Whenever my family goes out of town, we have a dog sitter come by to check on our dogs. One challenge I always have is showing guests how to use our smart home. For our Level Lock Pro, I find it easier to just give them a fob or a physical key, since sharing a Home Key outside an iCloud family account is still a hassle. While sharing access to lights is possible, I find it much easier to use a product like the Onvis Smart Button instead.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
What’s in the hardware?
The Onvis Smart Button is a battery-operated Apple Home remote built with Thread. It allows you to control smart bulbs, smart plugs, and anything else in your HomeKit environment. It has five total buttons (one large and four on the outside area). Each button can trigger up to three HomeKit functions. It offers single, double, and long-press options. It runs on a standard coin battery and comes with a wall mount for easy storage.
Set up and installation
Once you unbox the remote, you unscrew the back plate to install the battery. Onvis includes the HomeKit code on the side of the remote and in the instruction manual. I always recommend using an app like Homepass to back up your codes. If you lose them, you have no way to reload them if you need to move the device to a different Apple Home setup or reinstall them for troubleshooting.
On the Home app’s accessory settings screen, you can choose which accessories and scenes go to which buttons. I use this to automate our blinds. We open them first thing in the morning and close them at night. We close them whenever Sawyer, Nate, and Julia go to bed. Since bedtime can vary from night to night, I prefer not to put the blinds on a strict timer. Using the Onvis Remote, I can tap the main button to close them and long-press to open them. I do not have to grab my iPhone or wait for Siri to respond.
One thing I appreciate about this device is that everything stays inside your Apple Home environment. There is no Onvis cloud involved. It works over Thread to trigger automations instantly. You can use the Onvis app to track what has been pressed, but it is completely optional.
Wrap up on the Onvis Smart Button
Overall, the Onvis Smart Button remains a solid addition to Apple Home in 2026. If you occasionally want physical buttons to activate scenes and turn devices on or off, it is a great product. I love that it has Thread built in, and I have found it to be incredibly fast and responsive over the years. It is a perfect way to give guests easy access to your smart home without having to teach them how to interact with it over Siri
The Onvis Smart Button can be purchased from Amazon or directly from Onvis.
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