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IKEA Trådfri Smart Lighting System Supports Apple HomeKit [Update: Not Yet]

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IKEA's Trådfri smart lighting system is now officially compatible with HomeKit, Apple's smart home management platform.

The support was confirmed in IKEA's response to a question posted on its Facebook page this morning, after a customer noticed a change in the technical specifications on the company's Trådfri product page.

IKEA-Still-1592x796-800x400.jpg

According to a thread in the Philips Hue developer support forum, IKEA's smart lighting bulbs are now also compatible with the Philips Hue Bridge, once the products' software has been manually updated.

Existing Trådfri gateway owners need to ensure they have the latest firmware upgrade for their devices to pair them with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Home.

IKEA had promised HomeKit support for its affordable range of home lighting products back in May. The system was originally announced in late March, and includes LED bulbs, illuminated panels, a motion sensor kit, a gateway kit, and dimming lights.

Update: Sadly, it looks as if IKEA's confirmation of Trådfri HomeKit support earlier today was in error. IKEA has since made the following statement on its Swedish Facebook page:
There has been information going out today about the compatibility of TRÅDFRI. We can now inform you that TRÅDFRI is not yet compatible with Apple, Amazon and Google. The plan is that everything will work as we'd like this fall. We are very sorry for the confusion!
Click to expand...
Note: This does not apply to the Philips Hue Bridge compatibility, as reported from the separate source above.

Article Link: IKEA Trådfri Smart Lighting System Supports Apple HomeKit [Update: Not Yet]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/10/ikea-tradfri-smart-lighting-supports-homekit/
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Reactions: Wackery
I'd really like to know how am I supposed to add Tradfri as my HomeKit accessory since there's no HomeKit code on the device...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ralfoyd
Very good move, IKEA. They didn't promise any HomeKit support at the beginning and yet they developed quickly an update. Bravo.

LIFX instead promised HomeKit for ages and users are still waiting for an ETA. Come on, LIFX, wake up!
 
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Reactions: nordique
OndrejMirtes said:
I'd really like to know how am I supposed to add Tradfri as my HomeKit accessory since there's no HomeKit code on the device...
Click to expand...

I think IKEA's Facebook may be getting ahead of themselves. Nothing about HomeKit in the release notes https://ww8.ikea.com/ikeahomesmart/releasenotes/releasenotes.html and because TRADFRI uses a bridge the app needs to add functionality to pair into your Home.

EDIT: IKEA just added a comment to the linked Facebook post saying more info coming soon...
 
I'm a HomeKit newbie, so my question might be dumb. Can I just buy one lightbulb andt will it connect to my AppleTV? Or do I need to buy IKEA's gateway?
 
robbiet480 said:
I think IKEA's Facebook may be getting ahead of themselves. Nothing about HomeKit in the release notes https://ww8.ikea.com/ikeahomesmart/releasenotes/releasenotes.html and because TRADFRI uses a bridge the app needs to add functionality to pair into your Home.

EDIT: IKEA just added a comment to the linked Facebook post saying more info coming soon...
Click to expand...

You can also read this under Product specifications: "Make sure that you have the latest upgrade of TRÅDFRI gateway to be able to connect it with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or Google Home."

US product page - http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90353361/
 
zantafio said:
I'm a HomeKit newbie, so my question might be dumb. Can I just buy one lightbulb andt will it connect to my AppleTV? Or do I need to buy IKEA's gateway?
Click to expand...

You need to have a gateway, home kits tells this gateway what to do, unless you get a light that has the gateway inside (i have hue and hue has a gateway external, so don't know of any)
 
As someone who’s been following this quite closely I’ll say this.

- the wording on their product page has been there for at least a couple of weeks. I noticed it and thought for a second they had released the update but no such luck.
- I noticed last night that the lights and switches had been updated to 1.2 version of firmware, but the router remained at 1.1.
I did a quick look last night but didn’t show up in HomeKit or similar. The TRÅDFRI app hasn’t been updated either.

I’m at work now but will check once I get home.
My guess, is that they’ve finally solved the ZigBee compatibility with the hue bridge and support HomeKit through it. At least at this point.

Or maybe someone has managed to link the bridge with HomeKit.
 
KazuSnow said:
You need to have a gateway, home kits tells this gateway what to do, unless you get a light that has the gateway inside (i have hue and hue has a gateway external, so don't know of any)
Click to expand...

I thought the AppleTV could be used as a gateway.
 
zantafio said:
I thought the AppleTV could be used as a gateway.
Click to expand...
The AppleTV can be used as a HomeKit Hub. What this means is it can communicate with HomeKit enabled devices and other hubs to facilitate automation and remote access when away from home through iCloud. It is not itself a device hub. Each brand of device has its own communication format. Many share in formats but each has a communication means. You can also use an iPad that stays home as a hub.
 
zantafio said:
well that is disappointing
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Its not so bad. I have two hubs at the moment from Hue and Lutron. I have a multi-port switch they connect to that cost about $15 it does not need to be anything special since these hubs are not in need of speed. The hubs can be bought as part of a kit and add about $50 or less to the first purchase. Past that you just add up to 50 bulbs/devices and keep growing the system.
 
This is great news. Ikea will do for the Smart Bulb industry what T-mobile is trying to do for the Cell phone companies. More competition means lower prices. They're proving that it CAN be done at a lower cost.
 
Is this US only (again...?), or global? interested I this system as GU10 lamps are £13 here, very competitive and so I'd be very interested in doing my whole home, if HomeKit compatible.

thanks
 
Seems to me IKEA is a bit late here. Their system is not inexpensive. Why would I choose their system over Hue with years more experience with smart bulbs? A Hue white starter kit with hub is about $12 less and 2 Sylvannia hub-free bulbs will be around $45.
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lfhdez said:
They're proving that it CAN be done at a lower cost.
Click to expand...

How? They are not prices less than other HomeKit bulbs starter kits or bulbs.
 
zantafio said:
I thought the AppleTV could be used as a gateway.
Click to expand...

It’s the gateway for the other gateways you don’t need the Apple TV (or iPad) unless you want to use HomeKit while you’re away from your home and off your home wifi...look up hue, the lights have to connect to the hue gateway and HomeKit (your Apple TV or iPad m) connects to that hue gateway, you tell Siri what to do, Siri off wifi tells Apple TV that tells hue gateway, or Siri on wifi just tells hue gate way what you want, and the hue gateway connects to the lights and says what you wanted

If you didn’t have the hue gateway each light would have to have a HomeKit gateway inside each, making them more costly
 
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