I was looking into several different solutions for getting a feed of the security cameras (I’m using Eufy cameras, but this guide can be applied to any other brand as well, as long as several conditions are met, as will be explained below).
I got started with the custom Eufy integration (cheers to @anon63427907 for all the hard work there)
This was not too difficult to set up, however the feed was unreliable, took a very long time to be seen on the HA dashboard, sometimes getting error messages, this was not something that could pass the spousal approval test.
The best solution I could find so far, and this I found to be very reliable, is to basically install the Eufy app on the tablet, to make sure it has all the permissions it needed and then to use tasker with a plugin called AutoNotification, which “grabs” the notification on the tablet when someone rings the doorbell, it can then simulate a click on the notification to directly open the Eufy app (which automatically launches the app in the relevant camera, with the feed on, like a proper intercom system). And then it’s possible to set up a short timer to then close the Eufy app automatically and relaunch HA into our dashboard.
You can’t use this method to watch feed “on-demand”, only when a notification is arriving. For on-demand feed watching, I’ve set up picture cards that when you click on them it just opens the Eufy app. Not into the appropriate camera, but at least you get the Eufy camera grid and you can select which camera to watch.
So breaking it down into steps, for anyone who wishes to follow:
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Install the Eufy app (or whatever app you have for your own camera system if not using Eufy). I have no idea how this works with iPads, I’m using an Android tablet for all of this.
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Install tasker and AutoNotification. Tasker is free, however AutoNotification requires a very small one time fee, which is definitely worth it.
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Follow the guide here to set up AutoNotification to grab the notification and to click on it. (In step #4 of that guide, I used the id %antouchaction to click on the notification itself).
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I also added another step in Tasker, to cancel the notification after it is clicked on, it’s supposed to be cleared after the click, but just in case, to prevent double launching of the script.
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In the Tasker task - you wait 30 seconds after the “click”, then relaunch HA.
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Another small thing I did, in HA, in Automations, if the house door opens (there’s a sensor there), you can also close the Eufy app and relaunch HA.
For me this accurately serves the purpose - if someone rings the doorbell, to be able to see who it is as fast as possible.
Enjoy.
