{"slug": "apple-homekit", "name": "Apple HomeKit", "category": "productivity", "category_name": "Productivity", "description": "", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 15, "warners": 3, "score": 3.682, "rising": -0.64, "first": "2025-11-13", "latest": "2026-10-15", "why": "I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 6, "compare": 1, "warn": 3}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.apple.com/home-app/", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["HomeKit", "Apple HomeKit"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 792175776, "item_id": 49510986, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49510986", "by": "nunez", "date": "2026-08-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "These days, I use native HomeKit for everything.", "excerpt": "This was me a few years ago, but the admin job I gave myself maintaining this stuff eventually got old. These days, I use native HomeKit for everything. Preferably over Matter/Thread, but HomeKit is a requirement. No HA. If it doesn't native work with HomeKit, it doesn't run in our house.", "context": "got tired of the admin job of maintaining a self-built setup", "use_case": "home automation", "switched_from": "Home Assistant", "story": "It takes 5 cloud services to hear my doorbell"}, {"id": 783903168, "item_id": 48993948, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48993948", "by": "dadadad100", "date": "2026-07-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m migrating from my zigbee stuff bridged through home assistant to HomeKit.", "excerpt": "They missed that IKEA has just released a new smart home suite including a motion/light sensor for $9.99 [1]. Full thread/matter support and some also have zigbee to maintain backwards compatibility to legacy IKEA stuff. I\u2019m migrating from my zigbee stuff bridged through home assistant to HomeKit. Now I have thread to HomeKit directly [1] https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/myggspray-wireless-motion-sensor-smart-80619451/", "context": "", "use_case": "Smart home control", "switched_from": "Home Assistant", "story": "Motion Sensors and Home Security Gadgets Without Cameras"}, {"id": 775237632, "item_id": 48452352, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48452352", "by": "Ecstatify", "date": "2026-06-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "They integrate really well with HomeKit.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m using Eve Blinds. They integrate really well with HomeKit. They\u2019re a bit on the pricey side, but the setup is straightforward and they\u2019ve been very reliable for me. ref: https://www.evehome.com/en/eve-blinds-collection", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Siri AI"}, {"id": 768565089, "item_id": 48035318, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48035318", "by": "nerdjon", "date": "2026-05-06", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation", "excerpt": "It depends on what your use case is, I have both homebridge and homeassistant setup for different devices. But I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation not home assistant. For me both services are primarily for things that don't natively support HomeKit (my vacuum, logitech harmony, the receiver for my sound system, and a couple other things). I also use home assistant to expose a couple of fake acces", "context": "", "use_case": "Main home automation hub", "switched_from": "", "story": "Homebridge 2.0 is here, and it speaks Matter"}, {"id": 751986016, "item_id": 46999126, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46999126", "by": "nielsbot", "date": "2026-02-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Been using the HomeKit ecosystem.", "excerpt": "Been using the HomeKit ecosystem. If you already pay for iCloud you get secure* cloud storage included. * Apple says it\u2019s end-to-end encrypted. I assume, maybe incorrectly, that they can\u2019t view it. https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/icloud-homekit-secure-video-mme054c72692/icloud", "context": "", "use_case": "smart home cameras", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 801695617, "item_id": 50105976, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105976", "by": "pornel", "date": "2026-10-15", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "HomeKit is so painfully slow and flaky.", "excerpt": "HomeKit is so painfully slow and flaky. I've switched to Home Assistant and the same devices on the same network work instantly, as they should. Apple is so terrible at this. They have nobody to blame: it's their system, their protocol (I have pre-Matter devices), their home hub, their certified devices. Home Assistant with a pile of community-maintained python hacks runs circles around Apple.", "context": "", "use_case": "smart home control", "switched_from": "", "story": "Siri is so bad at everything"}, {"id": 784672945, "item_id": 49042059, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49042059", "by": "radredgreen2", "date": "2026-07-24", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "It works as well as Apple HomeKit works, which isn't all that well.", "excerpt": "I wrote Wyrecam (https://github.com/radredgreen/wyrecam) to solve this problem. It works as well as Apple HomeKit works, which isn't all that well. Firmware supports wyze v3 (ingenic t31).", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "My security camera shipped a GitHub admin token in its login page"}, {"id": 734770129, "item_id": 45923133, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45923133", "by": "ramses0", "date": "2025-11-13", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "People dump on Apple/HomeKit (deservedly!)", "excerpt": "With Home Assistant (or even Apple HomeKit Shortcuts) it's relatively trivial. Shortcuts: Intercom: Events: Get [1] Event From [All Calendars] https://i.postimg.cc/X750NyjC/IMG-9677.jpg People dump on Apple/HomeKit (deservedly!), but only because there is so much untapped potential!", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Remind: A sophisticated calendar and alarm program"}]}], "who": [{"by": "nunez", "context": "got tired of the admin job of maintaining a self-built setup", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49510986", "date": "2026-08-31"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["smart home control", "home automation", "main home automation hub", "smart switches and cctv", "smart home cameras"], "compared": [{"slug": "home-assistant", "name": "Home Assistant", "co": 7, "switched_from": 2, "switched_to": 2}, {"slug": "esphome", "name": "ESPHome", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "claude", "name": "Claude", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46996999", "title": "Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50104465", "title": "Siri is so bad at everything", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50071017", "title": "Apple HomeView", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49640913", "title": "I added a non-wi-fi Mitsubishi AC to Home Assistant", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49645480", "title": "LG denies TV spying claims, says tracking and snooping concerns 'not true'", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49480091", "title": "It takes 5 cloud services to hear my doorbell", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"warn": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"neutral": 1, "recommend": 2}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1, "warn": 1}, "2026-08": {"neutral": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"neutral": 2}, "2026-10": {"compare": 1, "warn": 1}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 801695617, "item_id": 50105976, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50105976", "by": "pornel", "date": "2026-10-15", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "HomeKit is so painfully slow and flaky.", "excerpt": "HomeKit is so painfully slow and flaky. I've switched to Home Assistant and the same devices on the same network work instantly, as they should. Apple is so terrible at this. They have nobody to blame: it's their system, their protocol (I have pre-Matter devices), their home hub, their certified devices. Home Assistant with a pile of community-maintained python hacks runs circles around Apple.", "context": "", "use_case": "smart home control", "switched_from": "", "story": "Siri is so bad at everything"}, {"id": 801151073, "item_id": 50071942, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50071942", "by": "joshstrange", "date": "2026-10-13", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "", "excerpt": "LLMs/AI has taken my HA usage to another level. It worked great and I loved it pre-LLM but armed with LLMs I can do some amazing automations and tweak them with my voice [0]. I recently tasked Claude with creating a vector floorplan of my house, then added icons for lights/fans/etc (Claude wrote a little tool where I could drag everything where it goes), and then set it up in HA so I can click on devices on the floor", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple HomeView"}, {"id": 794879761, "item_id": 49679985, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49679985", "by": "akifbayram", "date": "2026-09-13", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "There are also separate firmware options for HomeKit and Matter.", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve been working on a similar setup using the M5Stack NanoC6 and AtomS3 Lite, and put together a parts list and wiring guide on my site: https://serin-labs.com/parts.html. I also built a web flasher with firmware configured for those boards, so you can install directly from your browser without any fiddling or configuring. The ESPHome option uses the same echavet/MitsubishiCN105ESPHome project mentioned in the artic", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I added a non-wi-fi Mitsubishi AC to Home Assistant"}, {"id": 794837184, "item_id": 49677324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49677324", "by": "imoverclocked", "date": "2026-09-12", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "one integrates with HomeKit and pretty much just works", "excerpt": "Then what about all the cloud enabled spyware? How would that work? (/sarcasm) Truly though, smart-home stuff runs the whole gamut of privacy and device manufacturer relationships. eg: I have used three different smart/room AC units: - one requires its own cloud-enabled app for any remote connectivity, no HomeKit integration - one integrates with HomeKit but then leaves an upgrade hint that can only be done through a", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "LG denies TV spying claims, says tracking and snooping concerns 'not true'"}, {"id": 792175776, "item_id": 49510986, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49510986", "by": "nunez", "date": "2026-08-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "These days, I use native HomeKit for everything.", "excerpt": "This was me a few years ago, but the admin job I gave myself maintaining this stuff eventually got old. These days, I use native HomeKit for everything. Preferably over Matter/Thread, but HomeKit is a requirement. No HA. If it doesn't native work with HomeKit, it doesn't run in our house.", "context": "got tired of the admin job of maintaining a self-built setup", "use_case": "home automation", "switched_from": "Home Assistant", "story": "It takes 5 cloud services to hear my doorbell"}, {"id": 787104882, "item_id": 49194055, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49194055", "by": "8fingerlouie", "date": "2026-08-06", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I was using primarily HomeKit as my home automation platform", "excerpt": "Initially it was just curiosity when thread/matter was new. Back then it was a horrible experience, but I was using primarily HomeKit as my home automation platform (which only supports thread) and didn't have that much complexity. I was also using a bunch of vendor specific apps to control each individual vendors ecosystem. Fast forward some years and I had my share of vendor specific ecosystems be shut down, leavin", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Zigbee vs. Matter over Thread:Understanding IoT Protocol Performance in Practice"}, {"id": 784672945, "item_id": 49042059, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49042059", "by": "radredgreen2", "date": "2026-07-24", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "It works as well as Apple HomeKit works, which isn't all that well.", "excerpt": "I wrote Wyrecam (https://github.com/radredgreen/wyrecam) to solve this problem. It works as well as Apple HomeKit works, which isn't all that well. Firmware supports wyze v3 (ingenic t31).", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "My security camera shipped a GitHub admin token in its login page"}, {"id": 783903168, "item_id": 48993948, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48993948", "by": "dadadad100", "date": "2026-07-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019m migrating from my zigbee stuff bridged through home assistant to HomeKit.", "excerpt": "They missed that IKEA has just released a new smart home suite including a motion/light sensor for $9.99 [1]. Full thread/matter support and some also have zigbee to maintain backwards compatibility to legacy IKEA stuff. I\u2019m migrating from my zigbee stuff bridged through home assistant to HomeKit. Now I have thread to HomeKit directly [1] https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/myggspray-wireless-motion-sensor-smart-80619451/", "context": "", "use_case": "Smart home control", "switched_from": "Home Assistant", "story": "Motion Sensors and Home Security Gadgets Without Cameras"}, {"id": 775257698, "item_id": 48453606, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48453606", "by": "bri3d", "date": "2026-06-08", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "all of my local-only home automation stuff wired together, mostly into HomeKit", "excerpt": "I've always wanted my own VW diagnostic tool suite, and between tooling that was released in public on GitHub (https://github.com/kartoffelpflanze/ODIS-project-explorer) and my own research from years ago, it always seemed straightforward but too tedious to execute on. Claude did a great job making something useful, https://github.com/bri3d/mcd-diag-rs , and now I don't have to find a Windows machine or remember a sp", "context": "", "use_case": "home automation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are tools you have made for yourself since the advent of AI"}, {"id": 775237632, "item_id": 48452352, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48452352", "by": "Ecstatify", "date": "2026-06-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "They integrate really well with HomeKit.", "excerpt": "I\u2019m using Eve Blinds. They integrate really well with HomeKit. They\u2019re a bit on the pricey side, but the setup is straightforward and they\u2019ve been very reliable for me. ref: https://www.evehome.com/en/eve-blinds-collection", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Siri AI"}, {"id": 768565089, "item_id": 48035318, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48035318", "by": "nerdjon", "date": "2026-05-06", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation", "excerpt": "It depends on what your use case is, I have both homebridge and homeassistant setup for different devices. But I also use HomeKit as the main hub of my home automation not home assistant. For me both services are primarily for things that don't natively support HomeKit (my vacuum, logitech harmony, the receiver for my sound system, and a couple other things). I also use home assistant to expose a couple of fake acces", "context": "", "use_case": "Main home automation hub", "switched_from": "", "story": "Homebridge 2.0 is here, and it speaks Matter"}, {"id": 766752272, "item_id": 47922017, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922017", "by": "sgt", "date": "2026-04-27", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use only the basics of HomeKit, a couple switches and CCTV.", "excerpt": "I hope they do. I use only the basics of HomeKit, a couple switches and CCTV. I'd like to expand and use it for more stuff. So it's important Home is stable.", "context": "", "use_case": "Smart switches and CCTV", "switched_from": "", "story": "Tim Cook Is Leaving. Good"}, {"id": 751986016, "item_id": 46999126, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46999126", "by": "nielsbot", "date": "2026-02-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Been using the HomeKit ecosystem.", "excerpt": "Been using the HomeKit ecosystem. If you already pay for iCloud you get secure* cloud storage included. * Apple says it\u2019s end-to-end encrypted. I assume, maybe incorrectly, that they can\u2019t view it. https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/icloud-homekit-secure-video-mme054c72692/icloud", "context": "", "use_case": "smart home cameras", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash"}, {"id": 751972688, "item_id": 46998293, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46998293", "by": "radredgreen2", "date": "2026-02-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "And you can run open source camera firmware on a disconnected vlan if you don't want to trust a phone app or a camera with internet access. https://github.com/radredgreen/wyrecam", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash"}, {"id": 751819777, "item_id": 46988736, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46988736", "by": "jonnrb", "date": "2026-02-12", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Siri enough to control HomeKit that I give things really mundane names", "excerpt": "I used to run into this and I use Siri enough to control HomeKit that I give things really mundane names (\"Upstairs Bathroom Vanity\", \"Guest Bedroom Front Shades\") to ensure that we have no miscommunication between me and Siri. If you name your Hue light \"House Music\" and you're confused when you ask to \"turn on house music\", you've played yourself. I am interested to see if such a light was in the LLM context window", "context": "", "use_case": "smart home control", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple's Latest Attempt to Launch the New Siri Runs into Snags"}, {"id": 734770129, "item_id": 45923133, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45923133", "by": "ramses0", "date": "2025-11-13", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "People dump on Apple/HomeKit (deservedly!)", "excerpt": "With Home Assistant (or even Apple HomeKit Shortcuts) it's relatively trivial. Shortcuts: Intercom: Events: Get [1] Event From [All Calendars] https://i.postimg.cc/X750NyjC/IMG-9677.jpg People dump on Apple/HomeKit (deservedly!), but only because there is so much untapped potential!", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Remind: A sophisticated calendar and alarm program"}]}