Installing Latch Camera

The Latch Camera is a PoE Mini Dome IP camera installed at a building entry door and paired to a Latch Intercom. Installation is performed by a qualified installer using the Mini Dome IP Camera Installation Guide (included in the box). This article covers what to confirm before installation, the high-level install sequence, the activation flow, and post-install verification.

About the Latch Camera

The camera does not function on its own — it pairs to a Latch Intercom installed at a Building Entrance door in DOOR OS. If the property does not yet have an Intercom on the target door, install and activate the Intercom first, then return to this article for the camera.

The camera is PoE only — Power over Ethernet supplies both power and network connectivity through a single Ethernet cable. There is no battery, no direct AC/DC input, and no separate power-supply-unit (PSU) option. The camera cannot be powered any other way: if the port does not deliver PoE, the camera will not turn on.

Requirements

Network infrastructure:
- PoE-enabled switch, or a non-PoE switch with a PoE injector between the switch and the camera.
- Standard Ethernet cable (not included in the box).
- DHCP available on the network.
- Minimum 10 Mbps as tested by a network testing device.
- The PoE power supply must be UL-listed I.T.E. with PoE output, rated 48 Vdc, 0.25 A minimum, Tma 50°C, ES1/SELV/LPS/PS2 compliant.
Latch Intercom: installed, activated, and assigned to the target Building Entrance door in DOOR OS.
Mounting location: ceiling or wall at the entry, at least 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground. Out of reach of visitors and out of direct sunlight. Avoid mounting near small trees, bushes, or other objects that move in the wind — they will trigger false motion events.
For outdoor installs: conduit or tube for any exposed Ethernet run; waterproof cap kit on the Ethernet connection at the camera; the built-in heater handles cold temperatures down to the operating range.
DOOR OS access: property-manager-or-above to create or edit the door, and an installer DOOR app account to pair the camera.
Camera MAC address: written on the camera label (also adhered to the back of the camera). Note it before mounting — it is required during pairing.

Tools

#2 Phillips head screwdriver
TR10 Torx security screwdriver
L tool (included in the box) — for the three retaining screws on the dome bubble
1"–1.5" drill bit for the cable routing hole
Mounting template (included in the box)

What is in the box

Mini Dome IP Camera
L tool
Mounting screws
Mounting template sheet

Ethernet cable is not included — supply separately.

Steps

The install guide describes 6 numbered steps with diagrams. At a high level:

Remove the bubble and protective foam. Use the L tool to remove the three retaining screws and the bubble. Remove the protective foam. Leave the bubble detached until the camera is mounted.
Power up. Connect a standard Ethernet cable to the camera's LAN port and to the PoE switch (or PoE injector → non-PoE switch). The status LED should be solid green during startup (60 to 90 seconds), then blink green when startup is complete.
Mount the camera. Identify the mounting location. Use the mounting template to drill three mounting holes in the ceiling or wall. Insert anchors if needed. Align the three camera-stand mounting holes with the wall holes and secure with the provided screws. For outdoor installs: route the Ethernet cable through the wall/surface (do not leave it exposed) and seal with the waterproof caps.
Pair the camera to the Intercom Door (see activation section below) — do this before re-attaching the bubble, so any LED feedback during pairing is visible.
Attach the bubble. Use the alignment marks to align the bubble with the camera body, and secure with the three retaining screws using the L tool. The provided screws are 55 mm × 100 mm. Confirm the camera is firmly seated and the bubble is flush.
Aim the camera. Rotate and tilt the camera body to achieve the desired field of view for the entry. The camera supports pan and tilt adjustment.

Use the L tool only — do not use power tools on the bubble retaining screws. Over-tightening will damage the bubble seal.

Activation — pair the camera to an Intercom Door

Activation has two parts: the Building Entrance door must exist in DOOR OS with an Intercom assigned to it, and the camera is paired from the DOOR app.

1. Prepare the door in DOOR OS

Log in to DOOR OS → Access → Doors.
For a new door: click Add Door → name it (e.g. "Front Entrance", "Lobby") → set door type Building Entrance → ensure the Latch Intercom is selected in the Intercom dropdown.
For an existing door: open the Building Entrance door → confirm the Intercom is selected in the Intercom dropdown.

2. Activate the lock device on the door

The door must already have an activated lock device (the Latch R that controls the door's lock) before the camera can be paired. If the lock device has not been activated yet, complete that activation first — see Activating Devices with the DOOR app and then return here.

Wait for a solid blue LED before pairing. Pairing will most likely fail until the camera has fully booted and connected to the network — indicated by the status LED turning solid blue. If you attempt to pair while the LED is still green (booting) or blinking, expect rejected or unresponsive pairing attempts. Give the camera the full 60-to-90-second startup, confirm the LED is solid blue, then start the pairing flow below.

Open the DOOR app → select the property.
Go to Devices → Doors and select the Intercom Door.
Tap Pair Camera.
Enter the Camera MAC address from the camera label.
Tap Pair.

The camera does not require Bluetooth pairing — it joins via Ethernet/PoE. The DOOR app uses the MAC address to associate the camera with the chosen Intercom Door.

Verification

Before closing the install:

Status LED: green slow-blinking (booted, no active traffic) or blue slow-blinking (data transmitting). See the Latch Camera troubleshooting article for the full LED table.
Field-of-view verification (test image): from a property-manager DOOR app account, open Devices → select the Intercom Door → Camera → take a test image. Confirm the framing captures a visitor's face when standing in front of the Intercom. Adjust the camera's pan/tilt and retake the test image until the framing is correct.
Heater (cold climates): if the install is happening at ambient < 42°F (6°C), the built-in heater is on (indicated by amber LED). Confirm it is functioning before sealing the bubble.

If the camera does not show a feed, see the Latch Camera troubleshooting article — most issues are network (PoE not delivered, firewall blocking outbound TCP, no DHCP lease) rather than hardware.

Outdoor / harsh-environment notes

Use the waterproof caps on the Ethernet connector at the camera end.
All wire runs outdoors must be in conduit or tube — do not leave Ethernet cable exposed to weather.
The camera is rated to operate from -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C); storage range is -40°F to 158°F (-40°C to 70°C).
The built-in heater turns on automatically below 42°F (6°C) — no configuration required.

Cleaning after install

The bubble and lens may collect dust during install. Clean with a lint-free cloth and glass cleaner before activation. To clean later: remove the three retaining screws with the L tool, clean the inside and outside of the bubble and the lens, re-attach.

Attachments

Latch Camera Installation Guide (PDF) — full 6-step procedure with diagrams.
Latch Camera Cut Sheet (PDF) — dimensions and mounting drawings.
Latch Camera Spec Sheet (PDF) — full specifications.
Latch Camera Position Best Practices (PDF) — approved and disapproved mounting positions.

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