Latch Camera overview

The Latch Camera is a PoE-powered Mini Dome IP camera that pairs with a Latch Intercom at a building entry door. When a visitor calls a resident through the Intercom, the Latch Camera provides the live video feed shown to the resident in the DOOR app. The camera itself does not replace an intercom — it complements one.

The camera mounts on a ceiling or wall at the entry, connects to the property network over a single Ethernet cable (using Power over Ethernet for both power and data), and is paired to an Intercom Door in DOOR OS via the DOOR app.

What the Latch Camera is used for

Visitor video feed during Intercom calls — when a visitor presses a resident's name on the Latch Intercom and the resident answers in the DOOR app, the paired Latch Camera streams live video so the resident can see who is calling. This is the primary documented use of the camera.
Field-of-view verification (property managers) — from the DOOR app, a property manager can take a test image for the paired camera to confirm orientation and framing. Path: DOOR app → Devices → select the door → Camera → take test image.

The camera includes H.264 and MJPEG video compression and a Micro-SD slot in its hardware, but the DOOR-side flow for recording, motion-event handling, and clip storage is not documented in the public DOOR knowledge base.

Where the Latch Camera fits

A Latch Camera is always paired to an Intercom Door — it does not function as a standalone access-control camera. The pairing requires:

A door in DOOR OS with door type Building Entrance.
A Latch Intercom installed at that door and activated.
The Intercom selected in the door's Intercom dropdown in DOOR OS.
An activated lock device (the Latch R that controls the door's lock). The camera cannot be paired to a door that has no activated lock device yet — install and activate the lock first.

If the property does not have a Latch Intercom, the Camera has nothing to pair with.

Form factor

Type: Mini Dome IP camera with a transparent bubble cover.
Components: lens, two IR LEDs (night-time illumination, up to 20 meters), light sensor, status LED (tri-color), reset button, LAN port (PoE), Micro-SD slot.
Mounting: ceiling or wall, at least 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground per the install guide. The resident-facing positioning article recommends a 4-meter height as best practice.
Outdoor capability: yes — the camera includes a built-in heater that turns on below 42°F (6°C), waterproof cap kit for the Ethernet cable, and conduit is required for any outdoor wire run.

Power and connectivity

Power: Power over Ethernet (PoE) only. The camera draws power exclusively from the Ethernet cable — there is no direct AC/DC input and no separate power-supply-unit (PSU) option. Use a PoE-enabled switch, or a PoE injector between the camera and a non-PoE switch. If the network port does not deliver PoE, the camera will not power on.
Network: standard Ethernet cable from the camera's LAN port to the switch or injector. The camera supports DHCP and standard IP protocols (TCP/IP, DHCP, SMTP, NTP, HTTP, FTP, RTP, RTSP, UPnP).
Minimum network speed: 10 Mbps as tested by a network testing device.
WiFi: not supported — the Latch Camera is a wired device.
Firewall: if the camera is installed behind a firewall, the following must be allowed for the camera to reach DOOR cloud:
- TCP outbound to ports 443, 3478, 5349, 8883 — open to all destinations.
- UDP ports 1025–65535 — open in both directions (inbound and outbound).
- Domains allowed: *.latchaccess.com, *.latch.com, *.amazonaws.com.
- Full cone NAT configuration is recommended; at a minimum, some NAT is required (otherwise the camera is exposed to constant attack).
- If video feeds still won't load after the above, all ports to the camera may need to be opened. See Latch Camera troubleshooting for SonicWall-specific guidance and additional firewall steps.

Camera positioning at a glance

The install guide and the property-manager positioning doc recommend:

Aerial (mounted at an angle pointing down-toward the visitor's face) or face position (mounted at face height, looking horizontally toward the visitor). Both are approved.
Avoid mounting directly overhead (camera looks straight down at the visitor's head — visitor's face is not captured).
Avoid mounting at an angle where the camera looks past the visitor toward a far wall or doorway.
Keep the field of view clear of small trees, bushes, or other objects that move in the wind — they will trigger false motion events.
Mount out of reach of visitors and out of direct sunlight.
Refer to local ADA or accessibility guidelines for the Intercom; the camera placement follows from the Intercom placement.

What DOOR OS and the DOOR app show

DOOR OS displays whether the Camera is paired to an Intercom Door and its activation status. Camera feed access is split between residents and property managers:

Residents see the live camera feed only during an active Intercom call — when a visitor calls them through the Latch Intercom and they answer in the DOOR app. There is no resident-facing on-demand camera viewing.
Property managers can take a test image for installation verification or orientation checks. Path: DOOR app → Devices → select the door → Camera → take test image. This is a single-shot image for setup, not a continuous live view.

What the Latch Camera is not

Not a standalone surveillance camera — it must be paired to a Latch Intercom and a Building Entrance door in DOOR OS.
Not a unit-door camera — it serves common-area / building-entry use cases.
Not a battery-powered device — PoE only, no battery backup. Loss of network power means loss of video.
Not a WiFi device — wired Ethernet only.

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