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Network in the #1 spot is bang on. It's critical important to have a robust home network. Not sure if I agree with Mesh. It's great alternative if you can't do physical wire but it would not be my default.
I started with 1 smart switch. I needed no hub or bridge for them. Works over WiFi. 1 switch can handle multiple lights. Mine are in the garage. So 1 will turn on a number of my T8 fluorescent light tubes. But they still work as a normal light switch. Another is my garage door opener. I can control by Siri. That is the main way we come and go from my house. Not the front door. Once you have Siri control with thru garage door and the lights in the garage, now using Apes home app, you can link them. So when my garage door starts to open, the garage lights come on. When the door closes, the lights go back of. Its one of the best things I've done. Also with a smart garage door opener, this allows me to use Amazon Key delivery to inside my garage. It a great way to get my packages delivered. Save inside my garage. I've had no issues. I think it's much better option than their delivery inside your front door. I have no smart switches inside my house. I swapped out the bathroom switches for cheap glowing switches. There are cheap options you can do. Figure out what works best for your own needs.
Love the Aqara system. Made automating some rooms and lighting great. Put a door sensor on our laundry room door so that when you open it, bam lights come on, close the door, lights turn off.
Great video! Another tip: If looking at a accessory that requires a hub, look at what other accessories that company offers. Do they support accessories that you are interested in? Are there other hubs that support a wider range of products you are interested in? I’m currently using 3 hubs and really do not want any more. I have a small 1940s bungalow with limited outlets and space. For me efficiency is key.
What made sense for me around the network was using the Aqara hub for most of my sensor requirements and offload that traffic and device clutter to the Zigbee network provided by the hub instead of having it on my main wifi network.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. I agree, and is also one of the reason I do like using bridges for certain things like sensors. If you plan to add a lot of something, like sensors or lights, a bridge is not always a bad thing. Aqara is a great option for sensors.
Good advise Shane, I support your comments. I switched to a mesh wifi system a year after I automated. Yes, it was a pain and it took a lot of patience. I have noticed that some manufacturers are making it easier to switch wifi networks now. So they should!
The wife and I made the mistake of buying some smart dimmers from Costco that are incompatible with HomeKit. At the time we weren’t even thinking about using them with HomeKit. About two years ago we purchased four Bellini WeMo switches. Two weeks ago we purchased four FEIT Smart Dimmers. Then we found your videos. The FEIT switches we can return, but I’m not so sure about the WeMo switches. Our HomePod mini arrived Friday. Unfortunately we didn’t order that through you. However, I would like to order the other items from you. I’m going to need a total of eight devices and I’m not so sure which ones I need. I’ll need: 3 smart timers for outdoor lights 2 smart timers for indoor lights 3 smart dimmers for indoor lights Thanks!
Hey James, thanks for the support! Not sure what you mean by "smart timers." There are a few outdoor smart plugs available for homekit. For smart dimmer switches, my favorite is the Lutron Caseta. They are rock solid. Let me know if you have other questions. I try to keep my website up to date with the products that I'm using and recommend: shanewhatley.com/products/
@@ShaneCreates currently I have three separate programmable timers that control outdoor lighting. They can be programmed for any day or everyday, and multiple on/off times. However, whenever there’s a slight power flicker they lose there programs and I have to re-program all of them. I was thinking maybe the Lurton dimmer or on/off.
My main recommendation to those just starting out, is to do lots and lots of research and then make a plan. As part of your research, go back and watch all of Shane's videos, whether or not you think you will go with that particular product or not that he is talking about in his video. There are also a couple of other TH-camrs like Rey G, Eric Welander, HomeKit Authority, ModernDay Tech that also have a lot of great content that you should check out as well. Research, research, research. One other thing you will need to decide when getting into lighting is do you want to go with smart switches or smart light bulbs. One thing to remember about smart bulbs is that if the light switch is turned off, then you cannot control the smart bulb. If you have light fixtures with multiple bulbs, the bulbs may exceed the price of a smart light switch. If you want to use different colors or different light temperatures (warm white, cool white, daylight, et cetera), then you will have to have smart light bulbs. Just something to consider and plan for when you dip your toe into smart lighting.
Thanks Frederick very much for the kind words and for sharing your experience! I agree, research is key. And you've suggested some great TH-camrs to check out, all of which I highly recommend as well! I couldn't agree more on your advice for lighting. Well said! This is something I learned the hard way in the beginning after getting a phillips hue starter pack. My family kept flipping the switches, leaving my bulbs unresponsive in HomeKit. I learned quickly that smart switches were the way to go for me. Ended up replacing the bulbs and used smart switches instead, and as a result I have a number of smart bulbs lying around today unused. (guess I should have done better research...) Hopefully others can learn from my mistakes. Thanks again!
I’ve had loads of trouble connecting the hue bridge to an Ethernet switch. From the shot of your under the stairs cupboard it looks like you have the bridge connected that way and I was wondering if you had any trouble and if so, how you overcame them. Cheers
Hey Ed, thanks for watching. No, sorry I haven't had any issues with my hue bridge. I just use the switch to give me more ethernet jacks since my router only has one or two available. I haven't had any issues with it though.
Shane Whatley glad you have been ok. I was for years then one day it just stopped connecting through the switch. Hue support said that bridges won’t connect through a switch, something about the IP address not being right...
Shane Whatley nope. Other than don’t plug it into a switch. I have my mesh routers using a hardwire back haul and the only way I could make it work was to take the Ethernet wire out of one so it connected to the mesh over WiFi and plug the bridge into that one.
Good stuff Shane. A couple of things that I would add: 1. Networking tip - I suggest making sure there are separate names for the 5Gig/2.4Gig Network bands on WiFi. From my experience, it helps with ongoing connectivity when setting-up equipment that uses the 2.4Gig side. Sounds weird, but it seems to help. 2. Lighting - While I believe using Smart Switches is a FAR better solution than Smart Bulbs , I would tell everyone to base their decision on whether they plan to incorporate color-changing bulbs into whatever circuit they plan to add Smart Control to. As of now, there isn’t a good way to add (seamless) color control of a Smart Bulb that’s also operated by a Smart Switch. * also * - Opting for the ConnectSense Smart Outlet is also a good thing to consider when laying-out a plan for Smart Home configuration. It’s a bit pricey, but totally worth it for any circuit that you want to monitor power usage/consumption on. Just my $0.02
Thanks for sharing your experience Brad! You make some great points. I used to have separate names for 5ghz and 2.4ghz bands but since getting a mesh system, both 2.4 and 5ghz share the same SSID, which actually works well for me. I think this may depend on the router you use as I have heard of some people having trouble connecting products to 2.4ghz networks when they share the same SSID. But my Netgear Orbi has handled this very well and always connects products to the appropriate band. And great tip regarding the connect sense outlets. I didn’t think about that. This would be a great idea, especially for anyone building new, that is interested in power usage.
Shane Whatley - I’m unsure where the negotiation/connectivity issues rest when using the same SSID on both bands, but my guess is that has more to do with the hardware being connected rather than the Router. My assumption is that firmware revisions applied to a Smart Home Bridge/Hub is the factor that determines whether you’ll experience problems. Can’t say for sure tho. ** Going back to ‘hints’ for people looking to begin planning a HomeKit based Smart Home. I think another good piece of advice is this: You get what you pay for. Think about avoiding the ‘cheapest’ option of any device. While a Smart Home can definitely be done ‘on a budget’, it’s certainly not going to be inexpensive. When I first began my Smart Home journey, I figured I get a garage door controller & a couple/few Smart Switches. Within a few months I was into it for WELL over $1K in just Lutron Caseta switches...and have ended-up with a lot more equipment than I first thought I’d need/want. It, like many other hobbies/interests, can become sort of addictive...and get costly pretty quick. Also. Another word of advice. Work to get the other members of your household invested in the use of your Smart Devices as soon as you can. Once the wife (or hubby) and kids see the benefits of Smart Control, it makes adding new stuff far easier. It adds value to the purchase, and will help with their learning curve as you add devices in the future.
Thanks Brad, great advice! Yes, it does become quite addicting, that’s a fact! And you are right...my wife thought I was a little nuts for a while but eventually I noticed her starting to use certain smart home accessories. Getting her on board was a big win and now she enjoys having much of this stuff as well...although she still thinks I’m a little nuts probably...
expressfashionman89 - Literally the only ‘con’ that I’ve found is the cost. It is super easy to set up, has a lot of features and has worked flawlessly since install. As long as you don’t mind dropping $100 on it, it’s totally great. I use mine to power my sump pump. It’s on a schedule so that it’ll be turned-on at noon every day and run for 24-hours. I do that just in case someone accidentally turns it off. I check the ConnectSense App about once a week just to make sure that receptacle is using power - so I know my sump pump is still functional.
Don't have one yet. There aren't any reasonable options available just yet. My recommendation is to wait a little longer (that's what I'm doing). Hopefully soon we'll have some options for this.
A doorbell option is my main reason for considering HomeKit et al. Missing those sign only deliveries because I’m napping after night shift is a drag. A bit concerned though as you have pointed out that intercom or even voice instruction to camera /doorbell is not covered. A great source of information so I am enjoying your guidance to my new IoT endeavour. Cheers from Australia. .
I have a Apple TV and home pods but still can’t figure it out lol. The only accessories I have are light bulbs and will be moving to a new house by the end of the year so not sure if I should wait to start my home kit.
Hey Richard, you have to go into the settings of the specific camera and/or motion detector and turn off the notifications manually. You can adjust it to only send notification "while away from home" and stuff like that if you want. That's the only way I know of.
How programmable is homekit? I am thinking just flip the ‘I am away’ switch and all my security goes and also automatically some lights at goes on at eight which goes off at ten to fool well possible burglars.
You can create a scene, for example, that locks all the doors, sets the security system, etc. And sure you can automate lights to come on and off on any schedule you like.
What model of Orbi do you use? I have roughly 40 devices connected to my current router (some on the 5 GHz band, some on the 2.4 GHz band). As you know, most Homekit products only work with the 2.4 GHz band so I'm trying to find a router or mesh system that does not have band steering. I'd like to have two SSID's, one for each band, but I'm struggling to find something like that. I could get a beefy router that allows two SSID's, but getting the wife on board for that will be a challenge due to the cost lol. Does your Mesh System broadcast two SSID's? I've also read that smart devices will automatically connect to the 2.4 GHz band if that's all they support, but my phone will also need to be on the 2.4 GHz band for setup and I don't think my iPhone will allow me to 'turn off' 5 GHz connection temporarily. Sorry for the lengthy question, if you don't get around to answering I understand. Thanks for the great reviews and walkthroughs man, you do a great job!!
I use Unifi NanoHD access points. They work well and with a Unifi Controller stay on top of avoiding noisy wifi bands from other neighbors. I use the 2.4 Ghz range for home automation and 5 Ghz for Phones, Tablets, Computers, Home Theater etc. I am using a FortiGate firewall for my "router" which may be overkill for most, but you can use most any router in place of this. The most important thing to nail down with wifi is getting coverage where you need it.
I struggled for a while using both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands on the same SSID thinking that most modern devices are smart enough to prefer 5 Ghz over 2.4 Ghz in most situations. (lower latency and more bandwidth) I was mistaken - most clients prefer signal strength and 2.4 Ghz will always reach further than 5 Ghz. You will end up with a flooded 2.4 Ghz pool of devices, which is noisy and could result in packet drops depending on the load, unless you have an abundant amount of APs. This comes with its own set of drawbacks as well as you have overlapping 2.4 Ghz noise between APs and you have to fine tune your power output which requires a bit of wifi surveying. In the end I provisioned separate 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz SSIDs and just relegated the 2.4 Ghz SSID for IoT/Automation devices. I recommend the same if you want predictable performance.
I’ve been using the netgear Orbi RBR20 for a while. Like most modern mesh routers, it’s dual band, well actually tri-band I guess, with a single SSID. It’s worked well for me. Personally I haven’t had any issues with IoT devices being able to connect to the appropriate WiFi band. No need to change anything on your phone.
Great vid Shane. I’m def the DIY type building my smart home from scratch. Your channel has been a great help. I did my research before starting and your recommendations are spot on with other articles I read. I stated off with a google mesh network. Then added ecobee. Then MyQ. Next was Lutron casseda dimmers for Kitchen and living room. I took your recommendation on the Arqara Hub and door/window sensors. Next up is getting the Hoobs so I can use any product to work with HomeKit. Eagerly waiting on the new Apple TV release, as I am currently using iPad. Thanks again for the great videos. Building on a budget is the best description for what your channel is about. So many of us out here who can afford the little extras for smart home tech - just not high rollers to have custom jobs put in by professionals. Someday maybe, though. :).
Can you do a video on that little set up under the stairs? Or do you already have one up? I am moving into a new home and would like to set something up like that under the stairs. That’s a good idea!
Oh ok. I think I put that in a video over a year ago when I first got the Netgear Orbi router. Nothing special tho, it needs some more work. Just a router and a few hubs (Phillips hue, etc) that I hung on the wall. I’m using a cheap switch just to give me more Ethernet ports.
I’m a newbie at this, but having fun. Setting up Apple TV, two HomePod minis and one wemo outlet wasn’t bad. My question is the app on the phone. I want my wife’s home app to have the exact same accessories listed and same level of control as mine. Her phone won’t show the accessories, yet I invited her and she is in the home network. Any advice?
hmm.. If you have invited her to your "home" and she has accepted, she should be able to have access to everything just like you. Make sure she has the right "home" chosen and isn't using a default one that maybe is on her phone. Also check the home settings/permissions in your home app to make sure you've given her access to control and edit accessories.
We are in the process of building a home and ADT security will be put in automatically and as well as a Honeywell thermostat. Do you know if these will work with the home kit via a bridge?
Some of the Honeywell thermostats support HomeKit, but not all of them. ADT does not natively support HomeKit, but you should be able to integrate it into homekit via HomeBridge or HOOBS. I have done some videos on both. Here is a playlist to check out: th-cam.com/play/PLSyPtAY5VFr3nGpLHM2-8o6MihB-fOmbP.html
Hello Shane. Thank you for your video. I would like to start my smart home and I m searching for the best solution for : 1. Controlling Philips hue lights 2. Playing music with a high quality sound 3. Pairing the speakers to my TV in order to have immersive sound (Dolby atmos) So, it seems that 2 classic homepods can do the job BUT I have a buy an Apple TV 4K. Is that right ? So it would be another box and another remote controller... What would you recommend ( ideally without Apple TV)? Thanks again
Hey Regis, thanks for watching. Yes, you need an Apple TV if you want to pair your HomePods with the TV as speakers. You can find good TV speakers that support airplay which allows you to play music from your iPhone, etc. But you won't have Siri integration. You would need a HomePod for that. If you don't care about Siri or homekit, you can always get something that has Alexa built in and use Alexa or google assistant to control your Phillips hue lights. But then you are getting away from building a "HomeKit" smart home as I am. Hope that helps.
Super helpful video! When I first started getting into smart home, i just used alexa compatible devices since they were more affordable. I’m getting more in homekit now and the home experience is so nice!! I have the iPad Pro as my home hub and it works pretty good except when my iPad is dead and I try to turn something on, then of course it won’t work. Hoping Apple will drop a HomePod mini soon and that’ll be new hub. Very well organized video bro 👌🏽
Hi, How can I set a timer to turn off a light after 1 minute? I think that this is not possible with native Home app. There are any third party app to do it?
You can make a light turn off after a set amount of time ONLY once it is turned on, in an automation. For example, when the motion sensor detects motion, turn the light on, then choose "turn off after xx minutes." Other than that, there is no way I know of without using something like hoobs or homebridge. If you are using homebridge, you can use dummy switches, or an equivalent, and create virtual timers/switches to use for automations.
Thanks for watching! Not sure of a portable heater. You might just have to use a smart plug with a heater that can restart back to it's previous settings when plugged in.
Hello Shane. I have a little dumb question. How fast internet connection do I need for fully automated smart home? Is there some recommendations in speed? Actually I am on 70Mbps download and 20Mbps on upload around the house. Still I will get some repeaters for better signal for everywhere.
I would think 70Mbps down would be fine as long as you have a good router and coverage. I used 100Mbps download, 10Mbps upload for a long time with no issues.
Hey Shane! Coule HomeKit be a good solution for a vacation rental site with 7 different tiny houses? Could we manage all units from 1 HomeKit app and manage lights, temperature and locks remotely without having to create 7 different accounts? I see we can add multiple homes on the app, but can you control them remotely when you do so and can you add as many homes as you want? Thanks for the tip!
I'm not sure if or what the limit is on the number of houses you can add. I haven't tested out that limit. In theory this should work and you can create multiple "homes" in the home app all under the same account. And you should be able to easily switch homes within the home app to remotely control the HomeKit devices in that home.
Nice video! I've currently got 2 hue bulbs and 2 ikea tradfri bulbs connected to a hue bridge. The bulbs all show up in hue app, Google home but the IKEA ones don't show up in the home app. Any ideas of how I can get this to show?
Yeah that seems to be what people are saying after some research. Bit of a shame, I guess you have to go all in on either hue or tradfri to get the best experience.
Any automations to create a gradual light fade over time through the HomeKit app? I know Hue and Lifx can do it from the native app but not for bulbs or strips directly connected to HomeKit.
Unfortunately, no, there currently is no way to do this natively in HomeKit. You must use a third party app like you mentioned. Technically, you could create a series of HomeKit automations that increase or decrease the brightness every few minutes, but that is not ideal and would leave you with tons of automations. There is an app called Wake Up Light that is supposed to allow you to create these types of automations with your HomeKit lights, but I haven't tried it out yet personally. Might be worth checking out.
Great tips, Shane. I'm curious...I see you have an Orbi router (I do too)-how are you getting any of your 2.4Ghz smart things to connect to it when it doesn't allow for broadcasting separate 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSIDs? I'm having a heck of a time getting my bulbs and such to connect. Is a third-party bridge like a Philips Hue Bridge (and its associated smart products) a way around this hassle?
Thanks Matt. I actually have not had any issues with this at all (maybe I'm just lucky). It is just a specific brand of bulbs that is giving you trouble? I have connected numerous products to the 2.4Ghz band with no issues. The way it is supposed to work is that the router should be able to detect which band is required and connect to the appropriate one. And yes, using a bridge like phillips hue would be a way around it since it connects directly into the router via ethernet.
@@ShaneCreates Very good, thank you. The specific bulbs are LIFX, which I thought were reputable, but perhaps not. I'll see if any of my other smart devices will connect, otherwise I think I'll just go the Philips Hue route.
@@hermz75 Interesting. Yea, I actually have not tried any of the LIFX products personally, but I have heard good things. I have connected accessories from Vocolinc, Yeelight, and Eve, just to name a few in case it helps. Good luck!
Looks like I forgot to add that one in the description. It’s the Xiaomi Bedside lamp 2. Really cool light. I reviewed it here: th-cam.com/video/kzCRZSXIyUI/w-d-xo.html
SUCH a great video and channel!!! Quick question though: As I prepare for starting my Smarthome project via my TH-cam channel while building our cargo trailer conversion tiny home on wheels, and since we are starting the project from scratch, is running Cat 6 worth the added weight for such a tiny space? I'm guessing Cat 6 would be better for a large home where WiFi signal degradation is a concern and not being bogged down with signal repeaters and WiFi extenders, right? I don't need Cat 6 in my RV do I?
Hey Shane - One thing you didn’t really talk about and may not even be an issue is accounts and apple ID’s. Is it a good idea to set up a genetic AppleID and use that to create the HomeKit? I would like to set this up to work the best say if my wife pulls in the drive her garage door opens and likewise if I pull in my door opens. Thank you for your videos.
The only other one I can think of off the top of my head that is rated for outdoors (and works with HomeKit) is the Vocolinc LS1. I’ve had a couple of these for a long time (although I haven’t used outdoors) and I’ve been happy with them. The only thing to consider is that I don’t think the power supply is waterproof, so you’d have to weatherproof or protect that somehow.
Shane Whatley Yes, the power supply and controllers are covered with waterproof boxes. Thank you! I was using HomeBridge to control an Alexa compatible outdoor strip but it was unreliable even with the manufactures app. There just aren’t a lot of outdoor strips available that work natively
Hi again Shane! I have deep into trying the new iOS 14 Homekit features. One I can't seem to get to work is the adaptive lighting. I have many Hue lights. Have you been able to get this to work? Thanks..
No, unfortunately this feature will require a firmware update from the light manufacturer. Supposedly Phillips hue is working on this and will be available in the next few months...hopefully.
Off topic definitely on homekit though have you seen any home shut off valve products for home kit? Not for the garden hose but actual valve shut off in the basement when a leak is detected etc
I don’t know if there is such a product on the market. But have you seen ModernDayTech’s recent video doing this. He had to use hoobs/homebridge for HomeKit integration but it got the job done. th-cam.com/video/DJZPzlOJ2H8/w-d-xo.html
What do you think about the whole Aqara hub and their sensors? If I want to add motion sensors and door and window open close connectors is there another company that’s good and compatible with home kit ?
There are a number of sensors from different companies that support HomeKit. Eve, Phillips Hue, Abode, and the list goes on. I think Aqara is a great option for sensors if you want more than a few. They are very affordable, reliable, and fast.
Great video! Quick question, do all homekit compatible devices connect to electrical outlets (except for wireless of course) or are there devices which need to connect directly into electrical wiring, e.g. soldering wires together or something? Hope it makes sense, I am not really good with the terminology.
Man this information is so timely for me being that I'm moving into a newly built house (In December) and I'm preparing on setting up and transferring all my switches and hub to my new house with my HomeKit stuff but I already ran into a problem. What if you threw away the boxes with the HomeKit Codes; specifically my Aqara stuff? I can't find how to fix that problem nowhere. Thanks!
Oh that can be a problem. Usually products also have the HomeKit code on them somewhere physically unless you peeled off the HK code sticker and threw that away too. Worst case scenario, at least with Aqara, you’d only have to replace the hub and not all the child accessories. I recommend, at least for future use, getting the HomePass app and store all of your HomeKit codes in there. It’s an app designed specifically for that. I also keep a regular folder with all my product manuals, including the HK codes, in a file cabinet as a backup.
@@ShaneCreates Hey Shane! I wanted to let you know how I fixed my problem of LOSING my HomeKit Codes for my AQARA SmartPlugs: 1. Went to AQARA App and DELETED the HUB 2. DELETED the AQARA App and REINSTALLED it 3. Set up the HUB as a new one 4. Went through the SET UP process (following the App instructions) 5. Then the HUB AUTOMATICALLY "FOUND" my outlets again! Now unless the outlet codes are stored somewhere in the AQARA App; I wasn't able to add the outlets as if they were new out the box with the codes, but at least they work now as before. And I'm going to do as you suggested to store the codes for my other HomeKit devices. Thanks!
@@Alwar1212 glad you got everything working! That’s great! With Aqara, the hub is the only accessory that has a HomeKit code. It acts as a bridge, so any child devices paired to the hub will automatically get exposed to HomeKit. So as long as you can add your hub, you are good to go.
Hey man. How long can HomeKit record a single clip? Every clip it records is only literally about 3 seconds. I have the eufy pro cams you reviewed with HomeKit. Those cameras record for 1 min. I would love to use HomeKit but I can’t figure out how to get it to record longer (assuming it even does have the ability to record for 1 minute).
I’m not sure what the time limit is for clips recorded in HomeKit. But I know that the Eufy Cams that I have do struggle with this still. Just as I mentioned in that video, they tend to miss a lot of the action when recording to HomeKit. However, they record much better in the Eufy app for me. I can’t blame it on HomeKit because I have other cameras that capture all of the motion whereas the Eufy ones that I use miss a lot still (in HomeKit). I think it’s just a matter of them not performing as good as other cameras when it comes to HomeKit secure video recordings.
Hey Shane, what types of buttons/switches have you come across outside of the Aqara one you showed us? Looking for some different options. Thanks man! Keep up the videos!
Thanks Shaun! I think the only HomeKit buttons that I've used outside of Aqara is by Eve. They have a bluetooth button that I've used. You also mentioned switches, so if you are referring to wall switches too, then I also use Lutron Caseta wall switches that work with homekit. Phillips hue and some others makes some good ones also, but I haven't used them personally.
Hi Shane, huge fan. Quick ? Do you plan on reviewing C by GE. The switches and lights. I think they are now HomeKit compatible. I could be wrong. I’m a newbie and I’ve had my heart set on idevice switches but u r making strong case for Lurton. I’m moving into new house soon so will be starting from the ground up replacing switches with smart ones. Thank u and the others for the great advice. The GE switches look promising but I’m sticking with HomeKit
Hey Mitchell. I currently don’t have any plans to review C by GE. I can’t say how good they are from experience. I’ve read mixed reviews. As mentioned in my recent smart switches video, if planning to replace a number of switches, I’m a fan if using switches that require a hub rather than direct-to-WiFi switches (personal choice). You almost never hear anything bad about the Lutron switches, which makes them so easy to recommend. Mine have been flawless since installing them. The price is the only downside as they are quite expensive.
Thank you Shane. Assuming idevice has low feedback aswell I, going with Lurton aswell. Wemo looks good aswell but I’m going with the solid honest feedback you provide. Trust me I need as easy as possible as I grow my smart home. Thanks for helping me make an informed decision.
Hey thanks for the good information.. i have 2 questions.. I already have a security system of 16 cams and central DVR which they are connected to it is there a way to integrate the cams with homekit ? And I have a garage door motor is there a way to make the motor a "smart" one? Thank you
The possibility of getting those types of cameras into HomeKit that I know of is through HomeBridge or Hoobs, if your cameras support RTSP. If you use home bridge, take a look at the home bridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin and see if you can get that to fit your needs. For garage doors, there are a number of retrofit openers that you can purchase to make your existing garage door smart. I've used the Insignia for a long time but there is also myQ, iSmartGate, and Meross to name a few.
Hey Shane! Speaking on a budget here, was thinking about a second hand iPad as a hub. Any recommendations on model or age? The homepod mini is nice, but with the iPad i'd also have a tablet, you know? Or am I completely wrong? We don't really cast music or video or anything around here, so the speaker part won't do us any good.
Hey Erik, that makes sense. Although I've heard mixed reviews from people using iPads as their primary hub, so I'm not really sure. But if you do go that route, I'd just get the best deal you can find for the latest model you can find. Anything that works with the latest iPadOS should be fine for now, but eventually you might loose compatibility with old ipads. For example, I'm still using an old iPad Air 2 on my wall and it works with homekit, but I'm sure my time is limited with that. Another thing to consider regarding the hompod mini is that you'll have the always available voice assistant for "hey Siri." It works better and is much more convenient than having to use a phone or even apple watch imo. Hope this helps!
@@ShaneCreates Thanks, Shane! Yeah, I know time would be limited for upgrades. I'm not sure the GF would ever get used to Siri, honestly. So watch is prolly fine, but good point.
Starting a "Smart Home" is just crazy trying to wade thru at least 12 to 20 different companies products. At the end of the day seems like you will end up with at least 4 to 6 different companies products in your home.
Yea, but that's what I love about homekit and one of the big things that drew me to it. It doesn't matter how many different companies products I have, as long as they support homekit, I can access everything from the same app. Everything is connected and accessible in one place, regardless of manufacturer.
I have been using the Insignia Garage Door for a long time (link in video description). There are mixed reviews about it, but it has done the job fine for me and is the most inexpensive option. Some other good options to consider are the MyQ (requires an additional bridge for homekit), and the iSmartGate.
Orbi is a killer mesh system, but it’s not a HomeKit router like eero. Definitely something to mention for people who are sticklers about privacy and security.
That’s true. Thanks for pointing it out. Actually had a whole segment about that, but ended up cutting it because the video was getting too long. It’s a good point. But Eero is also owned by amazon now. Which may be a reason for some of those same sticklers to not get Eero. Just comes down to personal preference really. Would love to see more router manufacturers roll out HomeKit support for their routers.
Hey Shane, great vid for someone looking to upgrade an existing house with zero smarts. But...my GF asked a legit question. On the switches, if the wireless router dies, will we still have control of the lights? I'm kind of new to this whole thing, so I apologize if this is too much of a no-brainer.
Thanks Erik. So if the only way to control the lights is through homekit or your phone, then no you generally can't control the lights without wifi. If you are using something like smart wall switches, then you can always use the wall switches regardless of your internet connection. The physical switches will always work regardless of your internet connection.
Thanks for watching José. If it’s not native HomeKit, you might have some luck using hoobs or homebridge to expose it to HomeKit, if there is a plugin available for silver crest.
I’d like to get into Hoobs but not sure too much how it’ll work. I’m new to working with HomeKit and Alexa and Google. I’d like to focus more on HomeKit. Please help. Thanks.
Hoobs is great if you already have other smart home accessories that don’t natively support HomeKit. You can often use hoobs to integrate them into HomeKit. Check out my original video on hoobs to see how it works: th-cam.com/video/N26aSimVF2s/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, Shane! Always my go with channel to learn more about HomeKit. I do have a question, long term what would be the best to go with a dedicated Hub for lights like the Phillips Hue or stick with VOCOlinc lights that connects directly to the HomePod?
Partially, it's personal preference. Some people hate the idea of having more hubs. Personally, I don't mind if I'm going to be connecting lots of accessories to it. For example, if I want to connect 20 lights, going with a hub might be a good idea. Easier to troubleshoot and less congestion on your wifi. However, if I only want to connect 3 lights, it might be better to go hub-less...save the money on the hub, etc.
Great tips. I have thought about this myself. What would I do if I started over. Number one would be the smart switches vs bulbs. Also, I do like the HOOBs so I can bring in Z-Wave products. I guess Z-Wave will help extend the WiFi, is that true? Thanks for the great video.
Thanks Steve! Yea, I have a number of smart bulbs that I don't use anymore since they were some of the first smart home products I purchased. My family kept flipping the light switches leaving the bulbs unresponsive, so I quickly realized smart switches were the better option in most cases. I don't have a ton of experience with Z-Wave, but I don't think z-wave products will extend your wifi. Z-Wave and WIFI are two different wireless protocols so I don't think it works like that. Thanks for watching!
All of them I believe. Ecobee 3 lite would be fine if you don’t care about Alexa being built in. I actually found a good deal on the Ecobee 4 with room sensors so I got that one and just never turned on the Alexa feature.
Not sure the cost to have it done. Are you talking about something like PoE cameras? I have done this as well a while back (before my HomeKit days) and I did it all myself. There aren't any that work with homekit natively though. For native HomeKit cameras, you basically have two options: those with power cords and those that are wireless (battery). Something like the Logitech Circle View (outdoor HK camera) has an attached 10' power cord that must be plugged into an outlet. Something like the Eufy Cams are wireless and can be put anywhere (within range) and connect to a base station. These must be taken down every now and then to be charged. Hope that helps!
Came to the right channel! I'm starting from scratch and actually just ordered an eero pro with 2 beacons, an apple tv and a homepod. I am wanting to use the Sonos home system for various rooms and pair it with homekit. This is the scenario that I'd like to know if it will work. My homepod is in my living room and a Sonos Move in the master bedroom. Can I just say Hey Siri play Frank Sinatra on Spotify and expect my Sonos speaker to play in my bedroom? Now the homepod is far away and will not hear the command. Will my Sonos speaker, which is in my home app, start playing Frank Sinatra while I'm getting ready to go to work? And if so, can my Spotify/Siri account differentiate between my wife and I. At the end of the day we both would like to hear our own playlists. I have a lot of questions like these as you may see because starting from scratch has A LOT of "ifs". Anyways, thank you very much for all the content that you are putting out there for us newbies!
Hey Edwin, glad you found the channel! I'll try to answer best I can. I don't actually have Sonos speakers but I think I can help still. As long as your speakers support Airplay 2, you should be able to use them for whole home audio. You just won't be able to use the sonos speakers to give siri commands so you will have to use a siri device (iPhone, apple watch, HomePod, etc). You can say things like "Play Frank Sinatra in the bedroom" and it should start playing on your airplay 2 speakers in the specified room. Regarding playlists, you will be able to use whichever account is connected to the device you give the command from, such as your iPhone, or your wife's apple watch. The HomePod has multiple user support so Siri can detect multiple users there. Currently I don't believe spotify can be connected on your home pod yet, but that is expected to come later this year. However, you can play via the spotify app on your phone and airplay to any speakers in your home. Hope this helps!
@@ShaneCreates by having whole home audio on airplay 2 means if i were to give siri a command it would activate that specific speaker if included in the command? As long as that command is through an iOS device correct?
I would love it if you made a video on the differences between the ecosystems and the benefits of each one, and why you chose to go with HomeKit. All the vids I’ve seen are from Android users that don’t seem to care that Amazon’s #1 goal is to have users buy from their site (commodification of *everything*), and Google’s #1 goal is information to sell to others (no privacy).
I think you just answered that question for me. lol. Those are definitely some of the biggest reasons why I chose to go with homekit. However I do like that as a video idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
Please do! There are not enough vloggers that highlight this. What’s Apple’s #1 goal... for me to invest in their ecosystem. I’m OK with that. Especially when compared to the other’s #1 goals. I like that I can automate my home without having a device listen in on every conversation I have in my home. For me that’s creepy. What was your main motivation? Or are you (like me) an iZealot so it was a natural choice? You should probably include Xiaomi’s ecosystem too. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. 😍👍
@@Razorgirl Thanks for sharing! Yea, it was sort of a natural choice since I was a fan of Apple stuff anyways. However I did lots of research on smart home stuff before jumping in (before ever even thinking about a TH-cam channel). And the more research I did, the more it became clear that homekit would be the best option for what I was looking for...easy to setup and use and good privacy/security policy. One thing I always loved about Apple is their focus on the user experience and good design...things "just work." I thought that would be important also in the smart home arena.
haha, I do have one of those. It's part of my channel memberships. We have a pretty great community discussing all things homekit going on over there. But I still do my best to answer all questions here on TH-cam and everywhere else also! Thanks for watching!
Followed you fo a bit now, I’m a huge tech head so it’s amazing ta see someone else wit so much passion, I do have a question, I have a Hue Bridge and a Hive Bridge, all works well in Homekit and the dedicated apps BUT, Alexa keeps finding my two Hue bulbs, even though I have named them, deleted them and even reset my bridge..any ideas ? It finds them once maybe twice a day ? So frustrating to keep deleting them so I don’t have 2 bedrooms and 2 hue lights.
Thanks so much for the support! I don't use Alexa anymore so I'm not sure the best advice regarding that. I stopped using Alexa a while ago and haven't looked back since.
Shane Whatley I have a mixture of both a Homepod mini in the lounge and rest of the house Alexa, and I find Siri just as responsive but it’s all about Homekit for me and the family, we don’t have as many products in the UK as the U.S but it’s definitely the way forward using Homepod and Homekit, cheers Shane
I want to get apple homekit but it's a bit over whelming, given i haven't really done much research on i, hopefully this video will help me save some time lmao
Also check out my HomeKit 101: Getting Started Playlist. If you start from the beginning, that HomeKit 101 video and go from there, it explains everything you need to know from the ground up to get going with HomeKit.
Follow me online for more smart home stuff every day!
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► Website: shanewhatley.com
Shane keep up the good work man. Love that you’re focusing on homekit only as I’m trying to stay in that ecosystem.
Thanks for the support!
Network in the #1 spot is bang on. It's critical important to have a robust home network. Not sure if I agree with Mesh. It's great alternative if you can't do physical wire but it would not be my default.
I started with 1 smart switch. I needed no hub or bridge for them. Works over WiFi. 1 switch can handle multiple lights. Mine are in the garage. So 1 will turn on a number of my T8 fluorescent light tubes. But they still work as a normal light switch. Another is my garage door opener. I can control by Siri. That is the main way we come and go from my house. Not the front door. Once you have Siri control with thru garage door and the lights in the garage, now using Apes home app, you can link them. So when my garage door starts to open, the garage lights come on. When the door closes, the lights go back of. Its one of the best things I've done. Also with a smart garage door opener, this allows me to use Amazon Key delivery to inside my garage. It a great way to get my packages delivered. Save inside my garage. I've had no issues. I think it's much better option than their delivery inside your front door.
I have no smart switches inside my house. I swapped out the bathroom switches for cheap glowing switches. There are cheap options you can do. Figure out what works best for your own needs.
Nice job, thanks for sharing! I also love having my garage door automated. It was one of the first things I did and still one of my favorites!
Love the Aqara system. Made automating some rooms and lighting great. Put a door sensor on our laundry room door so that when you open it, bam lights come on, close the door, lights turn off.
Nice! I agree, Aqara is a great option for many. The affordable sensors make it very easy for most to start creating awesome automations like that!
And the G2h camera is great and allows to connect extra child devices
Great video! Another tip: If looking at a accessory that requires a hub, look at what other accessories that company offers. Do they support accessories that you are interested in? Are there other hubs that support a wider range of products you are interested in? I’m currently using 3 hubs and really do not want any more. I have a small 1940s bungalow with limited outlets and space. For me efficiency is key.
Nice tip, thanks for sharing!!
Which hubs do you use
@@expressfashionman89 Philips Hue, Aqara, Logitech Harmony and Starling homebridge to integrate Nest Protect into HomeKit.
bbruce65 hold up... harmony is HomeKit compatible? (I’m still relatively new to this)
@@expressfashionman89 No it is not natively HomeKit capable , but can be integrated using HOOBS. It is the next project on my list.
Solid guide Shane! After years of issues, I definitely agree that the first thing to consider is the network.
Thanks Dustin! Yes, much better to take care of that in the beginning!
What made sense for me around the network was using the Aqara hub for most of my sensor requirements and offload that traffic and device clutter to the Zigbee network provided by the hub instead of having it on my main wifi network.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. I agree, and is also one of the reason I do like using bridges for certain things like sensors. If you plan to add a lot of something, like sensors or lights, a bridge is not always a bad thing. Aqara is a great option for sensors.
Good advise Shane, I support your comments. I switched to a mesh wifi system a year after I automated. Yes, it was a pain and it took a lot of patience. I have noticed that some manufacturers are making it easier to switch wifi networks now. So they should!
Thanks for sharing Doug!
@@ShaneCreates thanks this was so helpful great vids
The wife and I made the mistake of buying some smart dimmers from Costco that are incompatible with HomeKit. At the time we weren’t even thinking about using them with HomeKit. About two years ago we purchased four Bellini WeMo switches. Two weeks ago we purchased four FEIT Smart Dimmers. Then we found your videos. The FEIT switches we can return, but I’m not so sure about the WeMo switches. Our HomePod mini arrived Friday. Unfortunately we didn’t order that through you. However, I would like to order the other items from you. I’m going to need a total of eight devices and I’m not so sure which ones I need. I’ll need:
3 smart timers for outdoor lights
2 smart timers for indoor lights
3 smart dimmers for indoor lights
Thanks!
Hey James, thanks for the support! Not sure what you mean by "smart timers." There are a few outdoor smart plugs available for homekit. For smart dimmer switches, my favorite is the Lutron Caseta. They are rock solid. Let me know if you have other questions. I try to keep my website up to date with the products that I'm using and recommend: shanewhatley.com/products/
@@ShaneCreates currently I have three separate programmable timers that control outdoor lighting. They can be programmed for any day or everyday, and multiple on/off times. However, whenever there’s a slight power flicker they lose there programs and I have to re-program all of them. I was thinking maybe the Lurton dimmer or on/off.
My main recommendation to those just starting out, is to do lots and lots of research and then make a plan. As part of your research, go back and watch all of Shane's videos, whether or not you think you will go with that particular product or not that he is talking about in his video. There are also a couple of other TH-camrs like Rey G, Eric Welander, HomeKit Authority, ModernDay Tech that also have a lot of great content that you should check out as well. Research, research, research.
One other thing you will need to decide when getting into lighting is do you want to go with smart switches or smart light bulbs. One thing to remember about smart bulbs is that if the light switch is turned off, then you cannot control the smart bulb. If you have light fixtures with multiple bulbs, the bulbs may exceed the price of a smart light switch. If you want to use different colors or different light temperatures (warm white, cool white, daylight, et cetera), then you will have to have smart light bulbs. Just something to consider and plan for when you dip your toe into smart lighting.
Thanks Frederick very much for the kind words and for sharing your experience! I agree, research is key. And you've suggested some great TH-camrs to check out, all of which I highly recommend as well!
I couldn't agree more on your advice for lighting. Well said! This is something I learned the hard way in the beginning after getting a phillips hue starter pack. My family kept flipping the switches, leaving my bulbs unresponsive in HomeKit. I learned quickly that smart switches were the way to go for me. Ended up replacing the bulbs and used smart switches instead, and as a result I have a number of smart bulbs lying around today unused. (guess I should have done better research...) Hopefully others can learn from my mistakes.
Thanks again!
I’ve had loads of trouble connecting the hue bridge to an Ethernet switch. From the shot of your under the stairs cupboard it looks like you have the bridge connected that way and I was wondering if you had any trouble and if so, how you overcame them. Cheers
Hey Ed, thanks for watching. No, sorry I haven't had any issues with my hue bridge. I just use the switch to give me more ethernet jacks since my router only has one or two available. I haven't had any issues with it though.
Shane Whatley glad you have been ok. I was for years then one day it just stopped connecting through the switch. Hue support said that bridges won’t connect through a switch, something about the IP address not being right...
@@EdKenUK Oh really, that's strange. I haven't heard of that before. I guess they didn't provide any solution to make it work either?
Shane Whatley nope. Other than don’t plug it into a switch. I have my mesh routers using a hardwire back haul and the only way I could make it work was to take the Ethernet wire out of one so it connected to the mesh over WiFi and plug the bridge into that one.
Good stuff Shane.
A couple of things that I would add:
1. Networking tip - I suggest making sure there are separate names for the 5Gig/2.4Gig Network bands on WiFi. From my experience, it helps with ongoing connectivity when setting-up equipment that uses the 2.4Gig side. Sounds weird, but it seems to help.
2. Lighting - While I believe using Smart Switches is a FAR better solution than Smart Bulbs , I would tell everyone to base their decision on whether they plan to incorporate color-changing bulbs into whatever circuit they plan to add Smart Control to. As of now, there isn’t a good way to add (seamless) color control of a Smart Bulb that’s also operated by a Smart Switch.
* also * - Opting for the ConnectSense Smart Outlet is also a good thing to consider when laying-out a plan for Smart Home configuration. It’s a bit pricey, but totally worth it for any circuit that you want to monitor power usage/consumption on.
Just my $0.02
Thanks for sharing your experience Brad! You make some great points.
I used to have separate names for 5ghz and 2.4ghz bands but since getting a mesh system, both 2.4 and 5ghz share the same SSID, which actually works well for me. I think this may depend on the router you use as I have heard of some people having trouble connecting products to 2.4ghz networks when they share the same SSID. But my Netgear Orbi has handled this very well and always connects products to the appropriate band.
And great tip regarding the connect sense outlets. I didn’t think about that. This would be a great idea, especially for anyone building new, that is interested in power usage.
Shane Whatley - I’m unsure where the negotiation/connectivity issues rest when using the same SSID on both bands, but my guess is that has more to do with the hardware being connected rather than the Router.
My assumption is that firmware revisions applied to a Smart Home Bridge/Hub is the factor that determines whether you’ll experience problems.
Can’t say for sure tho.
** Going back to ‘hints’ for people looking to begin planning a HomeKit based Smart Home. I think another good piece of advice is this:
You get what you pay for. Think about avoiding the ‘cheapest’ option of any device. While a Smart Home can definitely be done ‘on a budget’, it’s certainly not going to be inexpensive.
When I first began my Smart Home journey, I figured I get a garage door controller & a couple/few Smart Switches. Within a few months I was into it for WELL over $1K in just Lutron Caseta switches...and have ended-up with a lot more equipment than I first thought I’d need/want.
It, like many other hobbies/interests, can become sort of addictive...and get costly pretty quick.
Also. Another word of advice. Work to get the other members of your household invested in the use of your Smart Devices as soon as you can. Once the wife (or hubby) and kids see the benefits of Smart Control, it makes adding new stuff far easier. It adds value to the purchase, and will help with their learning curve as you add devices in the future.
Thanks Brad, great advice! Yes, it does become quite addicting, that’s a fact!
And you are right...my wife thought I was a little nuts for a while but eventually I noticed her starting to use certain smart home accessories. Getting her on board was a big win and now she enjoys having much of this stuff as well...although she still thinks I’m a little nuts probably...
Been on the fence About the connect sense, any cons?
expressfashionman89 - Literally the only ‘con’ that I’ve found is the cost. It is super easy to set up, has a lot of features and has worked flawlessly since install.
As long as you don’t mind dropping $100 on it, it’s totally great.
I use mine to power my sump pump. It’s on a schedule so that it’ll be turned-on at noon every day and run for 24-hours. I do that just in case someone accidentally turns it off. I check the ConnectSense App about once a week just to make sure that receptacle is using power - so I know my sump pump is still functional.
Glad you took my suggestion, nearing the end of construction of my home, this was awesome...
Thanks John! 😃
Crushing it Shane! This was a very well done video.
Thanks Steve! 🙏🏻 Much appreciated!
Good stuff Shane! Super useful to newbies. Tons of tips and tricks!
Thanks Eric!
Recommendations for HomeKit secure video doorbells.
Don't have one yet. There aren't any reasonable options available just yet. My recommendation is to wait a little longer (that's what I'm doing). Hopefully soon we'll have some options for this.
A doorbell option is my main reason for considering HomeKit et al. Missing those sign only deliveries because I’m napping after night shift is a drag. A bit concerned though as you have pointed out that intercom or even voice instruction to camera /doorbell is not covered. A great source of information so I am enjoying your guidance to my new IoT endeavour. Cheers from Australia. .
I have a Apple TV and home pods but still can’t figure it out lol. The only accessories I have are light bulbs and will be moving to a new house by the end of the year so not sure if I should wait to start my home kit.
Have you had any problems with the ecobee thermostat causing issues with making your relay malfunction in your AC Unit?
No I have not had any issues with the Ecobee.
Hey Shane. Any idea on how to easily turn off HomeKit camera notifications while doing yard work
Hey Richard, you have to go into the settings of the specific camera and/or motion detector and turn off the notifications manually. You can adjust it to only send notification "while away from home" and stuff like that if you want. That's the only way I know of.
Shane Whatley I tried to create a shortcut where you could disable notifications for HomeKit but that wasn’t an option either
@@richards3345 Yea I can't think of any way to do that either...
How programmable is homekit? I am thinking just flip the ‘I am away’ switch and all my security goes and also automatically some lights at goes on at eight which goes off at ten to fool well possible burglars.
You can create a scene, for example, that locks all the doors, sets the security system, etc. And sure you can automate lights to come on and off on any schedule you like.
What model of Orbi do you use? I have roughly 40 devices connected to my current router (some on the 5 GHz band, some on the 2.4 GHz band). As you know, most Homekit products only work with the 2.4 GHz band so I'm trying to find a router or mesh system that does not have band steering. I'd like to have two SSID's, one for each band, but I'm struggling to find something like that. I could get a beefy router that allows two SSID's, but getting the wife on board for that will be a challenge due to the cost lol. Does your Mesh System broadcast two SSID's?
I've also read that smart devices will automatically connect to the 2.4 GHz band if that's all they support, but my phone will also need to be on the 2.4 GHz band for setup and I don't think my iPhone will allow me to 'turn off' 5 GHz connection temporarily.
Sorry for the lengthy question, if you don't get around to answering I understand. Thanks for the great reviews and walkthroughs man, you do a great job!!
I use Unifi NanoHD access points. They work well and with a Unifi Controller stay on top of avoiding noisy wifi bands from other neighbors. I use the 2.4 Ghz range for home automation and 5 Ghz for Phones, Tablets, Computers, Home Theater etc. I am using a FortiGate firewall for my "router" which may be overkill for most, but you can use most any router in place of this. The most important thing to nail down with wifi is getting coverage where you need it.
I struggled for a while using both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands on the same SSID thinking that most modern devices are smart enough to prefer 5 Ghz over 2.4 Ghz in most situations. (lower latency and more bandwidth) I was mistaken - most clients prefer signal strength and 2.4 Ghz will always reach further than 5 Ghz. You will end up with a flooded 2.4 Ghz pool of devices, which is noisy and could result in packet drops depending on the load, unless you have an abundant amount of APs. This comes with its own set of drawbacks as well as you have overlapping 2.4 Ghz noise between APs and you have to fine tune your power output which requires a bit of wifi surveying. In the end I provisioned separate 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz SSIDs and just relegated the 2.4 Ghz SSID for IoT/Automation devices. I recommend the same if you want predictable performance.
FYI - I used NetSpot for wifi surveying which was very helpful in my AP placement.
I’ve been using the netgear Orbi RBR20 for a while. Like most modern mesh routers, it’s dual band, well actually tri-band I guess, with a single SSID. It’s worked well for me. Personally I haven’t had any issues with IoT devices being able to connect to the appropriate WiFi band. No need to change anything on your phone.
I have Yale smart locks and a smart thermostat I've been using with AT&T digital life. Will I have to buy new locks and thermostat to use My Home app
It just depends if they support Apple HomeKit. Some Yale locks do support HomeKit. Not sure about the thermostat.
Great vid Shane. I’m def the DIY type building my smart home from scratch. Your channel has been a great help. I did my research before starting and your recommendations are spot on with other articles I read. I stated off with a google mesh network. Then added ecobee. Then MyQ. Next was Lutron casseda dimmers for Kitchen and living room. I took your recommendation on the Arqara Hub and door/window sensors. Next up is getting the Hoobs so I can use any product to work with HomeKit. Eagerly waiting on the new Apple TV release, as I am currently using iPad. Thanks again for the great videos. Building on a budget is the best description for what your channel is about. So many of us out here who can afford the little extras for smart home tech - just not high rollers to have custom jobs put in by professionals. Someday maybe, though. :).
Haha, yes...someday maybe! Thanks so much for the kind words and support! I'm glad the channel has been helpful. 🙏🙏
Can you do a video on that little set up under the stairs? Or do you already have one up? I am moving into a new home and would like to set something up like that under the stairs. That’s a good idea!
Are you talking about the router and hubs? I’ll be doing a new video on routers pretty soon.
@@ShaneCreates yea, like how you have them set up in that space and all that.
Oh ok. I think I put that in a video over a year ago when I first got the Netgear Orbi router. Nothing special tho, it needs some more work. Just a router and a few hubs (Phillips hue, etc) that I hung on the wall. I’m using a cheap switch just to give me more Ethernet ports.
@@ShaneCreates ahh got it! Thank you man
@Shane Whatley can you use Apple HomePod Mini as the hub
Yes, HomePod mini can be used as your HomeKit hub.
I’m a newbie at this, but having fun. Setting up Apple TV, two HomePod minis and one wemo outlet wasn’t bad. My question is the app on the phone. I want my wife’s home app to have the exact same accessories listed and same level of control as mine. Her phone won’t show the accessories, yet I invited her and she is in the home network. Any advice?
hmm.. If you have invited her to your "home" and she has accepted, she should be able to have access to everything just like you. Make sure she has the right "home" chosen and isn't using a default one that maybe is on her phone. Also check the home settings/permissions in your home app to make sure you've given her access to control and edit accessories.
We are in the process of building a home and ADT security will be put in automatically and as well as a Honeywell thermostat. Do you know if these will work with the home kit via a bridge?
Some of the Honeywell thermostats support HomeKit, but not all of them.
ADT does not natively support HomeKit, but you should be able to integrate it into homekit via HomeBridge or HOOBS. I have done some videos on both. Here is a playlist to check out: th-cam.com/play/PLSyPtAY5VFr3nGpLHM2-8o6MihB-fOmbP.html
@@ShaneCreates perfect! Thanks!!
Hello Shane.
Thank you for your video.
I would like to start my smart home and I m searching for the best solution for :
1. Controlling Philips hue lights
2. Playing music with a high quality sound
3. Pairing the speakers to my TV in order to have immersive sound (Dolby atmos)
So, it seems that 2 classic homepods can do the job BUT I have a buy an Apple TV 4K. Is that right ? So it would be another box and another remote controller...
What would you recommend ( ideally without Apple TV)?
Thanks again
Hey Regis, thanks for watching. Yes, you need an Apple TV if you want to pair your HomePods with the TV as speakers.
You can find good TV speakers that support airplay which allows you to play music from your iPhone, etc. But you won't have Siri integration. You would need a HomePod for that. If you don't care about Siri or homekit, you can always get something that has Alexa built in and use Alexa or google assistant to control your Phillips hue lights. But then you are getting away from building a "HomeKit" smart home as I am. Hope that helps.
@@ShaneCreates thank you very much. I would like to stick with HomeKit.
Super helpful video! When I first started getting into smart home, i just used alexa compatible devices since they were more affordable. I’m getting more in homekit now and the home experience is so nice!! I have the iPad Pro as my home hub and it works pretty good except when my iPad is dead and I try to turn something on, then of course it won’t work. Hoping Apple will drop a HomePod mini soon and that’ll be new hub. Very well organized video bro 👌🏽
Thanks Adam! Yea if they release a HomePod mini, I’ll be one happy dude also!
Thanks for the support and also for sharing your experience!
I saw there are many icons for the accessories in your homekits app, but i only see one type of light icons in my homekits app, how can u do it.
If you edit a light accessory's settings in the Home app and tap the icon, you can change it to a few different options.
Hi, How can I set a timer to turn off a light after 1 minute? I think that this is not possible with native Home app. There are any third party app to do it?
You can make a light turn off after a set amount of time ONLY once it is turned on, in an automation. For example, when the motion sensor detects motion, turn the light on, then choose "turn off after xx minutes."
Other than that, there is no way I know of without using something like hoobs or homebridge. If you are using homebridge, you can use dummy switches, or an equivalent, and create virtual timers/switches to use for automations.
Thanks for the videos. Is there a portable heater that works with HomeKit? I’d like to be able to turn one on to a particular temperature
Thanks for watching! Not sure of a portable heater. You might just have to use a smart plug with a heater that can restart back to it's previous settings when plugged in.
That’s what I currently use. I have a smart plug and a radiator style heater- it has actual on/off buttons that work.
Thanks for the reply
Hi Shane! perfect video. do you have any suggestions for dimmers that works with Homekit (EU)
Thanks Mikael! Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with the dimmers available in the EU since I can't use any of them here (US).
Hello Shane. I have a little dumb question. How fast internet connection do I need for fully automated smart home? Is there some recommendations in speed? Actually I am on 70Mbps download and 20Mbps on upload around the house. Still I will get some repeaters for better signal for everywhere.
I would think 70Mbps down would be fine as long as you have a good router and coverage. I used 100Mbps download, 10Mbps upload for a long time with no issues.
I could not give this enough thumbs up once you started with the network as the number one in building a smart house. Great vid keep it up!!!
Thanks so much, appreciate the support!! 🙏🏻
Hey Shane! Coule HomeKit be a good solution for a vacation rental site with 7 different tiny houses? Could we manage all units from 1 HomeKit app and manage lights, temperature and locks remotely without having to create 7 different accounts? I see we can add multiple homes on the app, but can you control them remotely when you do so and can you add as many homes as you want?
Thanks for the tip!
I'm not sure if or what the limit is on the number of houses you can add. I haven't tested out that limit. In theory this should work and you can create multiple "homes" in the home app all under the same account. And you should be able to easily switch homes within the home app to remotely control the HomeKit devices in that home.
Do I really need a switch to operate my lights in HomeKit?
Nice video! I've currently got 2 hue bulbs and 2 ikea tradfri bulbs connected to a hue bridge. The bulbs all show up in hue app, Google home but the IKEA ones don't show up in the home app. Any ideas of how I can get this to show?
I'm not completely sure but it might be necessary to have the tradfri hub in order to get HomeKit support for the Ikea devices.
Yeah that seems to be what people are saying after some research. Bit of a shame, I guess you have to go all in on either hue or tradfri to get the best experience.
Any automations to create a gradual light fade over time through the HomeKit app? I know Hue and Lifx can do it from the native app but not for bulbs or strips directly connected to HomeKit.
Unfortunately, no, there currently is no way to do this natively in HomeKit. You must use a third party app like you mentioned. Technically, you could create a series of HomeKit automations that increase or decrease the brightness every few minutes, but that is not ideal and would leave you with tons of automations.
There is an app called Wake Up Light that is supposed to allow you to create these types of automations with your HomeKit lights, but I haven't tried it out yet personally. Might be worth checking out.
Another great informative video!
Shout out from Brazil
Thanks Sérgio!
Great tips, Shane. I'm curious...I see you have an Orbi router (I do too)-how are you getting any of your 2.4Ghz smart things to connect to it when it doesn't allow for broadcasting separate 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSIDs? I'm having a heck of a time getting my bulbs and such to connect. Is a third-party bridge like a Philips Hue Bridge (and its associated smart products) a way around this hassle?
Thanks Matt. I actually have not had any issues with this at all (maybe I'm just lucky). It is just a specific brand of bulbs that is giving you trouble? I have connected numerous products to the 2.4Ghz band with no issues. The way it is supposed to work is that the router should be able to detect which band is required and connect to the appropriate one. And yes, using a bridge like phillips hue would be a way around it since it connects directly into the router via ethernet.
@@ShaneCreates Very good, thank you. The specific bulbs are LIFX, which I thought were reputable, but perhaps not. I'll see if any of my other smart devices will connect, otherwise I think I'll just go the Philips Hue route.
@@hermz75 Interesting. Yea, I actually have not tried any of the LIFX products personally, but I have heard good things. I have connected accessories from Vocolinc, Yeelight, and Eve, just to name a few in case it helps. Good luck!
Anyone know what the light at 12:19 is? Didn’t see it in the description links.
Looks like I forgot to add that one in the description. It’s the Xiaomi Bedside lamp 2. Really cool light. I reviewed it here: th-cam.com/video/kzCRZSXIyUI/w-d-xo.html
Great review!!!!!
Very helpful info and thoughts, thanks. Snazzy video too - nice work.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Whats your opinion on aqara g2 & g2h camera differences and integration with homekit
Well if I recall correctly, only the g2h supports homekit.
I didn't realize it's so difficult to find a professional installer for this in Canada where I'm from. I guess there's not a big market for that yet.
Well, now you know that's a good business opportunity! This is part of the new digital world, good luck also getting everything done!
SUCH a great video and channel!!! Quick question though: As I prepare for starting my Smarthome project via my TH-cam channel while building our cargo trailer conversion tiny home on wheels, and since we are starting the project from scratch, is running Cat 6 worth the added weight for such a tiny space? I'm guessing Cat 6 would be better for a large home where WiFi signal degradation is a concern and not being bogged down with signal repeaters and WiFi extenders, right? I don't need Cat 6 in my RV do I?
Hey Shane - One thing you didn’t really talk about and may not even be an issue is accounts and apple ID’s. Is it a good idea to set up a genetic AppleID and use that to create the HomeKit? I would like to set this up to work the best say if my wife pulls in the drive her garage door opens and likewise if I pull in my door opens. Thank you for your videos.
Hey Mike, just answered this in the comment you left on the other video. Thanks for watching!
Any tips on good outdoor light strips that aren’t Phillips Hue? Thanks in advance!
The only other one I can think of off the top of my head that is rated for outdoors (and works with HomeKit) is the Vocolinc LS1. I’ve had a couple of these for a long time (although I haven’t used outdoors) and I’ve been happy with them. The only thing to consider is that I don’t think the power supply is waterproof, so you’d have to weatherproof or protect that somehow.
Shane Whatley Yes, the power supply and controllers are covered with waterproof boxes. Thank you! I was using HomeBridge to control an Alexa compatible outdoor strip but it was unreliable even with the manufactures app. There just aren’t a lot of outdoor strips available that work natively
Jonathan Coffman had to get bite the bullet and get hue for outdoor lighting. I couldn’t find anything that came close to their wide range selection
Hi again Shane! I have deep into trying the new iOS 14 Homekit features. One I can't seem to get to work is the adaptive lighting. I have many Hue lights. Have you been able to get this to work? Thanks..
No, unfortunately this feature will require a firmware update from the light manufacturer. Supposedly Phillips hue is working on this and will be available in the next few months...hopefully.
Off topic definitely on homekit though have you seen any home shut off valve products for home kit? Not for the garden hose but actual valve shut off in the basement when a leak is detected etc
I don’t know if there is such a product on the market. But have you seen ModernDayTech’s recent video doing this. He had to use hoobs/homebridge for HomeKit integration but it got the job done.
th-cam.com/video/DJZPzlOJ2H8/w-d-xo.html
What is that silver bumper on your thermostat? Is that a ecobee ?
Yes it’s an Ecobee.
What do you think about the whole Aqara hub and their sensors? If I want to add motion sensors and door and window open close connectors is there another company that’s good and compatible with home kit ?
There are a number of sensors from different companies that support HomeKit. Eve, Phillips Hue, Abode, and the list goes on.
I think Aqara is a great option for sensors if you want more than a few. They are very affordable, reliable, and fast.
OK thanks so much, appreciate how you get back to us, not many on tube do so 👍🏾
Great video! Quick question, do all homekit compatible devices connect to electrical outlets (except for wireless of course) or are there devices which need to connect directly into electrical wiring, e.g. soldering wires together or something?
Hope it makes sense, I am not really good with the terminology.
Thanks for watching! I haven't used any homekit devices that require any soldering.
Can you make an update for 2023 now matter is in the picture. I’m planning starting from scratch myself. Would like to know what to buy.
Man this information is so timely for me being that I'm moving into a newly built house (In December) and I'm preparing on setting up and transferring all my switches and hub to my new house with my HomeKit stuff but I already ran into a problem.
What if you threw away the boxes with the HomeKit Codes; specifically my Aqara stuff? I can't find how to fix that problem nowhere. Thanks!
Oh that can be a problem. Usually products also have the HomeKit code on them somewhere physically unless you peeled off the HK code sticker and threw that away too.
Worst case scenario, at least with Aqara, you’d only have to replace the hub and not all the child accessories.
I recommend, at least for future use, getting the HomePass app and store all of your HomeKit codes in there. It’s an app designed specifically for that. I also keep a regular folder with all my product manuals, including the HK codes, in a file cabinet as a backup.
@@ShaneCreates Hey Shane! I wanted to let you know how I fixed my problem of LOSING my HomeKit Codes for my AQARA SmartPlugs:
1. Went to AQARA App and DELETED the HUB
2. DELETED the AQARA App and REINSTALLED it
3. Set up the HUB as a new one
4. Went through the SET UP process (following the App instructions)
5. Then the HUB AUTOMATICALLY "FOUND" my outlets again!
Now unless the outlet codes are stored somewhere in the AQARA App; I wasn't able to add the outlets as if they were new out the box with the codes, but at least they work now as before.
And I'm going to do as you suggested to store the codes for my other HomeKit devices.
Thanks!
@@Alwar1212 glad you got everything working! That’s great! With Aqara, the hub is the only accessory that has a HomeKit code. It acts as a bridge, so any child devices paired to the hub will automatically get exposed to HomeKit. So as long as you can add your hub, you are good to go.
Awesome content. Your really helping me make good choices on my house
Thanks! I’m glad the channel has been helpful!
Hey man. How long can HomeKit record a single clip? Every clip it records is only literally about 3 seconds. I have the eufy pro cams you reviewed with HomeKit. Those cameras record for 1 min. I would love to use HomeKit but I can’t figure out how to get it to record longer (assuming it even does have the ability to record for 1 minute).
I’m not sure what the time limit is for clips recorded in HomeKit. But I know that the Eufy Cams that I have do struggle with this still. Just as I mentioned in that video, they tend to miss a lot of the action when recording to HomeKit. However, they record much better in the Eufy app for me. I can’t blame it on HomeKit because I have other cameras that capture all of the motion whereas the Eufy ones that I use miss a lot still (in HomeKit). I think it’s just a matter of them not performing as good as other cameras when it comes to HomeKit secure video recordings.
@@ShaneCreates Thanks for the info man. It’s awesome when a TH-camr takes the time to reply to his subs. Looking forward to your future videos!
@@Davo_915 Anytime! I try my best. Thanks for the support!! 🙏🏻
Great video Shane. Nice editing 😎👍
Thanks Duncan!
Hey Shane, what types of buttons/switches have you come across outside of the Aqara one you showed us? Looking for some different options. Thanks man! Keep up the videos!
Thanks Shaun! I think the only HomeKit buttons that I've used outside of Aqara is by Eve. They have a bluetooth button that I've used. You also mentioned switches, so if you are referring to wall switches too, then I also use Lutron Caseta wall switches that work with homekit. Phillips hue and some others makes some good ones also, but I haven't used them personally.
What door locks were those in the exterior
The Vocolinc lock and the Friday lock are seen in this video. Links should be in the video description.
how does homekit work i have homepod mini and apple tv what devices are
primary
to homekit
Check out my HomeKit 101 Video that explains exactly how it all works: th-cam.com/video/d9_6p1110lo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Shane, huge fan. Quick ? Do you plan on reviewing C by GE. The switches and lights. I think they are now HomeKit compatible. I could be wrong. I’m a newbie and I’ve had my heart set on idevice switches but u r making strong case for Lurton. I’m moving into new house soon so will be starting from the ground up replacing switches with smart ones. Thank u and the others for the great advice. The GE switches look promising but I’m sticking with HomeKit
Hey Mitchell. I currently don’t have any plans to review C by GE. I can’t say how good they are from experience. I’ve read mixed reviews. As mentioned in my recent smart switches video, if planning to replace a number of switches, I’m a fan if using switches that require a hub rather than direct-to-WiFi switches (personal choice). You almost never hear anything bad about the Lutron switches, which makes them so easy to recommend. Mine have been flawless since installing them. The price is the only downside as they are quite expensive.
Thank you Shane. Assuming idevice has low feedback aswell I, going with Lurton aswell. Wemo looks good aswell but I’m going with the solid honest feedback you provide. Trust me I need as easy as possible as I grow my smart home. Thanks for helping me make an informed decision.
@@slango7072 Glad to help!
Great video! Thanks for the advice!
Sure thing, thanks for watching!
hi, congrats, good work !! Can you tell me how you put roomba in app home ?¿?¿
Thanks! Sure, I use hoobs to do this. Full video here: th-cam.com/video/IxQWbwPsJio/w-d-xo.html
Hello i think to Can homekit support 433mhz i think to change to homekit?
Hey thanks for the good information.. i have 2 questions.. I already have a security system of 16 cams and central DVR which they are connected to it is there a way to integrate the cams with homekit ? And I have a garage door motor is there a way to make the motor a "smart" one? Thank you
The possibility of getting those types of cameras into HomeKit that I know of is through HomeBridge or Hoobs, if your cameras support RTSP. If you use home bridge, take a look at the home bridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin and see if you can get that to fit your needs.
For garage doors, there are a number of retrofit openers that you can purchase to make your existing garage door smart. I've used the Insignia for a long time but there is also myQ, iSmartGate, and Meross to name a few.
Shane Whatley cool I'll look into them thanks
Can I use an iMac as a HomeKit Hub as well?
No, your HomeKit hub needs to be an iPad, HomePod or Apple TV.
@@ShaneCreates ok thanx
Hey Shane! Speaking on a budget here, was thinking about a second hand iPad as a hub. Any recommendations on model or age? The homepod mini is nice, but with the iPad i'd also have a tablet, you know? Or am I completely wrong? We don't really cast music or video or anything around here, so the speaker part won't do us any good.
Hey Erik, that makes sense. Although I've heard mixed reviews from people using iPads as their primary hub, so I'm not really sure. But if you do go that route, I'd just get the best deal you can find for the latest model you can find. Anything that works with the latest iPadOS should be fine for now, but eventually you might loose compatibility with old ipads. For example, I'm still using an old iPad Air 2 on my wall and it works with homekit, but I'm sure my time is limited with that.
Another thing to consider regarding the hompod mini is that you'll have the always available voice assistant for "hey Siri." It works better and is much more convenient than having to use a phone or even apple watch imo. Hope this helps!
@@ShaneCreates Thanks, Shane! Yeah, I know time would be limited for upgrades. I'm not sure the GF would ever get used to Siri, honestly. So watch is prolly fine, but good point.
What’s the best smart plug for HomeKit?
Lots of options. Some that I use and like personally are the Eve and vocolinc.
This is such a great video for getting started.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Starting a "Smart Home" is just crazy trying to wade thru at least 12 to 20 different companies products. At the end of the day seems like you will end up with at least 4 to 6 different companies products in your home.
Yea, but that's what I love about homekit and one of the big things that drew me to it. It doesn't matter how many different companies products I have, as long as they support homekit, I can access everything from the same app. Everything is connected and accessible in one place, regardless of manufacturer.
Which HomeKit secure video cameras would you recommend in todays time?
What garage door system do you recommend?
I have been using the Insignia Garage Door for a long time (link in video description). There are mixed reviews about it, but it has done the job fine for me and is the most inexpensive option. Some other good options to consider are the MyQ (requires an additional bridge for homekit), and the iSmartGate.
@@ShaneCreates awesome, thanks man!
Orbi is a killer mesh system, but it’s not a HomeKit router like eero. Definitely something to mention for people who are sticklers about privacy and security.
Great video btw
That’s true. Thanks for pointing it out. Actually had a whole segment about that, but ended up cutting it because the video was getting too long. It’s a good point. But Eero is also owned by amazon now. Which may be a reason for some of those same sticklers to not get Eero. Just comes down to personal preference really. Would love to see more router manufacturers roll out HomeKit support for their routers.
Im Trying to use HomeKit and it just says loading accessories and scenes what do I do?
Usually you just have to wait a few seconds and everything will update. If you see “no response,” then you may have some issues to troubleshoot.
Please review aqara M2 gateway and aqara P3 AC controller
Hey Shane, great vid for someone looking to upgrade an existing house with zero smarts. But...my GF asked a legit question. On the switches, if the wireless router dies, will we still have control of the lights? I'm kind of new to this whole thing, so I apologize if this is too much of a no-brainer.
Thanks Erik. So if the only way to control the lights is through homekit or your phone, then no you generally can't control the lights without wifi. If you are using something like smart wall switches, then you can always use the wall switches regardless of your internet connection. The physical switches will always work regardless of your internet connection.
@@ShaneCreates Thanks!
Awesome Shane. If I may ask do you know any way to use a Zigbee hub from Lidl (Silvercrest brand) with Homekit, or is this a dumb question 😀?
Thanks for watching José. If it’s not native HomeKit, you might have some luck using hoobs or homebridge to expose it to HomeKit, if there is a plugin available for silver crest.
I’d like to get into Hoobs but not sure too much how it’ll work. I’m new to working with HomeKit and Alexa and Google. I’d like to focus more on HomeKit. Please help. Thanks.
Hoobs is great if you already have other smart home accessories that don’t natively support HomeKit. You can often use hoobs to integrate them into HomeKit. Check out my original video on hoobs to see how it works: th-cam.com/video/N26aSimVF2s/w-d-xo.html
Shane Whatley thank you so very much. Keep rocking!!!!
Thanks, Shane! Always my go with channel to learn more about HomeKit. I do have a question, long term what would be the best to go with a dedicated Hub for lights like the Phillips Hue or stick with VOCOlinc lights that connects directly to the HomePod?
Partially, it's personal preference. Some people hate the idea of having more hubs. Personally, I don't mind if I'm going to be connecting lots of accessories to it.
For example, if I want to connect 20 lights, going with a hub might be a good idea. Easier to troubleshoot and less congestion on your wifi. However, if I only want to connect 3 lights, it might be better to go hub-less...save the money on the hub, etc.
Shane Whatley Thanks a lot for taking your time answering the question, really appreciate it!
Thanks Shane!
Great tips. I have thought about this myself. What would I do if I started over. Number one would be the smart switches vs bulbs. Also, I do like the HOOBs so I can bring in Z-Wave products. I guess Z-Wave will help extend the WiFi, is that true? Thanks for the great video.
Thanks Steve! Yea, I have a number of smart bulbs that I don't use anymore since they were some of the first smart home products I purchased. My family kept flipping the light switches leaving the bulbs unresponsive, so I quickly realized smart switches were the better option in most cases.
I don't have a ton of experience with Z-Wave, but I don't think z-wave products will extend your wifi. Z-Wave and WIFI are two different wireless protocols so I don't think it works like that.
Thanks for watching!
Shane Whatley so annoying when they turn the switches off. I have taped the switches to the on position, but they still turn them off. 😂😂
@@SteveHinrichs 😂 😂
Which Ecobee thermostat has native HomeKit?
All of them I believe. Ecobee 3 lite would be fine if you don’t care about Alexa being built in. I actually found a good deal on the Ecobee 4 with room sensors so I got that one and just never turned on the Alexa feature.
This is a great video Shane and very informative!
Thank you! 🙏
How are people hardwiring outdoor cameras? Is that expensive?
Not sure the cost to have it done. Are you talking about something like PoE cameras? I have done this as well a while back (before my HomeKit days) and I did it all myself. There aren't any that work with homekit natively though.
For native HomeKit cameras, you basically have two options: those with power cords and those that are wireless (battery). Something like the Logitech Circle View (outdoor HK camera) has an attached 10' power cord that must be plugged into an outlet. Something like the Eufy Cams are wireless and can be put anywhere (within range) and connect to a base station. These must be taken down every now and then to be charged. Hope that helps!
Came to the right channel! I'm starting from scratch and actually just ordered an eero pro with 2 beacons, an apple tv and a homepod. I am wanting to use the Sonos home system for various rooms and pair it with homekit. This is the scenario that I'd like to know if it will work. My homepod is in my living room and a Sonos Move in the master bedroom. Can I just say Hey Siri play Frank Sinatra on Spotify and expect my Sonos speaker to play in my bedroom? Now the homepod is far away and will not hear the command. Will my Sonos speaker, which is in my home app, start playing Frank Sinatra while I'm getting ready to go to work? And if so, can my Spotify/Siri account differentiate between my wife and I. At the end of the day we both would like to hear our own playlists. I have a lot of questions like these as you may see because starting from scratch has A LOT of "ifs". Anyways, thank you very much for all the content that you are putting out there for us newbies!
Hey Edwin, glad you found the channel! I'll try to answer best I can. I don't actually have Sonos speakers but I think I can help still.
As long as your speakers support Airplay 2, you should be able to use them for whole home audio. You just won't be able to use the sonos speakers to give siri commands so you will have to use a siri device (iPhone, apple watch, HomePod, etc). You can say things like "Play Frank Sinatra in the bedroom" and it should start playing on your airplay 2 speakers in the specified room.
Regarding playlists, you will be able to use whichever account is connected to the device you give the command from, such as your iPhone, or your wife's apple watch. The HomePod has multiple user support so Siri can detect multiple users there.
Currently I don't believe spotify can be connected on your home pod yet, but that is expected to come later this year. However, you can play via the spotify app on your phone and airplay to any speakers in your home.
Hope this helps!
@@ShaneCreates by having whole home audio on airplay 2 means if i were to give siri a command it would activate that specific speaker if included in the command? As long as that command is through an iOS device correct?
@@edwinw.villarroeljr.6010 yes, that's correct.
I would love it if you made a video on the differences between the ecosystems and the benefits of each one, and why you chose to go with HomeKit.
All the vids I’ve seen are from Android users that don’t seem to care that Amazon’s #1 goal is to have users buy from their site (commodification of *everything*), and Google’s #1 goal is information to sell to others (no privacy).
I think you just answered that question for me. lol. Those are definitely some of the biggest reasons why I chose to go with homekit. However I do like that as a video idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
Please do! There are not enough vloggers that highlight this.
What’s Apple’s #1 goal... for me to invest in their ecosystem. I’m OK with that. Especially when compared to the other’s #1 goals.
I like that I can automate my home without having a device listen in on every conversation I have in my home. For me that’s creepy.
What was your main motivation? Or are you (like me) an iZealot so it was a natural choice?
You should probably include Xiaomi’s ecosystem too.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. 😍👍
@@Razorgirl Thanks for sharing! Yea, it was sort of a natural choice since I was a fan of Apple stuff anyways. However I did lots of research on smart home stuff before jumping in (before ever even thinking about a TH-cam channel). And the more research I did, the more it became clear that homekit would be the best option for what I was looking for...easy to setup and use and good privacy/security policy. One thing I always loved about Apple is their focus on the user experience and good design...things "just work." I thought that would be important also in the smart home arena.
Very good foundation here for starting a smart home
Thanks for watching Ben!
Thanks for the videos. You should consider starting a small discord channel for answering questions in your free time 😁
haha, I do have one of those. It's part of my channel memberships. We have a pretty great community discussing all things homekit going on over there. But I still do my best to answer all questions here on TH-cam and everywhere else also!
Thanks for watching!
We need to find a a way to get aqara in Canada !
Great tips Shane. Perhaps you can make a video on how to integrate Dyson tower fans to Home App
Thanks Andréas. I don’t have a Dyson fan at the moment. Pretty sure others have done this via homebridge or hoobs.
The accent lighting in my home are all the electronic devices with those damned always-on LEDs.
No need for nightlights!
Great 👍 tips bro 😎
Thanks for watching!
@@ShaneCreates My pleasure 😉
Followed you fo a bit now, I’m a huge tech head so it’s amazing ta see someone else wit so much passion, I do have a question, I have a Hue Bridge and a Hive Bridge, all works well in Homekit and the dedicated apps BUT, Alexa keeps finding my two Hue bulbs, even though I have named them, deleted them and even reset my bridge..any ideas ? It finds them once maybe twice a day ? So frustrating to keep deleting them so I don’t have 2 bedrooms and 2 hue lights.
Thanks so much for the support! I don't use Alexa anymore so I'm not sure the best advice regarding that. I stopped using Alexa a while ago and haven't looked back since.
Shane Whatley I have a mixture of both a Homepod mini in the lounge and rest of the house Alexa, and I find Siri just as responsive but it’s all about Homekit for me and the family, we don’t have as many products in the UK as the U.S but it’s definitely the way forward using Homepod and Homekit, cheers Shane
Thanks Shane - very useful video, I'm just starting to plan for my Homekit system!
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
UPDATE for #2 - get a HomePod mini (vs the discontinued Original HomePod)
I want to get apple homekit but it's a bit over whelming, given i haven't really done much research on i, hopefully this video will help me save some time lmao
Also check out my HomeKit 101: Getting Started Playlist. If you start from the beginning, that HomeKit 101 video and go from there, it explains everything you need to know from the ground up to get going with HomeKit.
Just say thanks for the videos very helpful. I done my part like and subscribe
Thank you! Much appreciated! 🙏🏻