Provide feedback to the developer of your garage opener. My guess here is that homekit requires specific response time before it considers it failed. Seems like the compromise from the garage developer was to send an acknowledgment response instead of a completed response. Not sure if it’s apple not comprehending certain commands will take longer or it’s the companies who are not developing these things in real life settings
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The Best HomeKit Products You Can Buy
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Provide feedback to the developer of your garage opener. My guess here is that homekit requires specific response time before it considers it failed. Seems like the compromise from the garage developer was to send an acknowledgment response instead of a completed response. Not sure if it’s apple not comprehending certain commands will take longer or it’s the companies who are not developing these things in real life settings
Lutron Caseta switches and dimmers work really well, and I've invested a lot in Philips Hue lights around my house.
My add on programs for HomeKit include iConnectHue, Home app by Mathias Hochgatterer & the Philips Hue app. My primary controls are an iPhone X or my HomePod via Siri. I also use the Lutron app on my iPhone X & my Apple Watch Series 3 which works well.
I would like to see much more information about these auxiliary programs. Home app by Hochgatter is phenomenal but doesn't do it all. iConnectHue is pretty robust and usable.
My add on programs for HomeKit include iConnectHue, Home app by Mathias Hochgatterer & the Philips Hue app. My primary controls are an iPhone X or my HomePod via Siri. I also use the Lutron app on my iPhone X & my Apple Watch Series 3 which works well.
I would like to see much more information about these auxiliary programs. Home app by Hochgatter is phenomenal but doesn't do it all. iConnectHue is pretty robust and usable.
I love the Leviton Decora smart dimmer for IOS.
Also have some Hue bulbs from before I bought the switch, but they can coexist on different circuits. if I were doing it over again I would prioritize the switch over the Hue bulbs, at least for my uses.
Also have some Hue bulbs from before I bought the switch, but they can coexist on different circuits. if I were doing it over again I would prioritize the switch over the Hue bulbs, at least for my uses.
You can set the codes to work only during a certain time, in the app. For example, you can set all codes to work only from 6am to midnight, so that no code works at night.
Apple's smart home platform, HomeKit, has grown significantly since its 2015 launch, and there are now dozens of HomeKit products on the market that include everything from lights and smart outlets to thermostats, fans, cameras, and locks.
There are so many HomeKit products available that you can essentially outfit an entire house with smart accessories, but it can be tough to figure out the best HomeKit products if you're new to the ecosystem. In our latest YouTube video, we've rounded up several of our favorite HomeKit products.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Our video encompasses several product categories, including smart locks, connected lights, smart outlets for adding HomeKit functionality to any appliance or device, thermostats, buttons for easier control, and more. Products mentioned in the video are listed below with prices and purchase links:
[*]August Smart Lock Pro ($220)
[*]Yale Assure Lock with iM1 Network Module ($200)
[*]Philips Hue Lights and Hue Tap ($134 for a Hue White Starter Kit, $49 for Hue Tap)
[*]LIFX (Starting at $25 for LIFX Mini White)
[*]Nanoleaf Light Panels ($230)
[*]Sensi Touch Thermostat ($150)
[*]Ecobee4 Thermostat ($250)
[*]iDevices Switch ($30)
[*]Logitech Pop Smart Button ($60)
[*]Elgato Eve Button ($50)
HomeKit products are designed to allow all of your devices to be controlled via the Home app and through Siri commands. The platform includes scenes, automations, triggers, and more, allowing for you to automate the smart home products you own.
You can control HomeKit devices using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but we wanted to give a special shoutout to the HomePod, Apple's smart speaker. The $349 HomePod speaker has built-in Siri capabilities and an exceptional microphone, plus it serves as a Home hub, making it a great method of control for your HomeKit devices.
HomeKit functionality may expand significantly in the near future, thanks to iOS 11.3, which introduces software authentication so existing products can be updated with HomeKit support. Prior to iOS 11.3, special hardware was required, with companies required to add a chip to an accessory to introduce HomeKit support. With that limitation lifted, HomeKit adoption may see rapid growth.
Do you have favorite HomeKit products we didn't mention in the video? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: The Best HomeKit Products You Can Buy
I'm not sure how the Lutron Caseta isn't on this list -- it isn't just the best HomeKit product I own, it's also the best smart home product period that I use. My 4600 sq. ft. house is outfitted with dozens of them. Telling Siri to 'turn off the lights downstairs' is the greatest feature ever.
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Exact same problems with MyQ & Siri. Really frustrating. I assumed it was because I had an 8’ door and it was slower than typical.
I installed an ecobee 4 just last week. It seems to work quite well for the most part, but the integration with HomeKit is oddly inconsistent. The main strangeness: Home can report rooms as either "occupied" and "motion detected" (or both), but ecobee's app can only report motion. I asked ecobee support about this, if for no other reason than their documentation does not make a distinction between occupancy and motion. They told me that occupancy is based on thermal detection, but did not try to answer my question about why Home can report from their thermal sensor, but their own app can't. Another issue with the two methods of controlling the system is Home tells me my thermostat is set to cool to 79 degrees, when it's actually set to 76 degrees. The ecobee app gets it right. What goes on here?
I suspect from what I am hearing about the wildly different experiences users are having with the same home automation hardware has to do with the quality of their wi-fi networks. I'm prepared to buy some cameras and switch modules, but knowing the lath and plaster walls in my home are not friendly to wi-fi, I will probably invest in powerline adaptors at the same time.
How to create a wi-fi network robust enough to reliably support home automation would actually be an excellent topic for an article. It's an important subject that I haven't seen explained comprehensively anywhere.
I suspect from what I am hearing about the wildly different experiences users are having with the same home automation hardware has to do with the quality of their wi-fi networks. I'm prepared to buy some cameras and switch modules, but knowing the lath and plaster walls in my home are not friendly to wi-fi, I will probably invest in powerline adaptors at the same time.
How to create a wi-fi network robust enough to reliably support home automation would actually be an excellent topic for an article. It's an important subject that I haven't seen explained comprehensively anywhere.
Kwikset Premis: I have one and it works great. Not that much different than the Schlage, but allows for easy re-keying.
Lutron Caseta: so trouble-free I forget it's there.
iDevices Switch: to turn on the TV, occasionally (once a month or so) locks up and needs to be unplugged/replugged to get it going again.
HomePod: just works. Occasionally Siri gets a bit stupid. Wish it would do more.
Homebridge: controls my Roomba and all my Nest stuff (Thermostat and Smoke Alarms) and it all works quite well. This isn't praise for Nest, but Homebridge itself, which can be set up and run cheaply and reliably on a Raspberry Pi Zero W.
Other items I won't hold my breath for:
Ring Pro: two years of promised support for Homekit, and still waiting. Now that Amazon owns it...
Nest: not holding out hope for it due to Google's attitude towards Apple, but if they did ever add native support, they would be the company to beat.
Unfortunately for these two, they figure market fragmentation is best for all of us.
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I'd put in a lot more of them if they would just be a bit cheaper or ever go on sale. Also, the lack of an appliance module is a bummer. I don't want to use a lamp dimmer on my TV.
Lutron Caseta: so trouble-free I forget it's there.
iDevices Switch: to turn on the TV, occasionally (once a month or so) locks up and needs to be unplugged/replugged to get it going again.
HomePod: just works. Occasionally Siri gets a bit stupid. Wish it would do more.
Homebridge: controls my Roomba and all my Nest stuff (Thermostat and Smoke Alarms) and it all works quite well. This isn't praise for Nest, but Homebridge itself, which can be set up and run cheaply and reliably on a Raspberry Pi Zero W.
Other items I won't hold my breath for:
Ring Pro: two years of promised support for Homekit, and still waiting. Now that Amazon owns it...
Nest: not holding out hope for it due to Google's attitude towards Apple, but if they did ever add native support, they would be the company to beat.
Unfortunately for these two, they figure market fragmentation is best for all of us.
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I'd put in a lot more of them if they would just be a bit cheaper or ever go on sale. Also, the lack of an appliance module is a bummer. I don't want to use a lamp dimmer on my TV.
I use Homebridge on a raspberry pi for my nest and scout alarm integration with HomeKit and it works nicely.
But to be honest, HomeKit itself is very buggy and has a long way to go before becoming usable for non-tech people. So you’re not missing out at the moment.
I would like to add the Tado smart thermostat range to the list. We've got the thermostat and the extension kit (not the individual radiator valves yet) and we love it. Once it has learned the characteristics of the house (how quickly the house typically heats up at a given outside temperature, how quickly it loses heat again after it stops heating etc.) it is almost set it and forget it. It turns off after I've left the house and turns back on when I am ten minutes away. It is great, though, that when you need to adjust it for the occasion you can just do it from your phone's notification screen.
https://www.tado.com
(You may have to live in Europe to buy them, though, looking at their site.)
https://www.tado.com
(You may have to live in Europe to buy them, though, looking at their site.)
D-Link Omna is quite good. I know it got a lot of mixed reviews, but for me and the security stand point the local SD recording is the way to go. I really don't like the cloud recording for videos. I think the camera image is good. I am considering adding another to my setup. I also purchased the VOCO pm3 outlet. It's rated for 1800 watts, which is enough for an window AC. And it works great. On top of the fact its only $25 you can't really beat that.
Well, that was useless. Of course I know how to setup and automate things. The problem was that my iDevices were fighting for control. No where in that link is this discussed nor does it mention how to safely remove homekit from a device.
Have to agree about the Schlage Sense. I replaced two locks with them about 15 months ago and (so far) they have been good.
I also swapped out one thermostat with the Sensi. Everything about it has been good EXCEPT that the display backlight on mine won't turn off. It dims, but not off completely. That is the only thing I don't like.
If all you’re doing is HomeKit and you don’t care about Alexa - save some cash and get the Exobee3 Lite - and use the extra cash to buy yourself some Ecobee sensors for around the house (they also are HomeKit compatible - showing up right in the Home app as well as controlling the Ecobee).
If you’re thinking of doing LOTS of lights through your home - I can recommend Lutron Caseta. It works perfectly with HomeKit and is absolutely reliable - with nice in-wall switches that are easy to install (and don’t require a neutral).
And for August - definitely get the kit that comes with the August Pro and the Connect together. You’re going to want both (I did both my front and back doors this way - love it!).
Critically: don’t buy the “new” “normal” August lock: no HomeKit support!
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Get an AppleTV - it will fix everything. Not really sure why anyone would put so much money into HomeKit stuff but not get an AppleTV to do the dedicated Hub thing...
Just go grab a refurb 4th gen if you’re not that interested in using it for a media device.
If you’re thinking of doing LOTS of lights through your home - I can recommend Lutron Caseta. It works perfectly with HomeKit and is absolutely reliable - with nice in-wall switches that are easy to install (and don’t require a neutral).
And for August - definitely get the kit that comes with the August Pro and the Connect together. You’re going to want both (I did both my front and back doors this way - love it!).
Critically: don’t buy the “new” “normal” August lock: no HomeKit support!
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Get an AppleTV - it will fix everything. Not really sure why anyone would put so much money into HomeKit stuff but not get an AppleTV to do the dedicated Hub thing...
Just go grab a refurb 4th gen if you’re not that interested in using it for a media device.
This. Once I got past my initial newbie hangups, they have been stupid easy to get going. Not needing a hub for them is also a huge bonus.
Wirecutter agrees with you.
[doublepost=1523454728][/doublepost]I use:
Apple TVs
HomePods
iPad Pro (I get it... I'm overkill on hubs at this point.)
Philips Hue Bulbs, lightstrips, and switches throughout the entire apartment (I have a physical switch in my entryway and bedroom. The Bedroom is 3 scenes and Off, the Entryway is 3 scenes and everything off.)
iHome iSP5 smart plug hooked into a pair of Yankee Candle Scenterpiece warmers.
EcoBee 3 Lite + 2 room sensors (which also do motion now!)
I plan on adding an August Pro and a Logitech Circle 2 (...because I want to see what my cats are up when I'm out.)
Can anyone tell me what benefit getting August's hub would be? I'm 100% Apple but my gf has an Essential PH-1, if that matters.
Agreed, switches are much better in a lot of instances. Also a bit harder for average folks to install, particularly on a three-way circuit. The other challenge, which I face with an older home, is the electrician who installed the light switch wiring in 1975 usually just clipped off the ground wire as it entered the box. These Ideal (brand) splice connectors have been a huge help in recovering the ground wire. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-S...sh-In-Butt-Splices-10-Pack-30-1342S/202894306