![]() ![]() ![]() The Stream Deck’s default set of actions includes one called Website, which is designed to open a page in your default browser. With that knowlege in hand, setting up Stream Deck buttons to control my lights became extremely easy. But that’s not all HomeControl Menu does-it also supports automation via custom URLs. In January I wrote about HomeControl Menu, a utility that puts control of HomeKit devices in your Mac’s menu bar. (Even though it’s a Catalyst app, it could be made scriptable if Apple wanted to-witness Dice By PCalc, which recently added scripting support.)įortunately, I figured out a solution. Here’s the problem: The Home app on the Mac isn’t scriptable. And I immediately wondered if I could assign buttons to turn the lights in my office on and off. ![]() Updated May 2022: These methods are still the best for adding incompatible smart home accessories to HomeKit.Controlling HomeKit via Stream Deck is easy with Home Control URLs.Īfter much hesitation and research, I recently bought a Stream Deck Mini. With a world of unique and low-cost accessories available, going with one of these methods is worth it if you want a truly smart home. ![]() Whether you go the plug-and-play hub route or set up a Homebridge/Home Assistant server, the process is easier than you might think. Connect incompatible accessories to HomeKit to expand your smart homeĪs you can see, there are quite a few ways to add incompatible accessories - like those from Nest and Ring - to HomeKit. If you install HOOBS or Home Assistant on your hardware, you still get the same easy-to-use UI as the HOOBS Starter Kit or Home Assistant Blue, with no limitations or additional hurdles. The same goes for HOOBS and Home Assistant, which also offer images for Raspberry Pi that you can download for free. Once you flash Homebridge to your memory card, your Pi will boot into Homebridge, and you can access it through a local IP address via your browser. The Homebridge team also provides a handy image file that you can flash directly to a microSD card for use with a Raspberry Pi. Also, since HOOBS runs a modified version of Homebridge, some plugins may not work correctly. Still, there may be cases where you will need to enter specific information like login details or the IP address of your accessory. In most cases, installing and configuring a plugin only requires a few clicks. HOOBS/Homebridge supports most of the major smart home accessory manufacturers, including notables such as: After powering it on, you can add a wide variety of popular non-HomeKit-enabled accessories to HomeKit via plugins. The HOOBS Starter Kit includes a fully-assembled Raspberry Pi and a copy of the HOOBS Homebridge server pre-installed on a microSD card. One of which is the HOOBS Starter Kit - or Homebridge out of the box - which got us up and running with adding incompatible HomeKit accessories to our home in minutes during our hands-on review. Many alternative options are available if you have other smart home accessories that aren't from the Nest line but still want a reasonably straightforward solution. Hoobs Starter Kit Review Bottom (Image credit: Christoper Close / iMore) After logging in to your account, you then add the hub to your HomeKit home the same way that you set up your HomeKit accessories - by scanning a QR code through the Home app. Setting up the Starling Home Hub takes just a few minutes, with the bulk of the process consisting of entering your Google (or Nest) account credentials. The Starling Home Hub currently supports the following Nest accessories: As its name suggests, the Starling Home Hub is a small hub device that bridges select Nest devices to HomeKit through a simple to use browser interface. If you went with a Nest thermostat back in the day and want to bring it over to HomeKit, then the Starling Home Hub is the best and easiest way to do so. Starling Home Hub (Image credit: Starling) ![]()
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