Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

HomeKit Anyone have the new August Wifi lock yet?

B

BF1M

Suspended
Original poster
Nov 17, 2018
1,043
1,694
How is your experience with it so far? Just installed mine this morning replacing a gen 2 and so far experiencing a lot of issues with HomeKit. Says its unlocked when it's not etc. No response often in the Home app as well.

I do like that it's smaller and quieter. It was a bit more difficult to install but not much. I hate the fact I can't use rechargeable AA's anymore as well...
 
Phil77354 said:
Not HomeKit compatible? I have been keeping an eye on locks and thought that this was supposed to work with HomeKit (not just with their own app). That would be a deal-killer for me.
Click to expand...

It does work with HomeKit; just not over WiFi. Bluetooth connection only. Which is the whole reason I upgraded the locks to begin with.
 
OK, and forgive my ignorance but then what is the advantage of the Wi-Fi lock vs their original model (other than smaller size)?

{edit: I get it now, the Wi-Fi lock doesn't require a separate bridge. It's smaller, too. But the lock itself still uses Bluetooth to make the connection to the HomeKit network?}

I am going to have to do some more studying about how HomeKit works. I thought that basically anything that would integrate with HomeKit would do so via Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth. However I see now that either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are used, depending on the device. For some reason I hadn't thought about that before.

{edit: this may not be the correct thread for this discussion, but I'm now thinking that it is an advantage for my own home setup that I have several HomePods, in different rooms, since each can serve as a 'gateway' in effect, for any nearby Bluetooth HomeKit devices. Correct?}
 
Last edited:
That’s how it’s supposed to work in theory. HomePods don’t make good Home Hubs in practice. Apple TV’s seem to work better.
 
Is it even possible to know which hub is providing that function for any particular device? I have an Apple TV as well. I have no idea if it is serving that function, or if my HomePods are (and it probably doesn't matter).
 
Phil77354 said:
Is it even possible to know which hub is providing that function for any particular device? I have an Apple TV as well. I have no idea if it is serving that function, or if my HomePods are (and it probably doesn't matter).
Click to expand...
If you click on the house logo in the top left of the Home app and scroll down to hubs and bridges, it will show which hub is currently the active one. Only one is active at a time. You can disable ATVs and iPads as hubs in their respective settings but not HomePods. The list will show which is the active one, which are on standby and which are disabled.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Phil77354 and pup
Itinj24 said:
If you click on the house logo in the top left of the Home app and scroll down to hubs and bridges, it will show which hub is currently the active one. Only one is active at a time. You can disable ATVs and iPads as hubs in their respective settings but not HomePods. The list will show which is the active one, which are on standby and which are disabled.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. I did that, and it does show me all of the hubs and bridges on my network, and which hub is active. Another step forward for me in learning more of the details of how these systems work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Itinj24
I was really looking forward to this Lock. Pretty upsetting that WiFi doesn’t work with HomeKit. Hoping this gets updated. The older version worked both ways. In Bluetooth range and it work on Bluetooth. Out of home and it work on WiFi with the module. Don’t know why this one has that limitation.
Might look into the new Aqara Lock. Looks pretty sleek and works on Zigbee. I already have a few Aqara hubs and devices and they have been rock solid in HomeKit with regards to speed, performance and connection reliability. Devices are pretty cheap once you have the hub which I think is inexpensive to begin with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back