therefore, buying a higher-resolution camera does not mean Apple will keep that same resolution in this route.
If you want to inspect the native local footage, keep the card workflow central to your decision. If you mainly want convenient event review inside Apple Home, the Apple route may still be the better fit. We have not tested whether either route captures a particular face or distant detail well enough for your situation.
The practical choice is the recording you will actually open. A specification advantage does little if your everyday viewing path uses a different recording limit.
What must you already own or buy?
The local route requires microSD card (up to 512GB, not included). Pick a suitable card and configure recording in the camera workflow. The camera itself is common to both routes, so buying the same G100 twice is not part of the comparison.
Apple requires a compatible camera, a supported paid iCloud plan and a supported device running as a home hub. Confirm the devices and plan in your existing household before purchasing additional hardware. We have left unnamed hub and card prices out of the cost comparison rather than use a guessed complete-system total.
Local card storage also means the recording is physically kept with the camera. If that device and its card are removed or damaged, that copy is exposed to the same event. A separately uploaded cloud recording changes that failure mode, but it cannot recreate footage that never successfully uploaded.
How much does the Apple plan add in the United States?
Checked US iCloud+ plan and camera allowances
| Plan | Monthly price | Camera allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | $0.99 | 50 GB plan: Add a single camera. |
| Middle plan | $2.99 | 200 GB plan: Add up to five cameras. |
| Larger plan | $9.99 | 2 TB plan and above: Add an unlimited number of cameras. |
The checked US iCloud+ monthly prices are $0.99 for the entry plan, $2.99 for the middle camera allowance shown here and $9.99 for the unlimited-camera allowance shown here. The table binds each price to its storage plan and supported camera count. Apple says some US states add tax.
If your current plan already covers your camera count, no plan upgrade is needed solely to add this supported camera within that allowance. If it does not, budget for the required plan or upgrade. The plan also serves other iCloud uses, so assigning its entire cost to the camera can overstate the camera's extra cost for an existing subscriber.
Apple says these recordings do not count toward the ordinary iCloud storage quota. Do not treat the plan's storage capacity as a video-retention bucket you can fill with a longer camera timeline.
Which route would we set up first?
For a buyer focused on avoiding a new recurring recording bill, we would begin with local card recording. For a household already using the required Apple setup, HomeKit Secure Video is easier to justify as an event-review option.
Keep the camera's own detection and cloud offers separate from Apple's service. Aqara documents free person detection, while its HomeGuardian offer adds other detection categories. Paying Apple is not the same as buying that Aqara plan.
After setup, verify the workflow you intend to rely on: find a recent recording, export a useful clip and check access from the household account that will use it. That is a practical acceptance check, not a requirement to perform a technical network experiment before choosing a camera.
Choose the local route first
Your main need is continuous history on the camera and avoiding a new recording plan. Add the required card and check the saved footage in ordinary use.
Choose the Apple event-history route
Apple Home is the desired place to review clips, and the household has or will deliberately buy the required plan and home-hub setup.
Frequently asked questions
Does G100 require a subscription to record locally?
Aqara documents continuous microSD recording and separately describes its optional cloud services. A suitable card is an additional hardware purchase. Budget for that card and configure local recording before relying on saved clips.
Does the basic free iCloud allowance provide this recording route?
Apple identifies HomeKit Secure Video recording as an iCloud+ feature requiring a supported plan. Check the paid plan and camera allowance rather than assuming the free storage allowance is sufficient.
Will these clips fill my normal iCloud quota?
Apple states that HomeKit Secure Video recordings do not count toward your iCloud storage. The supported camera count still depends on the plan. Check the household camera allowance separately from the storage you need for photos and backups.
Does Apple’s plan buy HomeGuardian features too?
These are separate recording services. HomeKit Secure Video is Apple’s recording route; G100’s HomeGuardian offer is a separate Aqara service. Choose each only for the functions you need.
Official sources
Apple iCloud+: checked exact-model source and conditions — checked 2026-10-05
Apple iCloud+: checked exact-model source and conditions — checked 2026-10-05
Aqara Camera G100: checked exact-model source and conditions — checked 2026-10-05