HomeKit Weekly

Motion sensors have long been one of my favorite HomeKit devices for many years. However, the durability and speed of alerts are incredibly important when it comes to outdoor motion sensors. The Onvis outdoor motion sensor, built with Thread technology and an IP66 rating, is made to work great in both areas. If you want to trigger HomeKit devices based on motion outside, read on to learn more.

Smart locks have made our homes more secure and easy to access in recent years. For a long time, the market felt stagnant, but in the past few years, we’ve seen a few vendors hop on board in a major way. The Ultraloq Bolt is a great option with Apple HomeKit integration, built-in Wi-Fi, and versatile ways to lock and unlock your door. Whether you’re looking for advanced features like fingerprint ID or simple convenience with Siri voice control, the Ultraloq Bolt delivers it all (almost).

Temperature sensors are an important yet often overlooked part of a HomeKit setup. Even working as a passive tracking device, I want to add them to every room to understand more about what’s happening in the air. The aree Temperature Sensor is a great option for HomeKit fans with its compact size and detailed monitoring options. Let’s have a look.

As the colder months settle in, maintaining the humidity level becomes extremely important for me, as I have natural gas heat. Dry air can wreak havoc on my sinuses, so I am always hyper-aware of this during the coldest part of winter. That’s where the SwitchBot Evaporative Humidifier comes in. It delivers efficient, mist-free humidification while easily fitting into your HomeKit setup via Matter support from SwitchBot Hub 2.

When it comes to smart home lighting, you have two main options: smart lightbulbs or smart outlet adapters paired with traditional lamps. Both have their place, but for me, smart bulbs offer more flexibility and control. Unlike outlet adapters, which toggle power on and off, smart bulbs give you control over brightness, color, and even dynamic scenes. If you want to take the next step in building your smart home in 2025, a set of Matter-compatible lightbulbs might be the perfect place to start. This week, I am looking at the Linkind Matter Smart Bulb.

Smart home products have come a long way, but one area often overlooked is water management. Aqara’s newly launched Valve Controller T1 is changing that by turning your existing water valves into smart components of your home. Originally announced at IFA 2024, this retrofit device pairs with water leak sensors and integrates seamlessly into HomeKit

Lockly recently released its latest Zeno Series smart door locks, which include some fantastic features that Apple fans will love. Unveiled at CES 2024 and now available at The Home Depot, the new series features a redesigned, smaller footprint and state-of-the-art technology, including built-in Wi-Fi for streamlined connectivity and, most importantly, compatibility with HomeKit and Home Key.

It feels like the year has flown by—just yesterday, we were looking forward to 2024, and now, we are gearing up for the holiday season. For many of us, Christmas brings a chance to add extra magic to our homes. My first foray into HomeKit was automating my Christmas decorations, so it feels only right to usher in the season with my updated guide to creating a smarter, more festive Christmas display.

With Christmas shopping hitting its peak, time’s running out to get those online orders in before the rush pushes you into the last-minute store scramble. HomeKit accessories make great gifts for any Apple fans—they’re always in demand and add value to any smart home setup. For this week’s HomeKit Weekly, I’ve compiled a 2024 HomeKit gift guide to help you find the perfect addition for your favorite Apple fan.

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.