What is Apple HomeKit? How do you use Apple HomeKit?

Apple's HomeKit smart home service is simple enough for newcomers who just want to say "Siri, I'm home" into their iPhone before walking through a door that unlocks automatically and stepping into a relaxing scene with appropriate lighting, temperature, and other HomeKit devices working as desired.

What is Apple HomeKit?

Apple HomeKit is a system that allows you to control all your best smart home devices in one place. HomeKit lets you adjust smart thermostats, lights, locks, and more across multiple rooms, creating a comfortable environment with just a tap on your smartphone. You can even use it to control devices remotely.

1. How to Use Apple HomeKit?

HomeKit may not be compatible with as many devices as Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa, but the number is growing daily. With a solid base of supported locks, lights, and plugs, HomeKit is an easy starting point for Apple fans just beginning to set up their smart homes.

2. What Can You Do with Apple HomeKit?

HomeKit allows you to turn lights on and off or dim them; adjust the thermostat; turn devices connected to plugs on and off with one of the best smart plugs; lock and unlock the front door; see who's at the door, and more. Apple aims to make it easy for beginners to set up their smart homes.

3. What is HomeKit on iPhone?

The Apple Home app for iOS lets you securely control every smart home device labeled as "Works with Apple HomeKit." In the app, you can organize your accessories by room, manage multiple accessories simultaneously, control your home with Siri, and more. Think of it as an app that turns your phone into a universal remote control for your smart home devices that you can use from anywhere in the world.

4. Does Apple HomeKit Need a Hub?

When you're at home, all you need is the Apple Home app to control Bluetooth or WiFi-supported HomeKit-compatible smart devices. To turn those devices on or off in the app, just tap on them.

To control your smart home devices when you're away from home, you'll need a third or fourth-generation Apple TV running tvOS 9 or later, a HomePod, or an iPad running iOS 10 or later. For additional features, including the ability to allow others to control your devices through HomeKit, you'll need a fourth-generation Apple TV with tvOS 10, a HomePod, or an iPad running iOS 10 or later.

5. How Does HomeKit Communicate?

Some HomeKit devices connect to the hub via WiFi. Others need to be within Bluetooth range of the hub (which can be challenging if you want to control devices more than 30 feet away). In such cases, you might want a Bluetooth extender, such as the Elgato Eve Extend or ConnectSense Bluetooth Extender, which acts as Bluetooth-to-WiFi bridges to extend the Bluetooth range of the devices.

Which Smart Home Devices Work with Apple HomeKit?

Here are a few Apple HomeKit-compatible devices:

• HomeKit works with several smart lighting devices, including those from Philips Hue, Eve, Lifx, Koogeek, Nanoleaf, and Sylvania. To control the temperature at home, try the Ecobee and Honeywell thermostats.
• To keep your home secure, HomeKit works with the August Smart Lock; Schlage locks; Elgato Eve door and window sensors; D-Link’s Omna security cameras; Fibaro’s motion, water leak, window, and door sensors; and Netatmo's facial recognition security systems.
• HomeKit can also control smart plugs like those from iHome and Lutron, WiFi ceiling fans from Hunter Apache, Netgear’s Arlo baby monitor, and even WiFi smoke and carbon monoxide alarms from First Alert.

What About Smart Home Devices Not Compatible with HomeKit?

If you have smart home devices you want to keep but are not HomeKit-compatible, don't be disheartened. You can still enjoy some HomeKit compatibility using a smart home bridge. As its name suggests, a smart home bridge acts as a bridge linking your non-compatible smart home devices with HomeKit. Homebridge is a smart home technology that can help you achieve this.

And then there’s Matter, an upcoming smart home interoperability standard promising to break down compatibility barriers between competing smart home ecosystems. So, soon, you won't have to worry as much about whether your new smart device is compatible with HomeKit.

How is HomeKit Different from Google Home and Amazon Alexa?

Amazon Alexa and Google Home are the other two big names in the smart home field. In terms of adoption rate and compatibility with smart home devices, HomeKit trails both Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Siri is the voice assistant supporting HomeKit and performs comparably to Alexa and Google Assistant.

In terms of security, HomeKit is also very secure. When compared to Google Home and Amazon Alexa, HomeKit scores the highest in security and privacy. That said, HomeKit places a significant emphasis on security.

How Much Does HomeKit Cost?

The Apple Home app itself is free, but you’ll need to pay for the smart devices you’ll set up (if you don’t already own them). An iHome iSP6X Control Smart Plug costs $27, and the Brilliant home control unit costs $299.

Depending on the size of your home and whether you want to control lights, temperature, locks, security cameras, and other devices, you can easily spend up to $1000. Additionally, you'll need an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad if you want to control your smart home remotely or set up advanced automation features.

What is a Scene and How Do You Create Them?

HomeKit allows you to create custom scenes that will trigger several devices simultaneously. These scenes can be activated automatically at a certain time or when certain conditions are met.

For example, at bedtime, you can set HomeKit to lock the front door, turn off all lights, and lower the thermostat to the ideal sleeping temperature. Or, if you've connected a motion sensor, you can also set it up to turn lights or other connected devices on or off when motion is detected in a particular area of your home.

Can Siri Control Smart Home Devices?

Once you've set up HomeKit, Siri will know what’s connected, and without opening the Home app, you can ask the virtual assistant to turn devices on or off, adjust the temperature, set scenes, check connected cameras, and more if you have the right Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad set up.

Does HomeKit Work with Apple Watch?

You can control some of your smart home accessories with your Apple Watch by setting them to show as favorites or simply by asking Siri to perform specific actions from your Apple Watch.

What Can Apple HomePod Do?

HomePod is a large smart speaker with Siri built in. It can function as a home hub, enabling you to create home automation behaviors with HomeKit. Additionally, it can play high-quality music. You can ask Siri to send messages, set reminders, make and receive calls, and answer basic knowledge questions.

Do You Need Apple HomeKit?

Like many smart home devices, HomeKit and all the devices you can connect to it are expensive. But if you travel frequently, want to monitor what's happening at home when you're away, or want to come home to a quiet environment with just a press of a button or a few words to Siri, HomeKit might be worth it, especially if you already have an Apple TV.