HomeKit Weekly

As everyone turns to Thanksgiving, I am already starting to see retail stores slowly bring out some Christmas items, and there’s one thing you need to have ready to go ahead of time – an outdoor smart plug. For outdoor Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, etc. – smart plugs that can handle moisture and cold weather are a must-have. Leviton has an excellent option for outdoor decorations with a Matter-enabled smart plug that works perfectly with HomeKit.

Level has long been known for its unique “invisible” design philosophy, creating smart home locks that blend seamlessly into your home while delivering robust security with deep Apple integration on the software side. Today, Level announced the new Level Lock+ with Matter. This updated model introduces support for Apple Home Key, Bluetooth compatibility, and Matter support in a single product, making it compatible with HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. If you’re an existing Level Lock+ customer, read on for details on how to get the limited-time free Matter firmware upgrade.

Keeping tabs on battery-powered HomeKit accessories like the Eve Weather can be challenging. From smart locks to motion sensors, battery status is often out of sight, out of mind—until the moment a device fails to respond. Enter HomeBatteries, an app designed to solve this problem by giving you an easy place to monitor HomeKit battery and ensuring you lose access to one of your devices.

If you’re deep into HomeKit like me, you know how convenient it can be for home automation. One of the most exciting smart home security additions for me in the past few years is Home Key from Apple, which lets you unlock your door using just your iPhone or Apple Watch. There is no need for apps or Bluetooth connection—tap your device, and you’re in.

In this blog, I will break down the top HomeKit-compatible locks with Home Key support, highlighting what makes them stand out and why they should be at the top of your smart home wishlist for Christmas.

The ideal HomeKit accessories run themselves. Turning off and on lights from an app is a nice feature, but it’s a similar level of effort to using a light switch. The real magic is when you can “set it and forget it.” The THIRDREALITY Smart Color Night Light is the perfect example of this reality when you need a night light for a kid’s room or to light up a hallway/stairwell at night. Once installed, you can turn on an automation and never think about it again.

If you’re looking to upgrade one of your interior doors to a smart lock, you’ll want to check out the ThorBolt MK1 with Thread support. It offers an excellent combination of sleek design, advanced technology, and easy integration with Apple HomeKit, particularly leveraging Thread. With remote management capabilities, you can lock or unlock your doors, monitor activity, and set automation via the Home app, Siri, and Shortcuts app.

Of all the smart home products I’ve tried over the years, one stands out as making the biggest impact in my life day to day while also giving me the type of automation that was only available in the movies previously. I am talking about Matter-enabled window shades, and I just installed a new set in my bathroom, and it’s been incredible. This week, I am looking at the Canisteo Motorized Woven Woods window shades.

Aqara has officially announced the release of its latest innovation in home security: the Smart Lock U300. This new smart lever lock is the third in Aqara’s lineup to support Apple Home Key. It also includes support for Thread and Matter, so it works perfectly across all smart home ecosystems. Read on to learn more about the Aqara U300 and how to save 20% off.

I’ve been a fan of SwitchBot for a few years now. They make some fun and unique smart home products. One of my favorites is the SwitchBot button pusher. It’s an easy way to make anything “smart” without needing to modify it at all. At the heart of SwitchBot is its Hub ecosystem, though. The SwitchBot Hub Mini is a great place to start, now including Matter support.

With the release of iOS 18, HomeKit now supports Matter 1.2, which brings new opportunities for HomeKit vendors. A perfect example of this is the WELOV Matter P200 Pro. It will now be fully available within HomeKit.

Sometimes, a package of products provides a simple way to accomplish a goal. The Eytueo Smart Table Lamp is great for Apple fans as it includes a USB-A and USB-C port on the back and a HomeKit-compatible bulb—making it a great gift idea for an Apple fanatic in your life.

HomeKit has become a powerful platform, with Apple consistently enhancing its features while staying true to its privacy-first approach. They’ve even contributed to the Matter standard, expanding what the Home app can do. But there’s a big problem we need to address: HomeKit Secure Video. Vendors are largely ignoring it, and while this isn’t entirely Apple’s fault, it’s a problem they need to solve.

Christmas decorating will begin before you know it, and outdoor lighting is always fun. HomeKit users have a new reason to celebrate. Govee, a popular manufacturer of permanent outdoor smart home lighting, has just launched a new product, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2. This second-generation lighting solution enhances your home lighting and comes with a significant upgrade that HomeKit users will love over the previous version: Matter support.

HomeKit light bulbs offer both functionality and convenience. They’ve come down in cost in recent years while also getting much more reliable thanks to technology like Thread and Matter. These smart lighting solutions integrate seamlessly with HomeKit, enabling you to control your home lighting through Siri, the Home app, or Scenes/Automation. Beyond just lights, HomeKit light bulbs enhance energy efficiency, improve security, and create customized lighting environments to suit various activities and moods (think dimming as the night goes on). This week, I am looking at the mujoy Smart Light Bulbs.

If you’re starting from zero on a smart home, it can look daunting and expensive as you consider upgrading all of the rooms in your house. I’ve found that starting with a few smart outlet adaptors is the best (and most economical way) to start, as you can upgrade your lamps and a few dumb appliances for under $50. This week, I am looking at the TP-Link Tapo P125 4-pack of HomeKit enabled outlet adaptors.

Presence sensors are very useful tools for smart homes. They allow you to trigger scenes and automate without needing a device in hand or pre-plan for automatic automation timing. Today, Aqara is releasing its new FP1E presence sensor. Read on to learn more.

Smart plugs are the gateway drug for HomeKit. They’re low-cost and easy to install, and you can get many benefits from them. There are dozens upon dozens of options on where to start, though. The meross MSS315 smart plug delivers almost everything you’d want in a smart plug: Matter support, low cost, and small in size. The only thing it’s missing is Thread support and 5Ghz Wi-Fi.

Air purifiers are one of my favorite HomeKit accessories. Even though I live in an area with pretty decent air quality, I keep them running around our home to clean up the air for my family. I recently picked up the new Smartmi E1, the best-looking HomeKit air purifier on the market.

Summer is in full swing here in the United States, but my traveling is over for the summer. I spent the week before Memorial Day in Lisbon, Portugal, the week after Memorial Day near the Gulf of Mexico, and a few days in early June in Las Vegas for CriblCon. Having a HomeKit Home hub gives me remote access to all my favorite HomeKit accessories for monitoring energy, tricking would-be burglars by changing my lights, and much more. Here are some of my favorite HomeKit accessories for the summer.

Apple’s home key continues to slowly make its way into more smart home locks. Aqara, fresh off the release of the U50 smart lock, has just released the Aqara U200 with advanced security features, Matter support, Thread support, and integration with Apple home key.