
The HomeKit ecosystem may seem daunting and confusing if you're unfamiliar with smart home products, their functionality, and their benefits, but getting started is actually simple and straightforward. Learning the ins and outs of HomeKit after setup does take a bit of effort, but it's not a difficult process and having interlinked electronics that can interact with each other and be automated can save time and really streamline your life.

What is HomeKit?
HomeKit is Apple's smart home platform, which is designed to let you control various internet-connected home devices -- ranging from thermostats and plugs to window blinds, light bulbs, and more -- with Apple devices.
These days, more and more products are internet connected, which is why you've heard the phrase "Internet of Things." The Internet of Things is a confusing mix of "smart" products that connect to the internet and can be controlled by a range of different platforms, from Amazon's Alexa to Google Home to Samsung SmartThings.
HomeKit is Apple's "Internet of Things" solution that connects HomeKit-enabled smart accessories together in a way that lets you operate them using your Apple products.
What You Can Do With HomeKit
HomeKit isn't a product or software; it's a framework that links smart home products together and adds new capabilities to devices like lights, locks, cameras, thermostats, plugs, and more. HomeKit lets you control smart home products using apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or simple Siri voice commands.
While controlling smart home products with Siri or with an iPhone is convenient, the real magic of HomeKit comes when you have multiple HomeKit-enabled products because you can control them all at once using scenes or set up automations so that they activate automatically.

You can, for example, create a "Good night" scene that makes sure the doors are locked, closes the garage, turns off the lights, lowers the thermostat, and then activates a night light whenever motion is detected. With automation, you can set individual HomeKit devices to come on or off at specific times, or you can set entire scenes, like the aforementioned "Good night" scene to come on at a set time.

HomeKit setups, scenes, and automations can be as complex or as simple as you like, and now that HomeKit is in its fifth year of availability, there are all kinds of HomeKit products you can purchase. With a bit of time and some money, you can have a whole smart home ecosystem that's streamlined, automated, and easy to control.
Setting It Up
Getting started with HomeKit is as simple as purchasing any HomeKit-enabled device, whether it be a smart plug, light bulb, AirPlay 2 speaker, Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini, thermostat, or something else.
From there, open up the "Home" app, which comes pre-installed on all iOS devices. Tap on the "Add Accessory" button that's on the main screen of the Home app, and then follow the steps after it opens up to the rear camera.
All HomeKit products come with a HomeKit QR code on them, which you need to scan with the camera. Scanning the HomeKit code adds a device to the HomeKit framework, and then you can follow a few additional steps to assign it to a room, a necessary step for organizing your HomeKit devices.
How HomeKit Devices Connect
HomeKit devices connect to your HomeKit setup through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, or a hub that connects to Wi-Fi. Many HomeKit devices in the United States use WiFi or connect to a hub over WiFi. Hue light bulbs, for example, use a hub, while smart lights from other brands like LIFX use WiFi.
There are some devices that connect over Bluetooth, and with Bluetooth devices, it's worth noting that you're going to need home hubs to extend connectivity, otherwise connection range can be rather limited. Home hubs include the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod mini. There's also the new "Thread" protocol that's emerging that more seamlessly connects your devices without the need for the delays of WiFi or Bluetooth.
Types of HomeKit Devices
There are all kinds of HomeKit devices on the market, some that are more capable than others. The following HomeKit categories are available:
- Lights
- Switches
- Outlets
- Thermostats
- Window Blinds
- Fans
- Air Conditioners
- Humidifiers
- Air Purifiers
- Sensors
- Locks
- Cameras
- Doorbells
- Garage Doors
- Sprinklers
- Speakers
- Routers
- TVs

Smart home devices that are compatible with HomeKit will have "Works with Apple Homekit" labeling on the packaging to make it clear that they support HomeKit.
Basic HomeKit Setup Tutorials
- How to Add a Device to Your HomeKit Setup
- How to Delete a Device From HomeKit
- How to Give Others Access to Your HomeKit Setup
- How to Add Rooms and Zones to HomeKit
- How to Create HomeKit Scenes
- How to Automate HomeKit Products
- How to Add a Second Home to HomeKit
- How to Use Siri to Control Your HomeKit Devices
- How to Use HomePod to Control Your HomeKit Devices
Article Link: HomeKit: Everything You Need to Know
- Article Link
- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/homekit/
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