ISSUE386|COMPUTER SHOPPER|APRIL2020 101
CONS
Limitedhardwaresupport
Doesn’tquitedoeverything
youwant
Appleonly
A
pple HomeKit was released back in
September 2014 with the launch of
iOS 8.It was Apple’sfirst foray into
home automation,designed to give you
control for all your smartdevices in one
location: the Home app.The Home app is
available for both iOS and macOS devices.
Adding adevice into HomeKit involves
scanning the code on the device.This can
get fiddly.For example,with LIFX bulbs,you
have to scan each bulb; with Philips Hue
bulbs,you need to scan the Bridge and all of
your lights to get compatibility.Thereare
some neat touches,such as using an Apple
TV,HomePod or iPad as aHome Hub for
remote control; these devices can also
control Bluetooth devices thatare in range,
such as aNuki SmartLock 2.0.
Hardwaresupportisatouch limited,
although getting better,asApple has relaxed
the need to have adedicated encryption chip
and now supports software
encryption.If you run a
Homebridge server (see
below),you can dramatically
improve hardwaresupport.
Viathe Home app,you can
control all your smartdevices
from one place,which is
convenient.It’s via the Automation section that
you can makesimple rules to control your
home.They’revery easy to use,and you just
follow asimple wizard.Forexample,if the
Netatmo SmartSmokeAlarm detects smoke,
you can have all your Hue lightsturn on to
light the way out of your home.
Automations can be frustratingly simple,
however.For starters,there’sno‘toggle’
option.So,ifyou have aHomeKit-compatible
button,for instance,you can’t use asingle
press to turn lights on and then off; you need
two actions: one click on,hold and press to
turn off,for example.
Also,ifyou create arule thatturns offa
device when amotion sensor no longer
detects motion,this happens the second
there’snomotion,so even sitting still for a
shortperiod triggers this.However,you can
tell an Automation thatwhen motion is
detected to do something for aset period.
So telling HomeKit to turn on alight forfive
minutes means: when there’smotion turn on
the light,but when there’snomotion for five
minutes,turn offthe light.
Using Homebridge to add extradevices,
we have aworkaround.In our outside office,if
the Hue motion sensor picksupmotion,it
turns on the lights (depending on the light
levels) via the Hue app.However,the motion
sensor also turns on adummy switch (it’s a
softwareone created in Homebridge) for
30 minutes.Turning this dummy on sets the
NestThermostattoheatmode and turns a
Dyson air purifier on.When there’snomotion
for 30 minutes,the dummy turns off,which
causes the thermostattogotoEco mode,
the HomePods to turn offand the Dyson
purifier to turn off.
We also have acouple of Automations
running from theYale smartlock connected to
HomeKit via Homebridge and SmartThings.
When the lock unlocks,the Ring Alarm is
turned offand the Arlo camerasystem is set to
disarmed; when the lock locks,the Ring Alarm
is turned on and the Arlo system arms.
USING APPLE
HOMEKIT
BuiltintoApplephone
sandMac
computers,HomeKitis
emergingas
oneofthemostpow
erfulhome
automationandcontro
lapplications
PROS
Greatapp
Powerfulandsimpleautom
ation
WorkswithBluetoothde
vices
HOMEBRIDGE
Homebridge (homebridge.io) is afree
add-on thatyou can run on practically any
computer,although we run it on a
Raspberry Pi.Itacts as agateway that
uses plug-ins to makethousands of
additional devices HomeKit compatible,
including the Nest thermostat,Arlo
cameras and RingAlarm system.
It’s abit trickytoset up,with fiddly
configuration files and plug-ins,although
the online instructions areprettygood.Once you get it working,Homebridge is an
essential for all HomeKit fans; just be awarethatyou may need to give the server a
reboot every few days to keep everything working.
ABOVE:Homebridge can makevirtually any
smartdevice compatible with Apple HomeKit
LEFT:Youcan useAutomations to
trigger different actions
BELOW:Add adevice to HomeKit
simply by scanning acode
