Here's the New 'Home' App for Controlling HomeKit Devices in iOS 10

[boston04and07]

I really hope this comes to macOS soon. I have my Macbook on my lap almost all the time at night and would find it so very convenient to be able to control my HomeKit stuff from there.

 

[ipedro]

It works with all my stuff really well. Hard wired dimmers for two of my lights and plug in lamp module for 4 of my lights. Works with my nest. There is a slight delay but it's not as bad as it was when I first got the hub. The quick controls in Notification Center are what I really like now.
What makes you think there won't be a slight delay with appletv controlling your devices? I mean it works the same way through wifi then spitting it out to your devices.
You mean the wink hub right? (Relay?)

I use Phillips Hue lights. All my switches are permanently wired [ON]. When at home, the Hue App or HomeKit (via Siri) work instantly. The very split second you press a button in the app, the light turns on or changes to the scene that you set. The Home app works directly with HomeKit devices. It only uses the AppleTV if you're outside the home and issue a HomeKit command. If you're home, it works instantly. Third party Hue apps have always also worked this way as well.

Wink on the other hand forced every command to go through Hue's cloud API instead. So pressing a switch on the Wink Relay took on average 3 seconds to register. That's very jarring. Hue lights were also excluded from robots.

After 2 years of this, Wink finally does Hue locally but it doesn't always work. There's been a recent update so we'll see how and if it's improved.

Nonetheless, Home solves all the problems that Wink was meant to resolve, which is why I say that it's too little too late. The only saving grace would be if a hub like Wink could bring non HomeKit devices like Nest into the HomeKit ecosystem by acting as a relay. It doesn't. Wink will need to release new hardware to become HomeKit compatible. There's been no indication of that nor would I expect Wink to do anything other than at their usual glacial pace.

 

[StevenPG]

Will there be geofencing on this app? I don't see anything about that. Best part about everything is driving up and the lights are all on.

 

[Ed217]

Nice, but disappointed with the lack of 3rd Party support for HomeKit with previous products. I already have Wemo devices, two Nest Thermostats and a myQ Garage door controller. None of which are going to be supported in HomeKit. So basically I would have to start all over again with devices that have HomeKit support

I gave up on HomeKit some time ago due to this. I recently got an Amazon Echo, and it worked with all existing stuff right out of the box.
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I've had Hue for 3 years and I think their app has gotten worse and worse. I've never had all of their features working at the same time (geofencing, etc.). They made a new app, but it doesn't work with the Watch and it is limited in terms of its functionality. The only thing that's worked well with the Hue app has been the widget for Today / Notification center.

I'm really really glad Apple has made this Home app, that I can finally have my lights come on at sunset, and all the other cool stuff it does.

I've had lights at sunset for 30+ years. Initially I was X-10 based, and changed over to Insteon a few years ago. All work from my phone, watch, PC, Mac, and Echo. Homekit is a zero for all of them.

 

[32828870]

One important factor some seem to be missing: energy saving functionality.

*Update: At the request of some, I added the setups in my homes below. It's a lengthy addendum that I tried to shorten so forgive the length. If interested, give it a read. If not, disregard it and just read the paragraph below from my initial post. Thanks!

HomeKit and home automation isn't simply convenience, home owners can properly utilize their smart home devices for energy conservation and security. Smart Devices work seamlessly with "Siri" and routines. Simply saying "Goodnight" to Siri locks all my doors, changes my temperature to "Sleep" mode, turns off my lights, closes my garage doors, checks my security camera's, etc. There's much more and I've done quite a bit of research as services such as TWC or ADT are a waste of money. It's less expensive to own your devices than leasing them in addition to monthly service costs while having full control.

For anyone interested, here's a rundown of my home systems​

Philips Hue:

• Pricey yet energy efficient bulbs that last years.
• Philips will replace bulbs free of charge. I have yet to break/lose one since installing them in 2012. A friend dropped one of hers and Phillips sent her one free of charge.
• Supports non-hue bulbs including their excellent inexpensive LED warm dimmable lights (can find them online or any local store).
• The new Philips Hue 2 app, which I helped beta test, is a big improvement. The redesign simplified the system, improved HomeKit usage, and fixed bugs (syncing of stock and deleted scenes is now gone but can be added via MeetHue online).
• HomeKit integration with the Bridge 2.0 is now seamless.

Ecobee3 HomeKit Thermostat:
I have a 2-stage Heating and Cooling Trane 18 SEER HVAC system first used with a 2nd gen Nest that I replaced with an ecobee3 HomeKit thermostat after much research.

• Supports up to 32 1"x1" satellite motion/temp/humidity sensors for custom selecting which participate om "Away", "Home", and "Sleep" modes.
• "Follow Me" auto-detects motion in certain rooms and uses that data to calculate the overall home temperatures or I can bypass it to always include all sensors in maintaining the custom set temperate range.
• Supports traditional humidity pads or evaporative systems.
• "HomeKit" with Siri works with "Auto-Mode", a feature most do not support. My "Home" mode is custom set to maintain the temp between 68-74. Alexa or Siri can change my temp to 70 degrees. If that temp is already within my 68-74 degree range, it will respond "[Device name] is in auto mode , aiming for 70 degrees". Depending on your custom settings, one of two responses will happen:
  • Your HVAC will not operate unless the desired temp is outside your custom range(s).
  • Your HVAC will disengage auto-mode to reach your desired temp. Once reached, automode is reengaged.
• "Home IQ": An incredibly thorough summary of your HVAC usage. Tracks system mode(s), which stage (1 or 2 at heating or cooling) was operating at what time and compared to indoor and outdoor temp's (windows and sun factoring) to determine when and why your system engaged to improve use. Compares your energy use with those in your area and the year prior (via local records or your own), recommends adjustments to suit your custom needs (either energy efficiency or comfort, or both as they can be adjusted for the "perfect" setting), and much more.

August 2nd Gen HomeKit Smart Lock:

• Has remedied many issues with their first gen devices.
• Replaces only the interior deadbolt, no need for rekeying or multiple keys.
• Allows remote control away from home.
• Custom notifications (each lock can be customized for status and instant use notifications)
• Unlocking a particular door or all doors for someone if you're away (a neighbor or friend)
• Add individuals with full or guest access
• Works with Nest and others should smoke or fire be detected and notifies the local authorities, allowing them access.
• "August Access": August partners with services such as Sears, Alfred, Doorman, etc for access for service and repairs.
• New devices such as the keypad and door-cam have been released, but as first gen devices I would recommend waiting for second gen releases and stick with the HomeKit locks.

Security:
HikVision offers a full range of camera's, from consumer to enterprise models, and are compatible with many NAS's. I record locally on my Synology DS716+. Camera's allow two way communication, esp helpful away from home should my bell ring. No need to pay for cloud storage and access. I have yet to research and use window and door sensors which is my next step.

Chamberlain MyQ:
Recently replaced my garage door openers with Liftmaster systems. In 2015, Chamberlain announced their "MyQ" hubs for remote access would be HomeKit compatible with a firmware update. It's been a year with no update and many have voiced their disapproval. However, it turns out the hardware is "MFi" compliant and Chamberlain was ahead of the game. They are currently testing a firmware update with iOS 10 HomeKit that will be pushed out to all "MyQ" hub owners this fall.

All of the above works with HomeKit and Alexa (aside from "MyQ" which will soon with an update).

 

[x-evil-x]

I use Phillips Hue lights. All my switches are permanently wired [ON]. When at home, the Hue App or HomeKit (via Siri) work instantly. The very split second you press a button in the app, the light turns on or changes to the scene that you set. The Home app works directly with HomeKit devices. It only uses the AppleTV if you're outside the home and issue a HomeKit command. If you're home, it works instantly. Third party Hue apps have always also worked this way as well.

Wink on the other hand forced every command to go through Hue's cloud API instead. So pressing a switch on the Wink Relay took on average 3 seconds to register. That's very jarring. Hue lights were also excluded from robots.

After 2 years of this, Wink finally does Hue locally but it doesn't always work. There's been a recent update so we'll see how and if it's improved.

Nonetheless, Home solves all the problems that Wink was meant to resolve, which is why I say that it's too little too late. The only saving grace would be if a hub like Wink could bring non HomeKit devices like Nest into the HomeKit ecosystem by acting as a relay. It doesn't. Wink will need to release new hardware to become HomeKit compatible. There's been no indication of that nor would I expect Wink to do anything other than at their usual glacial pace.

That makes sense. i don't like the delay but i got used to it. Only issue with my setup is if the home kit would work with lutron cassette lamp modules and switches and ge's z wave devices. since the z wave wouldn't be wifi cable i don't think it has to go through a hub of sorts. or have a z wave controller be used with it.

 

[Ed217]

One important factor some seem to be missing: energy saving functionality.

HomeKit and home automation isn't simply convenience, home owners can properly utilize their smart home devices for energy conservation and security. Smart Devices work seamlessly with "Siri" and routines. Simply saying "Goodnight" to Siri locks all my doors, changes my temperature to "Sleep" mode, turns off my lights, closes my garage doors, checks my security camera's, etc. There's much more and I've done quite a bit of research as services such as TWC or ADT are a waste of money. It's less expensive to own your devices than leasing them in addition to monthly service costs while having full control.

My setup is similar, but perhaps more automatic and based on different gear. All my lights, doors, etc go on and off automatically based on time of day and/or sunset/sunrise. So If I do or say nothing, all works in a timely manner. I can also manually over ride any via watch, phone, PC, Mac, or by just speaking to Alexa (Amazon Echo).

Lights in some areas go on/off automatically based on detected motion. Porch light comes on at night when anything approaches. GPS based arrival does the same. Lights in stairs and other less used area also are motion controlled.

Nest controls A/C and heat. It too has a schedule, but can also be overriden by the same means as lights. Nest is also tired in to my phone so that GPS also sets energy saving settings as I leave and/or arrive. Doors lock when I leave and unlock when I arrive. No action is required at all.

Saying Goodnight also sets things for night, but I can add any phrase I want here to do this or different things. Things like Alert could turn everything on.

I dont use HomeKit at all, as its just far too limited in support for third party products. The combination of Alexa, IFTTT and a variety of OTS third party gear is quite powerful in doing just about everything. For example, I can say "Find My Wife" and a few moments later my phone will speak her current location and address.

 

[djepsilon]

The iDevices app already does pretty much everything the Home app does and works pretty great for me. Plus it does geofencing with scenes. I'll be curious to see if Apple adds geofencing to their app. It's a must!

 

[epheterson]

Nice, but disappointed with the lack of 3rd Party support for HomeKit with previous products. I already have Wemo devices, two Nest Thermostats and a myQ Garage door controller. None of which are going to be supported in HomeKit. So basically I would have to start all over again with devices that have HomeKit support

You can use homebridge to make all of those work with HomeKit.

 

[Recognition]

The iDevices app already does pretty much everything the Home app does and works pretty great for me. Plus it does geofencing with scenes. I'll be curious to see if Apple adds geofencing to their app. It's a must!

It's already in their Home app.
Go to the Automation tab and it has a 'when I arrive:leave' button to select a location and scene to enable.

 

[Gwhite1]

Nice, but disappointed with the lack of 3rd Party support for HomeKit with previous products. I already have Wemo devices, two Nest Thermostats and a myQ Garage door controller. None of which are going to be supported in HomeKit. So basically I would have to start all over again with devices that have HomeKit support

I have wemo switch and bulb and am using them with Homekit using a reaspberry pi and homebridge. they work great through Siri

Gary

 

[Azzin]

Does Nest's thermostat (or any other kit for that matter) work with HomeKit?

I'm now thinking of getting some Philips Hue kit and a Nest thermostat, but only if the Nest works with HomeKit/Siri.

 

[Gwhite1]

Does Nest's thermostat (or any other kit for that matter) work with HomeKit?

I'm now thinking of getting some Philips Hue kit and a Nest thermostat, but only if the Nest works with HomeKit/Siri.

Hi
I have the British Gas Hive but this does not support homekit.
I am however running a raspberry pi with HiveKit installed that allows me to control my heating through homekit and Siri.

Gary

 

[Redmond94]

iOS 10 is a pile of ****, i'll never install it unless i had to (i'd rather wait for jailbreak)

 

[Recognition]

iOS 10 is a pile of ****, i'll never install it unless i had to (i'd rather wait for jailbreak)

Thanks for stopping by!
Please remember to let us know all the other things you won't be doing in the future too!
Thanks
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Does Nest's thermostat (or any other kit for that matter) work with HomeKit?

I'm now thinking of getting some Philips Hue kit and a Nest thermostat, but only if the Nest works with HomeKit/Siri.

Nest doesn't work with HomeKit.
I have my Nest thermostat working with Homebridge on a raspberry Pi which does work very well.

 

[Azzin]

Thanks.

I was looking for a more seamless approach, so maybe I'll revisit Nest (or maybe I'll get one and put up with the fact it doesn't work with HomeKit, as presumably it's a decent product in it's own right?).

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

"Home" is a bad name for a "Homekit" App given "Home" is the name used to go to the main menu of virtually everything on the planet. Even "House" would have been better. I suppose it goes with all the rest of the doldrum naming conventions Apple uses these days (tvOS, phoneOS, microwaveOS, refrigeratorOS, etc.) Apple and "creativity" no longer mesh, it seems.

 

[zosobao5150]

I use Samsung Smartthings for automation. It is pretty stable now...there had been some rocky periods. Have fans and dehumidifiers automatically start in the aquarium area if the humidity rises to a certain level, water leak sensors, motion, and now I can use the Amazon Echo to simply tell it what to do.

 

[rdlink]

I think this is solving a problem that doesn't exist. I've never walked into a room, sat down on the couch, and thought, "Oops forgot to turn the light on...I know! I'll get my iPhone, open the home app, page over to the room, and click the light on! Brilliant!"

Pretty much a convoluted way of saying, "I have no imagination, and am unable to think much past 2 inches beyond my nose."

Seriously, have you ever thought about walking up to your front door with something in your arms, lifting your wrist up and telling Siri to unlock your door instead of trying to reach in your pocket and get your keys? Ever thought of waking up in the morning and telling Siri it's time for coffee, and having a series of lights turned on for you, illuminating your way through an otherwise dark house? Ever thought about sitting down in bed and telling Siri to set the goodnight scene, thereby turning off the lights throughout your home that you used to walk into the bedroom? Ever thought about being in bed at 11:00 at night and realizing that the thermostat is too warm, and not wanting to go downstairs to turn it up? Ever woken up in the middle of the night and wanted to turn off your ceiling fan without crawling out of bed or fumbling in the dark for a remote? Ever thought about sitting on your balcony and unlocking the front door so that the postal carrier can set your package inside, and save you a trip downstairs? Ever thought about sitting on the sofa, getting ready to watch a movie, saying, "Movie Time" to Siri, and having her turn off multiple lights in the kitchen, dining room, living room, setting the scene? Ever thought it would be nice to have most of the lights in your house turn off when you leave for work in the morning without your needing to remember, then have them turn on again automatically when you arrive home?

Everything that I just described above, and much more has happened at my house in the last 3 weeks. If you have no need or desire for these things that's quite alright. But to proclaim that home automation is solving a problem that doesn't exist is pretty darn myopic.

BTW: Your description of the steps to "turn the light on" while one solution for doing it with HomeKit is not really realistic once you've used it and know how it works. The killer app for HomeKit is Siri. She allows you to do virtually anything that a HomeKit compatible device can do by just issuing a voice command. That can be performed by activating Siri on your phone physically, activating Siri on your Apple Watch, or by saying Hey Siri, even with your phone is across the room.

 

[x-evil-x]

"Home" is a bad name for a "Homekit" App given "Home" is the name used to go to the main menu of virtually everything on the planet. Even "House" would have been better. I suppose it goes with all the rest of the doldrum naming conventions Apple uses these days (tvOS, phoneOS, microwaveOS, refrigeratorOS, etc.) Apple and "creativity" no longer mesh, it seems.

housekit sounds horrible. you even say home is the name used to go to the main menu. wouldn't your home(inside/home menu like) be a what you're trying to control and it being the main menu? seems rather fitting for me.
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Pretty much a convoluted way of saying, "I have no imagination, and am unable to think much past 2 inches beyond my nose."

Seriously, have you ever thought about walking up to your front door with something in your arms, lifting your wrist up and telling Siri to unlock your door instead of trying to reach in your pocket and get your keys? Ever thought of waking up in the morning and telling Siri it's time for coffee, and having a series of lights turned on for you, illuminating your way through an otherwise dark house? Ever thought about sitting down in bed and telling Siri to set the goodnight scene, thereby turning off the lights throughout your home that you used to walk into the bedroom? Ever thought about being in bed at 11:00 at night and realizing that the thermostat is too warm, and not wanting to go downstairs to turn it up? Ever woken up in the middle of the night and wanted to turn off your ceiling fan without crawling out of bed or fumbling in the dark for a remote? Ever thought about sitting on your balcony and unlocking the front door so that the postal carrier can set your package inside, and save you a trip downstairs? Ever thought about sitting on the sofa, getting ready to watch a movie, saying, "Movie Time" to Siri, and having her turn off multiple lights in the kitchen, dining room, living room, setting the scene? Ever thought it would be nice to have most of the lights in your house turn off when you leave for work in the morning without your needing to remember, then have them turn on again automatically when you arrive home?

Everything that I just described above, and much more has happened at my house in the last 3 weeks. If you have no need or desire for these things that's quite alright. But to proclaim that home automation is solving a problem that doesn't exist is pretty darn myopic.

BTW: Your description of the steps to "turn the light on" while one solution for doing it with HomeKit is not really realistic once you've used it and know how it works. The killer app for HomeKit is Siri. She allows you to do virtually anything that a HomeKit compatible device can do by just issuing a voice command. That can be performed by activating Siri on your phone physically, activating Siri on your Apple Watch, or by saying Hey Siri, even with your phone is across the room.

too bad siri can't control grinding my coffee fresh, tamping it, and pouring me a double shot. damn you and your auto coffee crap

 

[69650]

Nice, but disappointed with the lack of 3rd Party support for HomeKit with previous products. I already have Wemo devices, two Nest Thermostats and a myQ Garage door controller. None of which are going to be supported in HomeKit. So basically I would have to start all over again with devices that have HomeKit support

That's the biggest problem with this. You will be limited to Homekit supported devices. Apple should consider building a range of their own branded products to really give this some momentum. I hear a lot of noise about the "connected home" but very little in the way of actual products to make it happen.

 

[Ed217]

That's the biggest problem with this. You will be limited to Homekit supported devices. Apple should consider building a range of their own branded products to really give this some momentum. I hear a lot of noise about the "connected home" but very little in the way of actual products to make it happen.

Amazon Echo worked right out of the box. Found my HA products and Nest, and all work fine directly by voice.

 

[69650]

Seriously, have you ever thought about walking up to your front door with something in your arms, lifting your wrist up and telling Siri to unlock your door instead of trying to reach in your pocket and get your keys? Ever thought of waking up in the morning and telling Siri it's time for coffee, and having a series of lights turned on for you, illuminating your way through an otherwise dark house? Ever thought about sitting down in bed and telling Siri to set the goodnight scene, thereby turning off the lights throughout your home that you used to walk into the bedroom? Ever thought about being in bed at 11:00 at night and realizing that the thermostat is too warm, and not wanting to go downstairs to turn it up? Ever woken up in the middle of the night and wanted to turn off your ceiling fan without crawling out of bed or fumbling in the dark for a remote? Ever thought about sitting on your balcony and unlocking the front door so that the postal carrier can set your package inside, and save you a trip downstairs? Ever thought about sitting on the sofa, getting ready to watch a movie, saying, "Movie Time" to Siri, and having her turn off multiple lights in the kitchen, dining room, living room, setting the scene? Ever thought it would be nice to have most of the lights in your house turn off when you leave for work in the morning without your needing to remember, then have them turn on again automatically when you arrive home?

In all honesty no I haven't considered any of these options because I'm not lazy and don't want to sit on my arse all day talking to my phone. More uses for Siri is just more reasons for me to shout at Siri for being a worthless piece of crapware that doesn't understand what I'm saying.

 

[acslater017]

I think this is solving a problem that doesn't exist. I've never walked into a room, sat down on the couch, and thought, "Oops forgot to turn the light on...I know! I'll get my iPhone, open the home app, page over to the room, and click the light on! Brilliant!"

I would agree that scenario isn't very appealing. But that's not really the point. Home automation is about controlling multiple systems instantly, combining them in interest in ways, & doing it automatically/remotely:
-going to bed: all lights off or sunset color, all windows drawn, all doors/garage locked, thermostat down, automatically
-detect smoke/carbon monoxide: send push notifications, open windows, blow HVAC
-away from home: verify things are off, get video alerts for doorbell/motion/noise, quickly set up lights, even remotely shut off the iron!

Anyway, home automation is indeed pretty pointless if you're having to open an app to turn on/off one rooms lights. But the real interest is in orchestrating multiple accessories, and doing it all automatically.

 

[Ed217]

Seriously, have you ever thought about walking up to your front door with something in your arms, lifting your wrist up and telling Siri to unlock your door instead of trying to reach in your pocket and get your keys? Ever thought of waking up in the morning and telling Siri it's time for coffee, and having a series of lights turned on for you, illuminating your way through an otherwise dark house? Ever thought about sitting down in bed and telling Siri to set the goodnight scene, thereby turning off the lights throughout your home that you used to walk into the bedroom? Ever thought about being in bed at 11:00 at night and realizing that the thermostat is too warm, and not wanting to go downstairs to turn it up? Ever woken up in the middle of the night and wanted to turn off your ceiling fan without crawling out of bed or fumbling in the dark for a remote? Ever thought about sitting on your balcony and unlocking the front door so that the postal carrier can set your package inside, and save you a trip downstairs? Ever thought about sitting on the sofa, getting ready to watch a movie, saying, "Movie Time" to Siri, and having her turn off multiple lights in the kitchen, dining room, living room, setting the scene? Ever thought it would be nice to have most of the lights in your house turn off when you leave for work in the morning without your needing to remember, then have them turn on again automatically when you arrive home?

Whats even better is that when you walk up to your door, its already unlocked. It knows you are there and unlocks it for you, No action required at all.

Motion detectors work well at turning on lights where there is currently darkness. Automatic is the key word here.

Schedules for lights and thermostats tend to automate the process, that in general, requires ZERO action on your part. GPS can be used to do similar things also automatically. Of course you can always use your voice to over ride any of these.

The problem with HomeKit is that it cant currently do most of this with most of the existing HA hardware out there. Fortunately Echo, and other products, can.