Improvements for HomeKit
There have been many developments in HomeKit and the Home app lately. For example, more and more accessories work with Thread and there is a smart home system called Matter, a collaboration between Apple, Google, Amazon and more. But what else can Apple do to improve HomeKit? In this article we have listed our HomeKit improvements and wishes for you.
- More product categories
- Own Apple accessories
- Improved Siri
- Improved Home App
- HomeKit Watch Face
- More Hubs
We realize that there are other systems that probably already support the functions below. However, the advantage of HomeKit is the integration into iOS and the better security. Other systems such as Domoticz, Alexa and do-it-yourself applications such as HomeBridge are often much more flexible, but in turn have other disadvantages. HomeKit and the Home app are a lot more user-friendly to set up, but are still a bit behind in terms of functions.
This article was published earlier in February 2019, but has been adapted and republished with the latest developments . The comments have been cleaned.
#1 More products and product categoryën
Apple now offers HomeKit support for 22 product categories. You should especially think of lighting, thermostats, door locks, cameras, sensors and smart plugs. There are numerous well-known brands that Apple partners with for HomeKit support, continuously increasing the number of certified HomeKit devices.
Although HomeKit does offer support for roller blinds and doorbells, for example, the supply in the Netherlands is still very limited. Also when it comes to door locks, availability is quite limited, which also hinders the growth of HomeKit in general. In an ideal world, all major well-known brands incorporate HomeKit directly into their products, so that more people also get HomeKit at home. While we also understand the reality is different, wider availability would boost HomeKit adoption.
In addition, there are still countless products in the house that can not yet be supported by HomeKit. Think of washing machines, vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, refrigerators and similar items. Amazon's Alexa already works with many more devices, although you can of course also wonder to what extent that really has added value. The first important step for Apple is to make its already supporting devices more widely available. After that, you can always look further into where HomeKit can really come in handy.
#2 HomeKit products from Apple itself
It is actually strange that Apple itself has made few HomeKit accessories. The only two are the HomePod and the Apple TV. A good start, but much better. Consider, for example, a camera, where privacy is very important. An Apple security camera patent has already surfaced, so who knows Apple still has plans for this. With its own products, Apple should mainly focus on the larger products, such as speakers. A HomePod soundbar would not be wrong in our opinion, especially for your television. But a good step would in any case be to make the HomePod mini more widely available.
If Apple itself would also release more HomeKit products, they would also send a clearer signal to other manufacturers and users. Plus, it helps in increasing HomeKit's brand awareness. Apple has the power to popularize less popular products (just look at the AirPods), so Apple's own smart home product would be a very important step for HomeKit.
In any case, Apple is said to be working on a new product that combines the HomePod and Apple TV. There would also be experiments with a HomePod with screen and camera or a HomePod with iPad robot arm. But we also hope that Apple would develop a more accessible product, as they have done with the AirTag.
#3 Improved Siri
Much of HomeKit's operation is done with Siri, but the assistant has been receiving a lot of criticism from users for years. Siri doesn't work nearly as well as the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and that sometimes gets in the way of controlling HomeKit accessories. For example, it is not possible to turn off HomeKit scenes with Siri, even though that is a very simple action. It is also not possible to combine a scene and accessories in one voice command. Siri also doesn't understand follow-up questions. If you ask what the temperature is in the living room and then immediately ask the question ‘And in the office?’, Siri won't understand what you mean. Each voice command must again be given individually.
What would certainly help is making Dutch Siri available on the HomePod. Although you can use your Dutch names for scenes and accessories against the English Siri, it works a lot easier if you can do it completely in Dutch.
Since iOS 15, smart home devices such as a thermostat can build in Siri, but its functionality is limited. Moreover, you still have to have a HomePod (mini) at home, which means that it is hardly of any use to us in the Netherlands.
#4 Improved Home app
When Apple introduced the Home app in iOS 10, HomeKit's offerings were a lot more limited. In recent years, Apple has made some adjustments to the app, making it possible with automations and the like. But the additions, such as the improvements to HomeKit in iOS 15, are always small. As a result, the Woning app falls short on a number of fronts for many users.
For example, some more complicated actions require a third-party HomeKit app, such as the Eve app. The best example is for setting up HomeKit buttons. You cannot add rules to a single action via the Home app, so pressing a button cannot be linked to switching on lamps when they are off and vice versa. Rules and triggers can only be set via the Eve app, for example, but we would prefer to do this via Apple's own Home app. The app is also sometimes a bit clumsy in terms of operation, especially if you have a lot of HomeKit products. If you only have a handful of accessories, it won't bother you that much. But the longer HomeKit has been around, the more accessories people have in their homes. At a certain point it becomes cluttered and operating your accessories is no longer so convenient.
#5 HomeKit watch face Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch is an ideal means of quickly controlling scenes and accessories. You can do that with Siri, but sometimes a voice command takes just too long. Another option is via the Woning app, which can be reached quickly via a complication. But due to the current operation of complications, you always first go to the relevant app, after which you perform the action there. The handy HomeKit app HomeRun 2 partly solves this by linking a scene to a complication. We would prefer to see Apple come up with a separate HomeKit dial, where you can, for example, set up five complications that are linked to scenes and accessories. In this way you can immediately switch on a scene with a single tap on a complication. That is a lot faster than going to the Home app and choosing the right scene there.
#6 More devices like HomeKit- hub
To automate your HomeKit accessories, you must have an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad that is always at home. Not every iPhone owner has an Apple TV. Not everyone has an iPad that is always at home. The HomePod is still not available in the Netherlands, so it is not an option for everyone. So Apple should offer more options for a HomeKit hub. For example, Apple could also include the Mac. The iMac, like the Apple TV, is always in the same place and could serve as a HomeKit hub.
Another option is for Apple to let other manufacturers make HomeKit hubs. With Google's smart home platform, other speakers can also serve as a hub. While we understand that security and privacy are paramount at Apple, they might as well impose strict requirements on manufacturers to make it possible. Apple is already doing that with HomeKit routers.
There is still plenty to improve on HomeKit. Who knows that Apple is already taking the first steps in iOS 13 to further improve HomeKit, although there are no concrete indications for this at the moment.
Are you also a HomeKit user and do you miss certain functions in the use and operation of your devices? Let us know your improvements in the comments.
Check out our overview of HomeKit tips, where we've rounded up the best tips and tricks for you.
https://www.iculture.nl/gids/homekit-tips/
Revision history:
- 2019 – February 22, 17:34: Article updated and republished.