Fix HomeKit on the Apple Watch. When you open the Home app, it seems responsive for a second or so... and then becomes unresponsive for several seconds while it loads device statuses, etc. When this happens, sometimes it queues up taps, sometimes it doesn't. And using Siri to turn devices on and off from the Apple Watch has gotten painfully laggy in recent iterations of watchOS.
Add real programming to HomeKit. Right now you can define a trigger... but what you can't do is use simple logic: If it's after sunset and this motion sensor is activated... The obvious way to do this is to (a) bring HomeKit to macOS and (b) integrate it with Automator. This one thing is what keeps HomeKit from being true home automation: You can't truly link things together because you can't use boolean logic (this AND that, this OR that...)
You can definitely do more logic, but it requires third-party apps. Ones like Home or Eve are extremely effective for this. It is where I do almost all of my automation for this reason.
HomeKit on Apple Watch is really poor, though I have heard of some new third-party apps looking to fix this!
On the subject of cameras... we also need a Do Not Disturb exclusion for HomeKit enabled security devices. Right now my DND list is custom (not the default Favorites) and allows family and a few work numbers (ie: the boss) to reach me even when DND is on. But with DND on my camera notifications aren't seen til I wake up. We need a "DND for HomeKit Devices" that lets us choose which devices we want enabled for alerts even with DND on (cameras, water sensors, etc).
Fix HomeKit on the Apple Watch. When you open the Home app, it seems responsive for a second or so... and then becomes unresponsive for several seconds while it loads device statuses, etc. When this happens, sometimes it queues up taps, sometimes it doesn't. And using Siri to turn devices on and off from the Apple Watch has gotten painfully laggy in recent iterations of watchOS.
HomeKit is always fast for me. You may want to upgrade your AppleWatch. I have the series 3 with LTE and its immediate for all HomeKit requests.
Fix HomeKit on the Apple Watch. When you open the Home app, it seems responsive for a second or so... and then becomes unresponsive for several seconds while it loads device statuses, etc. When this happens, sometimes it queues up taps, sometimes it doesn't. And using Siri to turn devices on and off from the Apple Watch has gotten painfully laggy in recent iterations of watchOS.
HomeKit is always fast for me. You may want to upgrade your AppleWatch. I have the series 3 with LTE and its immediate for all HomeKit requests.
For me, on the Series 3 LTE, it is just slow to load all my accessories.
How about compatibility with existing z-wave devices? That ranks far higher than a smart dog food bowl in my opinion. There’s already a huge installed base of Zwave devices, and right now, you essentially have to rip them all out and replace them with home kit devices. That’s a non-starter for me and many others.
HK is wifi, Z-wave isn’t. Z-Wave is a low-power protocol for lighter-weight communications. ZW requires a bridge to route instructions from a wifi controller to the ZW endpoints. There is likely no getting around this...I doubt Apple wants to build native controller support for every one of the competing low power protocols like ZW.
This is not Apple’s problem to fix.
So.. why not build this bridge into HomePod and Apple TV, or even create a mesh router system with HK, Bluetooth and and with a z wave interface built in to replace Airport? Apple could certainly help with the security issues there.
Because as it is HomeKit has so many set up issues, access and simplicity limitations it doesn’t Just Work.
I'm a geek who adores the way a myriad of Apple products has changed my life. I keep thinking I should delve into the joys of HomeKit (The Kit for Your Home!) but have yet to see how it tops old-timey hardware light switches, locks, and thermostats. I'm starting to think I'm too old (48 this year and surely nearer the grave!), too set in my ways, or/and that my house is just too small.
You’re kidding, right? 48 is young. At 64 I’ve added porch lights that I can program to come on at dusk and off at dawn if we’re away or just come on if we arrive home after dark. I’ve got lights that are out of reach that I can now turn off and on without climbing on a step stool. And it’s just cool that I can turn our deck lights on with a “Hey Siri” command.
I think automated control of kitchen appliances is overkill and not worth the added security risks. Any oven that could potentially be remotely controlled also has timers that can turn the oven on at a chosen time (any oven that has a Kosher mode can also do this) and even if it couldn't, how long does it take to heat an oven - 15 minutes tops? And I can't think of a single instance in which one would need to control a toaster or microwave by a device. Just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should.
Turning on a car in order to heat it means running the engine. So now we're going to substantially increase the use of gasoline. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average car commute time is 25.4 minutes. So now we're going to turn the car on say 10 minutes in advance, potentially increasing fuel consumption by up to 39% on cold days. Even if the car uses half the amount of fuel when idling, that's still 20%. Suck it up.
And using a device to turn lights on and off reminds me of the characters in WALL-E, who have become obese and feeble, in part due to automation.
If one lives in a really large house, some automation might be desirable. But for the majority of Americans who live in urban environments and largely in relatively small apartments or small homes, IMO automation is overkill and only going to make us even fatter. For the year 2013-2014:
More than 1 in 3 adults were considered to be overweight.
More than 2 in 3 adults were considered to be overweight or have obesity.
More than 1 in 3 adults were considered to have obesity.
About 1 in 13 adults were considered to have extreme obesity.
About 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 were considered to have obesity
So yes, let's give people even more tools to stay on the couch.
The smart home is a nice idea but HomeKit accessories are way too expensive and likely to remain so for some time. Three years ago I bought a WeMo to control my kettle and so long as I remember to fill up the kettle with water it works well. I also bought a Withings smart scale which continues to work well. Unfortunately the Withings wireless blood pressure monitor I bought has failed less than three years after purchase. I do not recommend this product and Nokia refused to replace it. I am now looking to purchase a second automated switch/plug three years later. I would have expected the price to have fallen significantly yet that is not the case with the WeMo. To gain full HomeKit control I would also need a bridge from Belkin which I have been advised will be available here in the U.K. this month. This will no doubt add significantly to the cost of my small home automation system. The Belkin WeMo runs on WiFi and I was considering the Elgato Eve Energy Smart Plug which runs on Bluetooth as an alternative. I live in a small house so I would expect that Bluetooth should not be a problem. Has anyone got experience with either of these devices to help me decide which I should buy next? I plan on getting tv 4 soon so that will be my HomeKit hub.
I'm a geek who adores the way a myriad of Apple products has changed my life. I keep thinking I should delve into the joys of HomeKit (The Kit for Your Home!) but have yet to see how it tops old-timey hardware light switches, locks, and thermostats. I'm starting to think I'm too old (48 this year and surely nearer the grave!), too set in my ways, or/and that my house is just too small.
It can't be age. I turn 49 this year and I absolutely love playing around with home automation and HomeKit. Automation, security, energy savings and convenience are some of the reasons this tops old-timey hardware. Give it is shot. Being a geek myself I think you will enjoy playing around with it. And after playing around you will start to get it.
I removed all my HomeKit devices from my home. I had Hue lights, several Elgato sensors and smart plugs and even installed Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi to control my Nest Thermostat and Scout alarm system. But it was just not worth the hassle. Why? HomeKit is riddled with bugs. It's so unreliable I just don't understand how this ever passed Apple's Quality tests.
I removed all my HomeKit devices from my home. I had Hue lights, several Elgato sensors and smart plugs and even installed Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi to control my Nest Thermostat and Scout alarm system. But it was just not worth the hassle. Why? HomeKit is riddled with bugs. It's so unreliable I just don't understand how this ever passed Apple's Quality tests.
How strange. What sort of bugs? So far I have managed to avoid them for all the years it’s been deployed. Not sure what I’m doing wrong?
The smart home is a nice idea but HomeKit accessories are way too expensive and likely to remain so for some time. Three years ago I bought a WeMo to control my kettle and so long as I remember to fill up the kettle with water it works well. I also bought a Withings smart scale which continues to work well. Unfortunately the Withings wireless blood pressure monitor I bought has failed less than three years after purchase. I do not recommend this product and Nokia refused to replace it. I am now looking to purchase a second automated switch/plug three years later. I would have expected the price to have fallen significantly yet that is not the case with the WeMo. To gain full HomeKit control I would also need a bridge from Belkin which I have been advised will be available here in the U.K. this month. This will no doubt add significantly to the cost of my small home automation system. The Belkin WeMo runs on WiFi and I was considering the Elgato Eve Energy Smart Plug which runs on Bluetooth as an alternative. I live in a small house so I would expect that Bluetooth should not be a problem. Has anyone got experience with either of these devices to help me decide which I should buy next? I plan on getting tv 4 soon so that will be my HomeKit hub.
I think the cost has come down a whole lot from where it started.
$25 bucks for this wall charger, which also has two high-speed USB built-in seems like a bargain. Especially compared to where it used to be.
Even iDevices outlet switch is less than $30, and works with almost all smart home platforms.
Some accessories, namely those that work on WiFi instead of Bluetooth are for sure pricier. But that is the same for all platforms.
1) Fix Geofencing for secure devices I understand why HomeKit doesn't allow you to unlock a door when you come into range. But I think I should be able to have it lock my doors, turn on the alarm etc, if I leave home.
4) Make it easier to group devices One of my light fixtures has four Hue bulbs. I was able to group these in Homekit using the iDevices app. Why can't I do this easily in the Home app?
1. I really wish this existed as well, I don’t understand why they didn’t add auto locking.
4. Grouping is really easy in the home app? Just go to the accessory details, and near the bottom of the page is an option to group accessories together. Just select the ones you want and give them a name.
Hey, is it me or has Apple not even delivered on what was promised last year???? What about the HomeKit features that were promised at WWDC in 2017. I haven't seen any sprinklers and faucets!!! Several announced products and capability but no real products. Rachio, for example, keeps saying it coming soon and they can't comment until Apple releases the "Sprinkler Profile".
Am I wrong?? If so, please let me know who has a working HomeKit sprinkler or faucet... (And I don't mean working with Homebridge or something like that)
Hey, is it me or has Apple not even delivered on what was promised last year???? What about the HomeKit features that were promised at WWDC in 2017. I haven't seen any sprinklers and faucets!!! Several announced products and capability but no real products. Rachio, for example, keeps saying it coming soon and they can't comment until Apple releases the "Sprinkler Profile".
Am I wrong?? If so, please let me know who has a working HomeKit sprinkler or faucet... (And I don't mean working with Homebridge or something like that)
Thx. Eric
You aren't entirely wrong, but as buggy as something have been in the past, I appreciate their due diligence before prematurely releasing it. Like you said, there are many sprinklers that are coming out, notable Elgato Eve, Orbit Hyve, and Rachio.
Hopeful,ly we see movement on this soon, maybe with iOS 11.4. It did take Apple this long to finally support software authentication with 11.3, so they are getting around to them. This goes with Mike's great article on Apple pre-announcing things far too far ahead of time.
I would love to see HomeKit integrated with CarPlay. it would be nice to press on the screen to run the scene that you are home to open your garage, turn on your lights etc.
KNX integration. That could be the way to make up for lost grounds. Compared to the interoperability, reliability and robustness of KNX, the likes of Nest and Google Home are insular amateurs. It's not just about Siri voice control (already possible with novel, expensive and limited devices) but about true bidirectional integration of buttons, sensors, devices, etc.
Comments
HomeKit on Apple Watch is really poor, though I have heard of some new third-party apps looking to fix this!
Because as it is HomeKit has so many set up issues, access and simplicity limitations it doesn’t Just Work.
Three years ago I bought a WeMo to control my kettle and so long as I remember to fill up the kettle with water it works well. I also bought a Withings smart scale which continues to work well. Unfortunately the Withings wireless blood pressure monitor I bought has failed less than three years after purchase. I do not recommend this product and Nokia refused to replace it.
I am now looking to purchase a second automated switch/plug three years later. I would have expected the price to have fallen significantly yet that is not the case with the WeMo. To gain full HomeKit control I would also need a bridge from Belkin which I have been advised will be available here in the U.K. this month. This will no doubt add significantly to the cost of my small home automation system.
The Belkin WeMo runs on WiFi and I was considering the Elgato Eve Energy Smart Plug which runs on Bluetooth as an alternative. I live in a small house so I would expect that Bluetooth should not be a problem. Has anyone got experience with either of these devices to help me decide which I should buy next? I plan on getting tv 4 soon so that will be my HomeKit hub.
$25 bucks for this wall charger, which also has two high-speed USB built-in seems like a bargain. Especially compared to where it used to be.
Even iDevices outlet switch is less than $30, and works with almost all smart home platforms.
Some accessories, namely those that work on WiFi instead of Bluetooth are for sure pricier. But that is the same for all platforms.
4. Grouping is really easy in the home app? Just go to the accessory details, and near the bottom of the page is an option to group accessories together. Just select the ones you want and give them a name.
Am I wrong?? If so, please let me know who has a working HomeKit sprinkler or faucet... (And I don't mean working with Homebridge or something like that)
Thx. Eric
Hopeful,ly we see movement on this soon, maybe with iOS 11.4. It did take Apple this long to finally support software authentication with 11.3, so they are getting around to them. This goes with Mike's great article on Apple pre-announcing things far too far ahead of time.