HomeKit Weekly

A few weeks ago, my wife and I put a contract on a plot of land, so we’re looking to build a new house within the next year. Of course, HomeKit will be a significant part of it. I plan to rethink everything about my HomeKit environment for this new house and start from scratch from a software standpoint. Are you building a new home? Follow along with me to gain tips and tricks on creating the HomeKit environment during the home building process. Some of the products will be installed by the builder, but I will install others after moving into the home.

HomeKit Smart plugs are one of the easiest ways to get started with smart home technology as they are usually low cost, easy to install, and work great with the lamps you already have in your home. A recent addition to my smart home environment is the Meross dual smart plug with HomeKit compatibility.

A few years ago, I told a few friends that I wasn’t planning to add security cameras to my house. After Apple announced HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV), my mind began to change. I have never been comfortable with security cameras that use third-party cameras, and my initial belief was repeatedly reinforced. Recently, BuzzFeed reported on an ADT employee accessing cameras inside customers’ homes. I want a video system where that’s not technically possible. With HKSV, we have that system. I now have too many cameras to use HomeKit Secure Video for all of them. It’s time for Apple to add a 10-camera HomeKit Secure Video option to the Apple One Premier bundle.

One of the very first smart home products I purchased for my home was one of Belkin’s Wemo switches. Back before Apple had developed HomeKit, I was already envisioning a smart home. Up until now, there’s only been a single option for an outdoor HomeKit adapter, but late last year, Belkin released a new outdoor Wemo outlet that’s compatible with HomeKit.

Recently, I did a roundup of the best outdoor HomeKit cameras. I’ve personally been using the Eufy camera system for over a year as I love the picture quality, and I love how easy they are to install. What if you want all the benefits of the Eufy camera system without needing to worry about power? Eufy now has a solution for you with a new Eufy Solar Panel option for continuous charging of your Eufy cameras.

Integrating your cameras into HomeKit is one of the best ways to build up your smart home environment, but which cameras are the best? This week, I will give you all the information about the best HomeKit cameras for securing the outdoors of your home in 2021.

There are multiple types of HomeKit cameras, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I’ve previously reviewed the eufy outdoor cameras, and while I love them, they have to be charged once a year or so. If the opportunity to wire a camera is available, that’s a great option. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing the Logitech Circle View to cover part of my side yard, and it’s a fantastic HomeKit camera. Let’s dive into how it works with HomeKit.

Now that it’s 2021, many of us have goals and resolutions to accomplish this year. For some, it’s weight loss. For some, it’s to finally clean out the garage. When I think about HomeKit, I want one thing this year: an automated way to deal with the No Response error in HomeKit.

In my house, I always want everything to smell fresh. I am constantly lighting candles, spraying Febreze, and other types of air fresheners. With three small children running around our house, there is usually an odd smell from somewhere that I am trying to cover up. When I came across the VOCOlinc Flowerbud, I knew I had to try it as a way to automate the process. I know some people believe essential oils are as good as medicine, and while I am not going to debate that, I am more focused on providing a pleasing smell in the main area of my house.

Adaptive lighting in HomeKit was one of the new features from Apple in iOS 14. While it took a while for manufacturers to begin rolling it out, I’ve finally been able to spend a few weeks with it. It’s another way that HomeKit is providing experiences to automate your life for the better.

Some HomeKit projects are about convenience, some are about security, and others are just for fun. The Philips Hue Play lights certainly fit in the last category of HomeKit products.

One of the significant changes I’ve made to my HomeKit setup this fall is adding a “second home.” No, I didn’t buy a second home, but I added a new home in HomeKit at work. When the HomePod mini was announced, I took my full-size HomePod to work in favor of two of the HomePod minis at home. Once I added that HomePod, I started slowly taking a few HomeKit devices to work, and I have a full-blown HomeKit at work.

It’s the Christmas season, so many of us are decorating our homes with Christmas trees, outdoor lighting, and other items to put our homes in the Christmas spirit. I’ve been using HomeKit to simplify the operation of our Christmas decorations for years, so read on for some tips, tricks, and essential gear to buy.

HomeKit cameras, for the longest time, were like Bigfoot. We heard all about them, but they were nowhere to be found. Now, there are countless options for integrating cameras into your HomeKit experience. One of the simplest options is the new Aqara G2H camera.

HomeKit outlets are an easy way to turn an existing appliance into one that works with your smart home setup. What if you need more than one? HomeKit surge protectors are the easiest way to turn multiple devices into ones that work with HomeKit. I’ve purchased a handful of them and now have my favorites, so read on if you want to learn about the best HomeKit surge protectors.

I’ve got quite the HomeKit set up at this point as I have over 50 devices on my Wi-Fi network at any given time. A few weeks ago, I woke up on a Tuesday morning with motion alerts on my eufy cameras. This alert is not uncommon as there is a neighborhood cat that frequently walks around our porch at night. Little did I know that once I checked the alerts, my day would get a lot more complicated. Read on to learn how HomeKit likely prevented my car from being stolen.

One of the headline features of the HomePod mini is the new intercom system where you can send messages to different rooms in the house. Intercom will work across HomePods, as well as iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. As much as I am looking forward to trying out the intercom system, as a dad of three, I need less noise in our house, so I am really enjoying using Signals for HomeKit.

Philips Hue is the gold standard of HomeKit bulbs, and I am delighted with the ones I own. They’re bright, rarely need to be rebooted to fix a disconnection, and offer many color combinations. On the other hand, they’re somewhat expensive since it requires a purchase of a hub. If you want a low-cost way to switch over to HomeKit bulbs, check out these two options.

Over the summer, my school did a significant remodeling project, and as a result of it, I moved into a brand new office. One of the ways I decided to make it my own was to begin adding HomeKit products. Of course, I started with a HomePod as my HomeKit hub, and the very first product I added next was the VOCOlinc light strips.

Now that it’s fall here in the US, my family is spending a lot of time outdoors at night. After bracing through the 90 degree days of August and the first half of September, we’re undoubtedly enjoying the cooler 70 degree days. One of my favorite things to do at night is come out to the screened porch and read something from Apple Books, listen to an audiobook on Prologue, or even watch some TV. One of the recent addition to my HomeKit setup is the Eve Flare, and it’s been a perfect addition to our porch.

HomeKit adds many benefits to a home, but oftentimes, it can handle mounting products on the wall, above the door, or even swapping out a doorbell. There are plenty of HomeKit projects that work well in apartments or homes you are renting, though. Read on to find out the best HomeKit products for apartments and rentals.