A new upgrade for smart home cameras is here to scare off burglars with the help of artificial intelligence. The update allows the cameras to automatically detect intruders and sound an 80-decibel siren.
The Philips Hue Secure cameras now have the ability to differentiate between a person, animal, or vehicle, and can trigger the siren accordingly. So no need to worry about your pets setting off the alarm in the middle of the night.
“You can now set your cameras or sensors to trigger an alarm automatically,” Philips explained. “If you have a camera with a Secure plan, you can even choose which type of motion triggers an alarm with advanced, AI-powered alerts.”
To enjoy this feature, you’ll need to be a Secure plan member, which costs $39.99 or £34.99 a year for a single camera. But many users see it as a small price to pay for added security.
The update also includes back-to-back video clip recording, activity zones, and a 30-day video history with the Basic Secure plan. For even more coverage, the Plus Secure plan offers 60 days of video recording for all cameras.
To check if you have the new update, look for version 5.22 on your devices. You can easily arm the alarm with a single tap on the Secure tile in your app’s Home panel.
While the update isn’t fool-proof, it can help scare off intruders or alert you to motion. You’ll still receive regular motion alerts via smartphone notifications and can view what triggered the siren using the cameras.
The update is available now for both iOS and Android versions of the app. Make sure to set up automatic triggers and choose specific activities to activate the motion sensor to avoid false alarms from pets.