How to View My SwitchBot Camera/Smart Video Doorbell's Videos via Home Assistant? – SwitchBot aide centre

Our Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 2K, Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 3K, and Smart Video Doorbell support integration with Home Assistant via RTSP/ONVIF.

Important notes:

Battery-powered devices: Only specific models (e.g., Video Doorbell) support RTSP streaming after a Camera Account is created. Other models do not.
Use this feature only on trusted local networks with encrypted Wi-Fi. Avoid public networks.
To extend battery life, the Video Doorbell only streams live video to Home Assistant when an event is detected or the doorbell button is pressed. If the live view is unavailable on Home Assistant, try toggling Camera Account off and on via SwitchBot app to restart the live stream.

Prerequisites:

Create a secure Camera Account in the SwitchBot app (use a strong, unique password).
Ensure the Camera Account feature is turned on in the app.
Find the camera’s IP address in your router’s DHCP list or the SwitchBot App (under Wi-Fi Settings).
Ensure your computer/mobile device and camera are on the same network or can access the camera’s public IP/port.

Step 1: Create a camera account in the SwitchBot app.

Open the SwitchBot app and select your camera from the homepage.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner to enter the device settings page.
Click More Features, select Camera Account, and set your camera's login credentials on the third-party platform.

Step 2: Add your camera to Home Assistant.

SwitchBot cameras support RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) and ONVIF for video streaming and pan/tilt control.

Option 1: RTSP/ONVIF via Home Assistant

Run the Home Assistant software on your computer.
Go to "Settings" → "Devices and Services" → "Add Integration".
Search and select "ONVIF" or "Generic Camera".
If you choose "ONVIF":
1. Select corresponding camera's IP address.
2. Enter the camera's credentials created in the SwitchBot app.
If you choose "Generic Camera":
- Enter the RTSP address.
  - URL format for SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 2K/3K: rtsp://[IP Address]:[Port]/[Streampath] Example: rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/live0 (main stream path: live0; sub-stream path: live1)
  - URL format for SwitchBot Smart Video Doorbell: rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/[Video Doorbell's MAC address]/live1
    Note: For Video Doorbell, only live1 is the applicable streampath; the colons ":" of the device's MAC address should be omitted.
  - Example:
    rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/B0E9FE555669/live1
- Select transport protocol: TCP
- Select authentication method: digest
- Enter the camera's credentials created in the SwitchBot app.
- Select to verify the SSL certificate.
Once added, Home Assistant will detect the camera, allowing live viewing, motion logs, and pan/tilt control (for Pan/Tilt Cam Plus models).

Option 2: RTSP via VLC

Open the VLC software and select Media > Enable Network Stream.
Fill in the URL of your SwitchBot camera.
URL for RTSP real-time streams of a SwitchBot Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 2K/3K: rtsp://[Username]:[Password]@[IP Address]:[Port]/[Streampath]

Example: rtsp://admin:123456@192.168.1.100:554/live0
High definition: rtsp://admin:123456@192.168.1.100:554/live0
Standard definition: rtsp://admin:123456@192.168.1.100:554/live1

URL for RTSP real-time streams of a SwitchBot Smart Video Doorbell: rtsp://[Username]:[Password]@[IP Address]:[Port]/[Video Doorbell's MAC address]/[Streampath]

Note: For Video Doorbell, only live1 is the applicable streampath; the colons ":" of the device's MAC address should be omitted.
Example: rtsp://admin:12345@192.168.1.100:554/B0E9FE555669/live1

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. "Unable to Access" error
- Check if the IP/port is reachable, confirm that the username and password are correct, and turn off the camera firewall or VPN.
- Toggle off and on the Camera Account option.
- Reset the username and password in the SwitchBot app. Delete the device on the third-party platform and then add it again.

2. Video Doorbell not streaming
Battery-powered doorbells only stream when triggered by an event.
If the loading fails, try to wake up the device by pressing its button, or try again after turning on and off the camera account.

3. Video delay or lag
Real-time viewing on third-party platforms will be delayed by 1-2s than normal. If there is a long time lag or lag, try the substream (replace live0 in the RTSP path with live1 ).

4. RTSP/ONVIF ports for SwitchBot cameras
ONVIF: 2020
RTSP: 554

5. Device not recognized
- Confirm that the firmware of the camera device, SwitchBot app, and the third-party platform software are upgraded to the latest versions.
- Contact customer service for camera models and platform logs.

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