Hive has a second Hive View security camera, called the Hive View. The first, known as the Hive Camera, had the appearance of a standard home security camera, but Hive wanted form in addition to function this time. The View, created by industrial designer Yves Béhar, is sure to please even the most design-conscious homeowners, but it won’t be around for long.
Cost and availability
Although Hive no longer sells the Hive View camera directly in the UK, you might be able to get one through another shop. On 1 August 2025, Hive will stop providing support for any remaining Hive View cameras. So, if you have previously purchased a Hive View camera, it will cease to function as of that time.
With this round-up of the top smart security cameras we’ve evaluated, you can find alternatives.
Read More: Exploring the Limitless Potential of ChatGPT: Demystifying the Hype
Build and design
The Hive View is delivered in attractive packaging together with all necessary extras and a small quick start manual. Despite the setup being fairly simple, we advise reading the tutorial first.
The camera is powered by a long, thin micro-USB cable (3 metres in length), and you also receive a very fashionable metal stand that can be mounted to a wall or ceiling or set on a flat surface (your choice of champagne gold or brushed copper). Because the base is magnetic, it can be mounted to any metal surface in your house, which is quite helpful if you don’t want to drill holes in the walls.
The camera is a small, light, 56mm x 56mm plastic cube that comes in two colours: White or Black. The camera and stand’s overall construction quality is far better than that of the original Hive Camera, giving them a little more upscale and custom appearance.
Putting the Hive View camera in place
If you now use Hive, your smartphone or tablet most likely already has the Hive app downloaded. That’s excellent news since you will only be able to connect to the Hive View via the iOS or Android app as Hive Home in a web browser does not support it.
The good news is that installation just requires a brief amount of time. You tap “install a new device” on the Hive app, then you tap the Hive View icon. The app will locate the camera and walk you through the setup process as long as Bluetooth is enabled and the View is on.
In comparison to other unnecessarily complex smart security camera setups, it took us only five steps to get the camera working.
App features
On the Hive home screen, next to the Hive Active Light and Hive Heating (which won’t show up if you don’t have them yourself), the Hive View has its own icon.
There is no additional integration with the other Hive devices, save from the ability to see and control Hive-branded equipment in a single app. For instance, it would have been helpful if the camera could be set to turn on the active lights when it detects a person in the room. But, Hive has told us that this capability will be accessible in February; we’ll check back on this when the upgrade is made available.
Specs
Specifications in Hive View
- Magnetic camera cube that is detachable
- Rolling 24-hour camera history as a minimum with the option to upgrade to 30-day
- camera history and receive additional advantages
- 16-foot night vision and up to 1080p HD video
- specialised video analytics processor
- the speaker and microphone
- 3 metre USB power cord
- rechargeable 2100 mAh battery
- Wi-Fi bands 2.4 and 5 GHz Bluetooth 4.1
Read More: Apple Watch Ultra’s Depth and Water Seal Tests: Everything You Need to Know
