Secluso is a private, open-source, DIY home security camera system built around the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, featuring true end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and on-device AI for human, pet, and vehicle detection. It was designed as an alternative to commercial smart home cameras that require sending raw video feeds to a proprietary cloud, a practice that often raises significant privacy concerns.
Developed by Secluso, Inc., co-founded by UC Irvine professor Ardalan Amiri Sani and John Kaczman, the project utilizes Messaging Layer Security (MLS, RFC 9420) to ensure end-to-end encryption between the camera and the user’s smartphone. Because the system uses an untrusted relay (either self-hosted on a VPS or via Secluso’s free beta relay), the server routing the footage only sees encrypted files and cannot decrypt the video or thumbnails.
Secluso hardware requirements:
- SBC – Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
- Camera – Raspberry Pi Camera Module V1 (OV5647) or V2 (IMX219)
- Audio & Sensors – HAT with a microphone and safety temperature sensor (included in official kits)
- Enclosure – Official Raspberry Pi Zero enclosure, 3D-printable custom housing, or Secluso’s IR-pass acrylic cover
The software focuses on security and privacy. The core camera hub and server software are now written in Rust rather than in OpenSSL-based C code, making them safer and less prone to memory-related bugs. It also uses post-quantum encryption to protect data even from future attacks where hackers might try to decrypt stored data later. All parts of the system, including Secluso OS and the mobile apps, use reproducible builds, so anyone can verify that the software matches the public source code, and firmware updates are only installed if they come from signed and trusted GitHub releases. The mobile app is available on the iOS App Store and Google Play. Android users can also use Obtainium to download the app directly from GitHub’s release page. For notifications, the system doesn’t rely on Google services and uses its own relay for iOS and supports UnifiedPush on Android, so Firebase Cloud Messaging is optional.
Despite all these features, the system is designed to be deployed in just 5 minutes as the v1.0.2 release introduces Secluso OS, a minimal, Yocto-based Linux image. Users simply flash the image using the Secluso Deploy desktop utility available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The utility automatically handles injecting unique credentials, configuring the relay over SSH, and setting up the camera without requiring the user to open a terminal. You can find the source code, build instructions, and the detailed security whitepaper on their GitHub released under a GPL license, and the “Build Your Own Guide” explains how to build your own camera. Users can fully self-host the open-source relay/server on their own VPS, so no cloud is required.
For those who don’t want to get into ordering different parts from different vendors and setting up their own server, Secluso is opening pre-orders this month (May 2026). They are offering a limited run of 100 DIY Kits for $50 (which include the night vision camera module, custom mic/temp HAT, and housing parts, and 1 year of Secluso Cloud for free) with an estimated delivery of 2–3 months. A fully assembled Plug and Play version is also available for $100, with an estimated delivery of 4–6 months and a free year of Secluso Cloud. After the included free year, Secluso Cloud is available optionally for $5/month or $50/year. Please note that pre-orders will ship to the US only initially.
Via Hackster.io
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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