HomeKit How Is This Possible? iPad sees device, iPhone doesn't

[Buadhai]

As you can see from the screenshots, my iPhone XR says there is "No Response" from the "Patio" light while my iPad mini 4 is connected to the "Patio" light and can still control it.

Automations with the Patio light no longer work.

How did this happen and how can I fix it?

 

[Itinj24]

I have a couple Leviton switches that would never stay connected to HomeKit consistently. I had an iPad Air 2 mounted to the wall that was in the Home. I noticed that the iPad had some devices that wouldn’t stay connected and that may have been the issue with the Leviton switches because once I removed the iPad from my home, the switches magically work great now. Same with an iPhone 4S that seemed to have corrupted my HomeKit setup. Worked great again after I removed it. I chalked it up to old devices that aren’t connecting to the internet well but the iPad Mini 4 is not a terribly old device. There’s something going on here.

 

[Buadhai]

I'm enormously frustrated with HomeKit. It's just not predictable or reliable.

So, I've spent the morning working up an alternative for the Yeelight. The Yeelight has a "LAN Control Mode" which enables you to send commands to the light from the command line or from a shell script. Someone has kindly written some shell scripts that make use of this interface:

Yee Light Shell Scripts

To be useful you need to run these scripts from within your own scripts that set the parameters you want. Then you can use launchd (I use Lingon for this) to run the scripts when you want. You can also use sunwait (available from MacPorts) to run commands around sunset and sunrise.

It seems a shame to have to roll your own here, but IMHO, Apple and the device manufacturers have really dropped the ball.

 

[Itinj24]

I'm enormously frustrated with HomeKit. It's just not predictable or reliable.

So, I've spent the morning working up an alternative for the Yeelight. The Yeelight has a "LAN Control Mode" which enables you to send commands to the light from the command line or from a shell script. Someone has kindly written some shell scripts that make use of this interface:

Yee Light Shell Scripts

To be useful you need to run these scripts from within your own scripts that set the parameters you want. Then you can use launchd (I use Lingon for this) to run the scripts when you want. You can also use sunwait (available from MacPorts) to run commands around sunset and sunrise.

It seems a shame to have to roll your own here, but IMHO, Apple and the device manufacturers have really dropped the ball.

FWIW, I was cursing HomeKit up until I removed that iPad Air 2. Now it works really good. Wonder if something else going on there is causing your issues.

 

[inkahauts]

What is being used for your hub?

I suggest also reserveing IP addresses in your router for all smart hone stuff. It’s made my system quite perfect.

 

[Buadhai]

FWIW, I was cursing HomeKit up until I removed that iPad Air 2. Now it works really good. Wonder if something else going on there is causing your issues.

OK. I've removed the iPad as a HomeKit hub. Is that what you meant?

What is being used for your hub?

Apple TV 4, plus the iPad. I have now removed the iPad.

I have reserved IP addresses for all the HomeKit devices.

 

[inkahauts]

If doing those two things alone does not fix the problem then I’d suggest deleting all problem devices from home app and leaving them off for 24 to 48 hours then add them back.

 

[Itinj24]

I actually meant removing the iPad completely from the Home but if they’re on the same Apple ID, I think it would mean signing out. My wall mounted iPad was on a shared AppleID and I was easily able to uninvite it from the HomeKit setup. That fixed my issues.

 

[Buadhai]

If doing those two things alone does not fix the problem then I’d suggest deleting all problem devices from home app and leaving them off for 24 to 48 hours then add them back.

It didn't fix the problem. The only recalcitrant device I have now is the brand new Yeelight. It's exasperating. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Right now, it works fine from my iPhone and iPad, but in the Home app on my iMac it shows up as "No Response".

I spent most of yesterday morning writing shell scripts to communicate directly with the Yeelight and scheduled them with launchd. This worked a charm. I could turn the light on and off, change the hue and brightness; all from the Mac command line. Very slick.

Then it just stopped working. I could ping the Yeelight and send it commands, but it just didn't respond.

I tried power cycling the bulb and, wonder of wonders, it started working again from the command line. Of course, that magic only lasted a few hours and then it stopped working again.

It's enough to drive one nuts.

 

[Itinj24]

You can try removing/factory resetting the light and then re-adding it. It can be a pain if the light is attached to a lot of scenes and automations but it may help.

 

[Buadhai]

You can try removing/factory resetting the light and then re-adding it. It can be a pain if the light is attached to a lot of scenes and automations but it may help.

I've done that many times. I'll try one more. It is a pain to have to redo all the automations.

There ought to be an easier way.

 

[inkahauts]

I actually meant removing the iPad completely from the Home but if they’re on the same Apple ID, I think it would mean signing out. My wall mounted iPad was on a shared AppleID and I was easily able to uninvite it from the HomeKit setup. That fixed my issues.

There is a toggle to turn off an iPad from being a HomeKit hub... that should be enough

 

[inkahauts]

I've done that many times. I'll try one more. It is a pain to have to redo all the automations.

There ought to be an easier way.

I’d delete everything, reset everything, and then leave it alone for two days.

Then I’d readied stuff again in two days and make sure everything is set up with all the right accounts too...

 

[Itinj24]

There is a toggle to turn off an iPad from being a HomeKit hub... that should be enough

I did the same but it wasn’t until I uninvited the iPad from the home that everything was working again. It was two different Apple IDs so it made it easier for me than signing out of iCloud.
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I’d delete everything, reset everything, and then leave it alone for two days.

Then I’d readied stuff again in two days and make sure everything is set up with all the right accounts too...

I agree with this. Just redo everything. Gonna be a pain but it helps a lot of the time.

 

[inkahauts]

Well it’s also a time thing imho. I don’t think if you do it right away it’s always finished completely clearing everything out. That’s why I say wait two days after deleting and resetting everything to factory before resetting it up.


And using two different accounts could absolutely be an issue.

 

[Itinj24]

Well it’s also a time thing imho. I don’t think if you do it right away it’s always finished completely clearing everything out. That’s why I say wait two days after deleting and resetting everything to factory before resetting it up.


And using two different accounts could absolutely be an issue.

Not necessarily. It’s designed to allow multiple user accounts. My home setup is under my AppleID but my wife and mother in law are invited members with their own AppleID and it works fine like that but in this case, like you said, I would just redo the whole setup. Another troubleshooting method the OP can try, before dismantling HomeKit, is to do a hard reset on the iPhone and iPad. That actually helped some HomeKit lag issues I had in the past as well.

 

[inkahauts]

When there are issues I just try and remove as many variables as possible till I get things working right.

I don’t mean to suggest not letting others join in, Im saying set everything up under one account, because clearly something is off, then once it’s working go from there...

I have found you an add stuff if your in the same family too, and I wonder if that causes issues sometimes when adding devices so I try and avoid that.

I would also make sure that only one account exists for each product brand (like a hue account for Phil is lights).

 

[Itinj24]

When there are issues I just try and remove as many variables as possible till I get things working right.

I don’t mean to suggest not letting others join in, Im saying set everything up under one account, because clearly something is off, then once it’s working go from there...

I have found you an add stuff if your in the same family too, and I wonder if that causes issues sometimes when adding devices so I try and avoid that.

I would also make sure that only one account exists for each product brand (like a hue account for Phil is lights).

Ahh, Gotchya. Yeah of course.

 

[Buadhai]

My HomeKit setup is very simple. I have one outlet that I use for Christmas lights. It works well for the one month of the year I have Christmas lights up. I have another outlet that I use for our water pump. It has been working flawlessly for a year or so. I have another outlet that is a spare. I keep it plugged in and test it now and then. It also works fine.

And then there's the light. I started out with a KooGeek bulb. It worked fine for a year or so. I disliked it because it defaulted to ON after a power outage and there seemed to be no way to change that default.

Recently, it started to completely fail after every power outage. The only way to get it back was to remove it from HomeKit and re-add it. But, I'm away from home a lot and can't have a light that needs that sort of special care.

So, I bought the Yeelight. It never worked well. I could add it to HomeKit, but not to the Yeelight iPhone app until I changed the region from Asia (where I live) to Mainland China. I've had it for just about a week and it is incredibly flakey. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I don't think there's any need for me to redo the entire HomeKit setup. The easiest thing to do is to bin the Yeelight and try and find one that actually works. So far, candidates do not include KooGeek or Yeeligt. Hue is available here in Thailand, but requires a hub. I'm not going to install a hub for a single light bulb. Eve (?) doesn't seem to be available here in Thailand. Any other ideas?

I'm thinking I'll just use my spare HomeKit outlet with an ordinary light bulb. It won't dim or have fancy colors, but at least it will turn on and off when I want it to and it won't default to ON after a power outage.

 

[Itinj24]

I recommend VOCOlinc bulbs. Don’t need a hub. The two I have have been solid in their nightstand lamps and they’re inexpensive. Two pack for $36.99 (in the US at least). Also have their light strip and that too has been solid. Never lost connection.

VOCOlinc Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb A21 9.5W (60W Equiv.) Multicolor and Whites Dimmable Works with Apple HomeKit (iOS 12+) Alexa Google Assistant No Hub Required 2.4GHz SmartGlow (2 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QNJ29PL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wCaLEbZPP14S1

 

[Buadhai]

VOCOlinc must be good. Every single product on their website is sold out except for an outlet. Amazing.

 

[Itinj24]

VOCOlinc must be good. Every single product on their website is sold out except for an outlet. Amazing.

Yep. I had to get them through Amazon.

 

[Buadhai]

Amazon will ship some items here, but it's not a great choice. Shipping is high and they want a customs deposit in advance.