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Yes—a Raspberry Pi can serve as the camera and doorbell controller in a system that lets Home Assistant show door images and send lock commands. A practical design keeps the camera and button at the door, uses MQTT to connect the Pi to Home Assistant, and switches an electric strike or magnetic lock through a separate access-control interface. The Pi’s GPIO should provide only a control signal, never power the lock itself.
How the system fits together
Think of this as two separate paths: one for seeing who is at the door, and one for controlling and verifying the lock. Home Assistant is the interface; MQTT carries images, commands, and lock-state updates between it and the door-side system.
- Capture: A Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 faces the entrance. A weather-protected doorbell button can trigger an event; an optional PIR sensor can detect motion, and a magnetic door-contact sensor can report whether the door is open or closed.
- Show an image: The Pi-side system publishes an image payload to an MQTT topic. Home Assistant’s MQTT Camera integration subscribes to that topic and updates its camera entity when a new image arrives.
- Control the lock: Home Assistant’s MQTT Lock integration sends lock or unlock commands. A door-side controller and access-control relay or interface switch the actuator using a separate, correctly rated power supply.
- Confirm the result: Send the physical lock state back on a state topic and expose it to Home Assistant. A command being sent is not proof that the lock actually moved.
This arrangement does not require Home Assistant to drive the door-side Pi’s GPIO remotely. That matters if the remote device is a Raspberry Pi 5: Home Assistant’s remote Raspberry Pi GPIO documentation says this setup is not possible with remote Pi 5 hosts because pigpio does not support them. MQTT is the more suitable general integration path for that case.
Choose the camera for the doorway
Standard or wide Camera Module 3
Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 is an official 12-megapixel camera available in standard and wide variants. Choose based on how much of the approach and door area needs to fit in the image: compare the actual field of view against the mounting distance and angle at your entrance. The supplied component information does not give a numerical field-of-view angle for either variant, so check the current camera specification before fixing the mount.
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Visible-light or NoIR
For a doorway that needs useful images after dark, consider whether a visible-light camera or a NoIR option is appropriate for the lighting you plan to use. The available component information does not establish comparative low-light performance, so do not assume a particular image quality from the variant name alone. Test the camera in the actual night-time lighting and at the intended mounting angle.
Mounting and protection
- Plan cable length and the physical mounting before choosing the camera position; a good view depends on more than resolution.
- Protect the camera and doorbell hardware from weather using an enclosure suited to the installation.
- Frame the entry so a visitor can be identified without relying on a motion sensor to capture the right moment. A PIR sensor is optional detection input, not a substitute for a useful camera view.
Choose a lock actuator and interface safely
The right actuator depends on the door and frame, the existing latch or access-control arrangement, and the way occupants must be able to leave. An electric strike and a magnetic access-control lock are not interchangeable installation details; have the chosen hardware and interface matched to the actual door.
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- Multiple Functions: This car has four drive wheels, the rotatable head has a camera and an ultrasonic distance sensor (Assembly required) (Raspberry Pi and Battery NOT included)
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step assembly guide and complete Python code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Compatible Models: Raspberry Pi 5 / 4B / 3B+ / 3B / 3A+ (2B / 1B+ / 1A+ / Zero 2 W / Zero W / Zero 1.3 is also compatible but needs extra parts) (NOT included in this kit)
- Control Methods: Controlled wirelessly by your Android phone or tablet, iPhone (with Freenove App) and computer (run Windows, macOS or Raspberry Pi OS)
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- Fit: Confirm compatibility with the door, frame, latch, and mounting space.
- Electrical rating: Match the actuator’s voltage and current requirements to its dedicated power supply and switching interface. Do not connect the actuator load to a Pi GPIO pin.
- Safe behavior: Establish whether the actuator is fail-safe or fail-secure and what happens on power loss. Preserve emergency egress and an approved mechanical override, such as a key, where appropriate.
- Feedback: Use a door-position contact and a reliable lock-state signal where the hardware supports them. Door closed, bolt or strike state, and a command accepted by software are different facts.
- Load protection: Use a properly rated relay or access-control interface, a fuse, and suppression appropriate to the actuator. Keep inductive lock loads isolated from the Pi’s logic and power connections.
The Raspberry Pi Official smart-door guide includes a magnetic access-control system and two security door-contact reed switches in its parts list. Treat that as a project example, not a substitute for selecting hardware that suits your own door and egress requirements.
Configure the Home Assistant side
Camera images over MQTT
Set up Home Assistant’s MQTT Camera integration to subscribe to the topic that carries the image payload, then have the door-side system publish a fresh snapshot or event image to that topic. The camera entity updates when a new image arrives. This is an image-delivery path; it does not by itself establish a continuous live-video stream.
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Lock commands and reported state
Set up Home Assistant’s MQTT Lock integration with command handling for lock and unlock and, where available, a state topic reporting the physical lock state. The integration also supports optimistic mode, in which Home Assistant updates the displayed state based on the command rather than waiting for a state report. For a door people rely on, prefer feedback from the lock or access-control controller over optimistic status: a displayed command result can otherwise diverge from the physical lock.
Keep remote access private
Do not expose the MQTT broker directly to the public internet. Require authentication, encrypt remote access, and use a protected route to reach Home Assistant or the broker. Keep the lock command topic and any credentials restricted to the devices and users that need them.
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- Two Working Modes: Video mode (with camera) and Radar mode (with ultrasonic distance sensor) (Assembly required) (Raspberry Pi and Battery NOT included)
- Detailed Tutorial: Provide step-by-step assembly guide and complete Python code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Compatible Models: Raspberry Pi 5 / 4B / 3B+ / 3B / 3A+ (2B / B+ is also compatible but needs extra parts) (NOT included in this kit)
- Control Methods: Controlled wirelessly by your Android phone or tablet, iPhone and computer (run Windows or Raspberry Pi OS)
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Commission the doorbell before relying on it
- Test the camera path: Press the button and confirm that a new image reaches the MQTT topic and appears in Home Assistant. Check the view in daylight and at night, and verify the image is recent rather than a stale last capture.
- Test sensing separately: Confirm that the optional PIR and door-contact sensors report their own events accurately. A motion event should not be mistaken for confirmation that the door is secure.
- Test lock feedback: Send a lock command, observe the actuator, and compare the physical result with Home Assistant’s reported state. Repeat with unlock and verify the mechanical override and egress arrangements.
- Test failure cases: Check behavior after loss and return of power, a broker restart, camera failure, and a stale or missing lock-state report. Decide what the interface should display and whether commands should be rejected or held when feedback is unavailable.
- Review the installation: Confirm that the supply, fuse, relay or access-control interface, wiring, and actuator ratings match the hardware manufacturer’s requirements. Keep the low-voltage Pi control side isolated from the switched lock load.
What this project should—and should not—be trusted to do
The Raspberry Pi Official Magazine presents its smart-door project as inspiration and cautions that it should not be relied on without hardening the code and adding failsafes. That is an important limit for any DIY access-control build: a camera image or a Home Assistant tile is not a safety system, and a software lock command is not a mechanical guarantee. If the door controls access to a home or occupied space, retain a dependable manual override and design for network, software, power, and sensor failures before using remote unlocking.
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