SwitchBot’s expanded AI Guard Plan can identify registered people, detect deliveries and send image-based alerts, while adding new ways to search and automate camera events.
SwitchBot has expanded its AI Guard Plan with face recognition, package detection and image-based push alerts, adding more detail to its camera subscription service at a time when the company is broadening the software layer around its home security devices. According to SwitchBot’s Japanese announcement, the update is designed to help users identify who appears on camera, spot deliveries at the door and decide more quickly whether an event needs attention.
The most notable addition is face recognition. Users can register family members and frequent visitors so the camera can match a face in view with a named profile. When a recognised person appears, the app can show that name in the alert and in the AI-generated description of the event. SwitchBot also says users can review recordings by person, which should make it easier to trace when a particular individual was seen without scrubbing through long stretches of footage. As with any computer vision system, however, the company warns that recognition results may vary depending on lighting, camera placement and the condition of the person being identified.
SwitchBot has also added package detection, aimed at front doors and porch delivery use cases. When a parcel is detected, the app can now send a notification that includes both a written description and an image of the scene. That means a user can see the basic context of the event before opening the app or replaying the clip, which may reduce the need to check every alert in full. The same detection function can now also be used as an automation trigger, allowing users to link package events to actions such as a push message. The company notes that detection accuracy can still be affected by the environment, the shape of the parcel and the position of the camera.
The service already included AI video search, AI summaries and automation tools, and those remain part of the package. Users can search recordings with prompts such as a person in dark clothing or a white car, while AI summaries arrange the main events of the day in chronological order. Automations can then use detected events to control other SwitchBot devices, for example turning on a light when a person is seen near the entrance at night. That functionality depends on compatible hardware and prior setup.
SwitchBot says the AI Guard Plan is available in three tiers. The Basic plan includes 30 days of cloud storage and AI recognition for pets and vehicles. The Plus plan adds AI alerts, AI video search, AI summaries, face recognition, package detection and image-based push notifications. The Ultra plan extends those Plus features to as many as 10 cameras, and SwitchBot says it also plans to add a “Story Summary” feature that groups related clips into a single timeline of events. For first-time subscribers, the one-camera Plus plan is available free for the first month. Compatibility varies by product, plan and app version, but the company’s support material says the service replaces the older Cloud Storage Service from app version 9.27 onwards, with existing subscribers moved across to the Basic plan.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
