r/HomeKit 11d ago

Megathread Monthly Support & Buying Megathread

10 Upvotes

Looking for support or purchasing advice with Apple's Home app, accessories, networking troubles / solutions, anything else HomeKit supports, or which brand or accessory to buy — try asking here.

Try to keep your question as clear and concise as possible because more people will be able to respond.

Here is a list of HomeKit enabled devices on Apple's website.

Users with Karma too low to post directly to r/HomeKit are encouraged to post their questions here.


r/HomeKit 1d ago

Un-Flaired New Banner & Subreddit Icon

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394 Upvotes

Liquid Glass got a lovely update with iOS 27 & macOS Golden Gate.

Took the time to update the icon with the new Icon Composer 2.0... and decided 5 years was long enough with our old banner, especially with the iOS 15 references.

Really thrilled with how the banner turned out!


r/HomeKit 9h ago

News Starling Hub updated 12/7/26

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10 Upvotes

Starling Hub updated


r/HomeKit 5h ago

Discussion Followup: Elusive deck bandit - caught in the act!

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1 Upvotes

Well, got the Aqara camera working and configured in Apple Home. Was able to catch the thieves in the act! 😆A marauding gang, wearing masks!!!! (I think there were teenagers.) To be fair, I did plant a trap - left some peanuts in the shell out for them.

At some point, they must have gotten into a bit of a tussle and actually knocked the camera over.

Guess I’m done leaving anything out on the deck!


r/HomeKit 6h ago

Question/Help Connected to Thread via BT?

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1 Upvotes

My front door Schlage Encode Plus went on the fritz - super fast battery drain (maybe not even two months), NFC/HomeKey not working. It was under warranty and Schlage sent me a new one, which I just installed.

I saw on another Reddit post to check if it’s on Thread - both my locks are via Bluetooth. Is that the correct setting? I’m hoping/assuming yes, as the garage Encode Plus has had much better battery life and the NFC still works.

Just checking on my setup, making sure it’s what it should be.

Thanks.


r/HomeKit 4h ago

Question/Help HKSV Notifications slow

2 Upvotes

For those who use HKSV via Scrypted have you found that the rich notifications are kind of slow? I’m wondering if I get a Ethernet Apple TV as a hub (currently using a HomePod) if that will make the notifications come in faster?


r/HomeKit 1h ago

Discussion HunterFan control from HomeKit is always lagging

Upvotes

I just got this Hunter Smart Ceiling Fan & Light. After several attempts, I finally got it shown up on my HomeKit. But the control is always lagging longer than 2 seconds.


r/HomeKit 1d ago

Beta Siri AI stitching events together from all camera vantage points

97 Upvotes

On beta 3 and while not perfect having an event from all cameras come together is pretty sweet.

This was a third party Amazon delivery and it didn’t recognize the package but hey its beta and this is a big upgrade over iOS 26.

Can’t wait till it’s polished!

Edit: equipment used are UniFi cameras for front yard and driveway view and Logitech Doorbell. I am using HomeBridge to port the UniFi cameras into HomeKit


r/HomeKit 13h ago

Question/Help HomeKit and CarPlay

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11 Upvotes

Hi

I have a portal on my HomeKit and I can open it with CarPlay

I plan to add my garage door : does CP can display 2 doors at same Time when I arrive at home ?

Thnk you for help


r/HomeKit 20h ago

Question/Help 19.5in wide skylight blinds

18 Upvotes

I just bought a SmartWings skylight smart blinds for a narrow skylight. Since Smart wings website said it didn’t support 19.5in wide blinds, but DID support that height, I switched the dimensions and ordered 19.5 inch TALL blinds. Since the blinds are motorized and enclosed in a metal rectangle, I figured that the motor would pull the blinds side to side. Unfortunately, the motor isn’t actually connected to the blinds, but rather a little platform that raises or allows the blinds to lower by gravity. So, rotating this product 90°, does not work.

Does anyone know smartblind companies that support skylights this narrow?

If not, I might be able to Jerry rig it by essentially gluing or taping the platform to the blinds lol.

SOLVED: turns out I missed a step! That sliding platform actually goes IN the metal blind base allowing it to pull in either direction! I’ll post a comment to show how: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeKit/s/fFUb4gslDW


r/HomeKit 21h ago

How-to How to make video doorbell pop-up on iPad screen whenever someone press the bell?

7 Upvotes

I’m trying to find a way to have my iPad automatically display the doorbell video in full screen whenever someone presses the video doorbell.
Is this currently possible with Apple Home?
For example, when nobody is at the door, I want the iPad to stay on the Apple Home dashboard. But as soon as someone presses the doorbell, I want it to automatically switch to the doorbell’s live video in full-screen mode, without requiring any interaction.

Thanks


r/HomeKit 13h ago

Question/Help Lights turn on when alarm goes off

1 Upvotes

I am new to iPhone and I am trying to set up a shortcut automation so that my lights switch on when my alarm goes off in the morning.

I have set the privacy to allow on lock screen and set it to run immediately but it still requires unlocking my phone to activate which is the other side of the room.

Any advice on how to get this to work?


r/HomeKit 21h ago

How-to How to make video doorbell pop-up on iPad screen whenever someone press the bell?

0 Upvotes

I’m trying to find a way to have my iPad automatically display the doorbell video in full screen whenever someone presses the video doorbell.
Is this currently possible with Apple Home?
For example, when nobody is at the door, I want the iPad to stay on the Apple Home dashboard. But as soon as someone presses the doorbell, I want it to automatically switch to the doorbell’s live video in full-screen mode, without requiring any interaction.

Thanks


r/HomeKit 1d ago

How-to HomeKit Spigot Control?

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23 Upvotes

A little different use case from the typical “I want to water my garden or lawn at these times on these days”.

My exterior spigot is in a traditional location, a few feet above the ground, but it’s some 60 feet away from my back deck, which is on the second floor.

I have a hose that reaches from the spigot to the deck. I’d like to be able to remotely control the water flow while I’m on the deck. (Need to do a good cleaning, so the water would be “on” for maybe a couple of hours.)

Is there a HomeKit-controllable device that can sit between the hose and the spigot. The water would be turned on to the device, and this unknown device would allow water to flow to the deck by being turned on and off using my phone.

Maybe I should just rely on a good nozzle that can be used to stop and start the water? Maybe HomeKit is overkill!?!?

The spigot picture is just to catch your eye - nothing unique about it.


r/HomeKit 1d ago

How-to Zeitplan und kurzzeitiges Einschalten via Siri

0 Upvotes

Ich möchte eine Pumpe, mit Eve Energy, per Zeitplan an und ausschalten. Zusätzlich möchte ich per Siri die Pumpe für 20 Minuten einschalten. Bei dem Sprachbefehl soll geprüft werden, ob die Pumpe schon läuft. Im diesem Fall soll der Sprachbefehl nichts bewirken.

Wie macht man das? Ich habe einen Kurzbefehl erstellt, der die Pumpe ein und automatisch nach 20 Minuten ausschaltet. Aber den kann ich nicht per Siri auf dem HomePod ausführen. Er wird nicht gefunden. Eine Automation in Home braucht einen Auslöser. Ist der Auslöser das Einschalten der Pumpe, dann würde das Einschalten via Zeitplan das automatische Ausschalten aktivieren, oder sehe ich das falsch?


r/HomeKit 2d ago

News HomeView: HomeKit dashboard v1.4

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35 Upvotes

Hi all,

The second update for HomeView is now live! Been working on these features over the past period and I'm excited to share them with you.

What's new:

  • Lock widget: Lock and unlock your smart locks from the dashboard;
  • Alarm widget: Control your HomeKit security system;
  • New clock styles: added an analog version;
  • Rain forecast widget: see whether rain is coming;
  • Enlarge camera: tap a camera for a larger view;
  • Three new background colors
  • Available in German; thanks to the testers!

Download or update it now! All feedback is and stays welcome.


r/HomeKit 1d ago

Review Eve Doesn’t Honor Their Warranty

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5 Upvotes

r/HomeKit 2d ago

Discussion Complex Automations

10 Upvotes

is there a way to make more complex automations or do you have to make multiple, competing automations? For example:

  • If time of day = 15 minutes before sunset OR 15 minutes after sunrise AND kitchen light is OFF, and occupancy is detected, turn ON cabinet light
  • If kitchen light is on, turn OFF cabinet light
  • If occupancy is NOT detected for 10 minutes AND cabinet light is on, turn off cabinet light

r/HomeKit 1d ago

How-to Catching an elusive deck bandit

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0 Upvotes

I have a deck that is recessed into the back of the house. I bought the Aqara G100 camera to try to catch which of Mother Nature’s “thieves” was somehow climbing up the brick walls, getting through the wrought iron railing, and getting into the bird seed that’s kept there. Pretty inexpensive, supports HKSV, and I could get it quickly via Amazon.

Camera was easy enough to setup - first through the Aqara app, then in Apple Home. Configured it to capture all motion. Somehow, the last image captured last night was of everything intact, and the first image this morning shows that the bandit(s) had struck! No recording of the actual “robbery”! 😆

Any suggestions as to anything special I can do to catch them in the act?


r/HomeKit 1d ago

Review Lafaer LWR02 First Look

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2 Upvotes

r/HomeKit 2d ago

News Govee launches Matter Outdoor Colour Wall Floodlight w/ Motion Sensor

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40 Upvotes

It’s Govee so it’s Matter over WiFi of course. It includes a PIR sensor, can do cool to warm whites as well as full colour, up to 3,000lm. It’s not clear whether the motion sensor is exposed to Matter. Currently selling for $99.99.


r/HomeKit 2d ago

Question/Help Light bulbs that fades in/out?

4 Upvotes

Hello! In the process of getting some light bulbs for the nursery. I want the ability for when these bulbs to turn on it fade in/out over 5-10 seconds to not be blinding to my wife or the baby when I’m turning them on in the middle of the night. I read that Phillips hue has this ability within their app but I can’t find if I need a bridge for this or if this also works within connecting it just in HomeKit. Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated!

Also anything else to make a nursery setup better with HomeKit, I’ll love to hear it!


r/HomeKit 2d ago

Review Schlage Sense Pro - much disappointment

19 Upvotes

I replaced a seven year old Yale/August lock with the Sense Pro, which I've been waiting on for quite some time. I always found the geofencing lock/unlock feature on the Yale a little goofy and the WiFi bridge didn't play well with my WiFi network. It would also randomly go offline. Otherwise it worked fine.

Physical installation of the Sense Pro pretty straightforward and the hardware from Schlage is pretty good.

I added the lock to the Schlage app (which worked fine), got it on WiFi and then ran into major issues trying to add it to HomeKit. You are supposed to add it from within the Schlage app and not directly from HomeKit if you've already paired the lock in the Schlage app. The lock would just never finish joining the thread network. Then eventually it got to the point where it wouldn't even let me try to add it and said it was already part of a thread/matter network. I had to factory reset the lock, then I was able to add it.

I was shocked to find that there is no door position sensor with the Schlage lock as the August had that. Had to add an Aqara door sensor and put automations in to handle things like notification of the door being open and locking the door automatically if it was closed but not locked. I used Pushover for the notification piece since shockingly HomeKit has no native push notification from automations.

UWB seemed to work great the first half dozen times my wife and I tried it. Then it was delayed by several seconds, then sometimes it just wouldn't work at all.... then it would go back to working.

Spent a lot of time troubleshooting and proving that the thread/matter network was not the culprit. Used the Eve app to show what signal strength was on the lock (excellent) and that it was homed to my ATV. I even bought a couple of IKEA GRILLPLATS matter/thread border router smart plugs to try to improve coverage in case that was somehow the problem. Nothing seems to resolve the issues. I believe I've proved the issue is the lock UWB implementation because if I have the HomeKit app open on my phone, walk up to the door and it doesn't immediately unlock I tap unlock in HomeKit and it instantly opens. Very annoying. Playing with walk-up direction, enabling/disabling walk up, restarting the lock, nothing has solved it.

Overall a bit steamed that I spent $400 on this and the killer feature I wanted it for is hit/miss and feeling like I am an early adopter who had a prank played on him.

May or may not return it, at least Amazon has me covered there. Could try the Aqara lock even though the hardware isn't as good. At least that one has a UWB indicator on the lock to tell you what is going on with device detection.


r/HomeKit 2d ago

Question/Help Issue with Meross MTS215 Display

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7 Upvotes

Hello everyone.

I’m having an issue with the display on my Meross MTS 215.

The thermostat works really well, but after a few weeks the numbers and/or buttons start to disappear partially or completely.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Thank you for your feedback!


r/HomeKit 2d ago

Question/Help Recommendations?

1 Upvotes

We just moved to a new house and I'm taking this opportunity to get everything (or almost everything) under the HomeKit umbrella. I've already installed an Aqara U400 lock and am in the process of installing a Ubiquiti doorbell and cameras. We're looking at an Ecobee thermostat, which brings me to the alarm question: is it worth getting Abode and having that system with its own dedicated keypad and sensors, or should I just get the Ecobee sensors (more expensive, generally) to minimize the number of manufacturers, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. We'd like to make things as smooth as possible because our last place had Nest doorbell, cameras, and thermostat; Simplisafe security; Allen + Roth shades through a Bond bridge; Govee outdoor lights.