Apple debuts 'Home' app for HomeKit device control

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2016
Apple introduced a dedicated "Home" iOS app at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, finally introducing a manual control interface for HomeKit accessories to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.




Announced by Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, Home collects control functions for devices like lights, door locks and other connected devices into a standalone app interface. Previously, users were forced to access HomeKit-enabled hardware via Siri commands.

Like other automated home apps, Home can trigger devices individually or as group macros called Scenes. Available in the app's main view, a Scene like "I'm home" might open the garage door, unlock the front door and turn on house lights, for example. Another "Featured Scene" titled "Good night" might be customized to lock all house doors, lower window shades and dim or turn off lights.

Aside from macro Scene control, users have easy access to individual devices from the "Favorite Accessories" menu. Users can access devices by room or create and choose from automation schedules. Included in Home's automated services offering is rough proximity awareness via Apple TV, which detects when a user connects to a shared network.

The streaming device pulls double duty as a secure smart home hub, interfacing with and feeding commands to HomeKit devices.

Home sports Lock Screen integration for viewing alerts and device status without having to unlock an iPhone and open the app. Users with appropriate hardware, such as a front door camera doorbell, can interact directly with hardware through the Lock Screen.

Along with iPhone and iPad, owners of Apple Watch also have access to Home via watchOS 3.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    I knew that would eventually happen. It was just too kludgy having to create scenes in third party apps. Now Home kit seems like a proper platform.
  • Reply 2 of 20
    Yes!!! The delicious cherry on top of an excellent keynote sundae. I can't wait to start loading up my new place with home kit devices and finally step into the future!
    Butidonttweetlolliver
  • Reply 3 of 20
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    this looks awesome. it will help the HK hardware providers focus on the gear and APIs for their functionality, and leave the software to Apple.
    lolliver
  • Reply 4 of 20
    rtdunhamrtdunham Posts: 428member
    Is d-link going to enable its products to work with home kit? 

  • Reply 5 of 20
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Yes and 99.9999999999% of the world will never use Home Kit, but for the few lofts and wealthy of the future this will make them feel like Total Recall.
  • Reply 6 of 20
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    This keynote lead me to believe that getting the Echo is better for Home automation control.   Expected more after DED's article last week on WWDC and Siri.   kinda disappointed.   things seemed evolutionary not revolutionary.    SIRI understands me only 1/3 the time-same old frustration on macOS as on the phone. huh.
  • Reply 7 of 20
    Hopefully they are able to bridge HomeKit devices with existing Z-Wave/Zigbee/etc setups for management through the app. I know there was talk about HomeKit integrating non-secure devices like switches and lights (excludes locks, cameras, etc.) found in existing smart home setups. This was mentioned when HomeKit was first announced. Glad they finally gave HomeKit some time and a dedicated app.
  • Reply 8 of 20
    Home app was sorely needed. Can't wait to see this evolve.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    Yes and 99.9999999999% of the world will never use Home Kit, but for the few lofts and wealthy of the future this will make them feel like Total Recall.
    nonsense. HK lighting is in Lowes. even my girlfriend uses it. 

    hate on, bro, it's your job. 
    Butidonttweetblahfishcwingrav[Deleted User]tdknoxlolliver
  • Reply 10 of 20
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member
    Yes and 99.9999999999% of the world will never use Home Kit, but for the few lofts and wealthy of the future this will make them feel like Total Recall.
    nonsense. HK lighting is in Lowes. even my girlfriend uses it. 

    hate on, bro, it's your job. 
    wow you're right. Based on your facts... vvIt's not 99.999999999%... it's more like 0.99999999986% (7.4B-1/7.4B people ... the famous 'market of one')  

    mDriftmeyer is right: HomeKit is a first world solution. 10% (likely less: the intersection of people who have an iPhone AND a networked home/apt) of the world 'may' have the base infrastructure to use it. (it's a big world out there).  

    So, of the 500Million people who have an iPhone; You'll be lucky to see 500,000 truly 'HomeKit' Homes/apts, in the next 5 years. 

    Now in 10 years, I would figure all new homes will be 'automation enabled' (like the adoption of indoor plumbing and code compliant electrical wiring). e.g., smart switches, outlets, etc. 

    And given that 1st world housing turns over about every 30 years, That means 25-40 years for it to become 'standard' 

    I want this... but I'm not assuming it will be commodity for at least 10 years. 

    edited June 2016
  • Reply 11 of 20
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    YES. 

    Been waiting for for this one, it's the last piece of the puzzle I have been waiting for, I order to start experimenting with and investing in HomeKit products. So many 3rd party apps I've seen have been trash, and having  solid, integrated, attractive and useable app to control everything will make a huge difference. 
    edited June 2016 patchythepiratenolamacguylolliver
  • Reply 12 of 20
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Yes and 99.9999999999% of the world will never use Home Kit, but for the few lofts and wealthy of the future this will make them feel like Total Recall.

    Newsflash: You need to live in a "loft" and be "wealthy" to use Homekit. 

    You're a pretty shitty troll. 
    nolamacguylolliver
  • Reply 13 of 20
    I wish they would build a mock house or room, and show how homekit works. It sounds awesome, but seems mostly for new construction and maybe not that best for adapting an older home.
  • Reply 14 of 20
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    k2kw said:
    This keynote lead me to believe that getting the Echo is better for Home automation control.   Expected more after DED's article last week on WWDC and Siri.   kinda disappointed.   things seemed evolutionary not revolutionary.    SIRI understands me only 1/3 the time-same old frustration on macOS as on the phone. huh.
    http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/16/05/30/apples-vocaliq-takeover-could-hint-at-siri-upgrades-for-wwdc-and-beyond


    Prior to Apple's takeover, VocalIQ's technology scored over 90 percent in difficult accuracy tests — compared with roughly 20 percent for Siri, Google Now, or Microsoft's Cortana, a source told Business Insider. This includes interpreting complex commands an assistant like Siri would normally fail on, such as "Find a nearby Chinese restaurant with open parking and Wi-Fi that's kid-friendly."

  • Reply 15 of 20
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Excellent idea to do this app. The app sure does not look pretty though. Get some UI designers on it, please.
  • Reply 16 of 20
    nonsense. HK lighting is in Lowes. even my girlfriend uses it. 

    hate on, bro, it's your job. 
    wow you're right. Based on your facts... vvIt's not 99.999999999%... it's more like 0.99999999986% (7.4B-1/7.4B people ... the famous 'market of one')  

    mDriftmeyer is right: HomeKit is a first world solution. 10% (likely less: the intersection of people who have an iPhone AND a networked home/apt) of the world 'may' have the base infrastructure to use it. (it's a big world out there).  

    So, of the 500Million people who have an iPhone; You'll be lucky to see 500,000 truly 'HomeKit' Homes/apts, in the next 5 years. 

    Now in 10 years, I would figure all new homes will be 'automation enabled' (like the adoption of indoor plumbing and code compliant electrical wiring). e.g., smart switches, outlets, etc. 

    And given that 1st world housing turns over about every 30 years, That means 25-40 years for it to become 'standard' 

    I want this... but I'm not assuming it will be commodity for at least 10 years. 

    Smart home technology is misunderstood, but there's a thriving community that's rapidly growing. The problem now is that things are disjointed, with many proprietary and competing companies. There's the Nest community (Alphabet), the Smartthings community (Samsung), Wink, Iris, etc., each of which support one or more of the underlying communication standards (Bluetooth LE, wi-fi, Z-wave, ZigBee).

    The problem is that once you start to automate your home it's like crack, which is why it won't take 10 years to catch on. I have a home built in the 70's, so not everything relies on new construction. It starts with buying one thing... for me it was the Schlage Sense, one of the first HomeKit locks. I never use the Siri feature, but being able to set custom door codes, the auto-lock feature and remote status were very cool and it's a device that my family uses every day. Next was the Chamberlain MyQ Garage. For less than $80 (I caught a good deal) I am able to open and close my garage door and check the status... no more leaving the house and wondering if I left the garage open. MyQ is supposed to be HomeKit compatible sometime this year.  I also wanted a better water sensor for my basement, since I get backup from a drain sometimes. I got a Smartthings hub, and added a water sensor. I also added a couple of light switches. Smartthings is supposed to bridge to HomeKit sometime this year. I realize these are all first world problems driven mostly by laziness (not wanting to stand up to turn on lights), but those who actively use the Apple ecosystem are usually the walking epitome of first world problems. The "everyman" is being introduced to smart home technology through their home security company (ADT, etc.), their cable company (Xfinity Home, etc.) and their utility company (rebates for smart thermostats).

    The big problem now is that I have a folder full of apps to control all of these different devices. The goal of the Home app is to bring these all together. I've said since the beginning that the killer app that will drive Apple Watch sales is home automation. I see no need for one now. But, if my front door lock would automatically unlock when I'm close, if my lights turn on when I enter a dark room, or if supports more lazy-man tasks I haven't thought of yet I might think about it. Apple built proximity unlock into macOS, which is a first step.
    nolamacguylolliverpatchythepirate
  • Reply 17 of 20
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    nonsense. HK lighting is in Lowes. even my girlfriend uses it. 

    hate on, bro, it's your job. 
    wow you're right. Based on your facts... vvIt's not 99.999999999%... it's more like 0.99999999986% (7.4B-1/7.4B people ... the famous 'market of one')  

    mDriftmeyer is right: HomeKit is a first world solution. 10% (likely less: the intersection of people who have an iPhone AND a networked home/apt) of the world 'may' have the base infrastructure to use it. (it's a big world out there).  

    So, of the 500Million people who have an iPhone; You'll be lucky to see 500,000 truly 'HomeKit' Homes/apts, in the next 5 years. 

    Now in 10 years, I would figure all new homes will be 'automation enabled' (like the adoption of indoor plumbing and code compliant electrical wiring). e.g., smart switches, outlets, etc. 

    And given that 1st world housing turns over about every 30 years, That means 25-40 years for it to become 'standard' 

    I want this... but I'm not assuming it will be commodity for at least 10 years. 

    It needs to start somewhere. I am glad some companies like Apple took the initiave.
    edited June 2016 lolliver
  • Reply 18 of 20
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    I wish they would build a mock house or room, and show how homekit works. It sounds awesome, but seems mostly for new construction and maybe not that best for adapting an older home.
    what? I have a 160 year old house. ways I do or could use HomeKit:

    light bulbs
    blinds
    thermostat
    door locks
    garage door 
    outlets
    ceiling fans

    ...what am I doing wrong with my old house?? 
    lolliver
  • Reply 19 of 20
    And given that 1st world housing turns over about every 30 years, That means 25-40 years for it to become 'standard' 


    I want this... but I'm not assuming it will be commodity for at least 10 years. 

    I don't "get" that first statement, new houses are built every year. Each time integrating newer designs and options. As soon as new products come on the market, people are able to retro-fit. I'm currently looking at moving to a larger house and regardless of age and current systems, I'm planning to fit out the entire place with some sort of automated system. I bought my current place when I was 21 (10yrs ago) and the first thing I did was run cat5/6 cabling to every room in the house before decorating, even the loft and detached garage. In the years following, I've swapped out my heating system for a Hive and program everything from my iphone & various tablets from anywhere around the world. I can control 3 of the 6 TVs in the house from my phone and I have a few remotely operated power sockets. If I weren't planning to move, I'd have remote lighting and door locks by now already. Homekit/Home app will only speed up and encourage more people to do the same.
  • Reply 20 of 20
    tdsmactdsmac Posts: 13member
    k2kw said:
    This keynote lead me to believe that getting the Echo is better for Home automation control.   Expected more after DED's article last week on WWDC and Siri.   kinda disappointed.   things seemed evolutionary not revolutionary.    SIRI understands me only 1/3 the time-same old frustration on macOS as on the phone. huh.
    I think you need to wait and see. Apple never gives all the details of the software at WWDC. Usually, at the time of new hardware and that Keynote, Apple shows off more of the capabilities of the devices. You have to look at all of the announcements made in regard to Siri from all the OS platforms during the keynote to piece some pieces together. First, when discussing Siri on macOS, you are now able to ask Siri followup questions to the previous query. This could be a significant advancement alone in Siri functionality. Siri is now open to developers and 3rd party apps, so Siri functionality will also grow exponentially. The last part was the mention of "differential privacy". Other platforms have advanced due to the collecting of usage data off the device in regard to queries, speech recognition, pattern recognition, etc. All of that was of course at a cost of privacy. Apple enabled differential privacy to send more usage data off of devices to its servers for analysis without knowing who that particular data is tied to. This will also aid advancement of Siri and other areas. 

    You have to remember that this software will not be avail until the Fall (as well as any new hardware) . So Apple doesn't want to tip their hat into all of its capabilities now or what may be developed or added by its release. That would give time for the competition to alter, create or announce something prior to the release of the new OS's and hardware. Wait to the keynote in the fall and then make decisions. 
    lolliver
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