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What is Apple HomeKit?

Along with several other new APIs for developers, Apple announced HomeKit in June 2014, which allows all home automation accessories/devices to work together in harmony with iOS. The API allows home automation developers to centralize all home automation without needing separate apps to access each device’s specific features. These devices include locks, lights, cameras, doors, thermostats, plugs, switches, and more. HomeKit allows for secure pairing with devices and the ability to control individual devices. It also makes it possible to group several home automation devices into scenes that allow for easier control of any automation device in specific situations. One of the coolest features available with HomeKit is the ability to control any home automation accessory with Siri based on certain commands or scenes previously configured with these devices.

In 2016, Apple introduced a new Home app that came with a modern look, relatively easy-to-use controls, and access to accessories and scenes from anywhere on iOS 10. Apple’s new built-in Home app arrived on the iPhone’s Home screen, plus you can access a ton of functions from the Lock screen or anywhere on iOS from the new Control Center once you have a HomeKit accessory set up.

In 2018, Apple released the HomePod. It was a way to interact with your connected home devices through Siri using a standalone device.

In 2020, Apple announced that tvOS 14 would gain access to the Home app. iOS 14 is also bringing improvement to the Home app UI.

Like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, HomeKit allows you to integrate smart-home devices from different manufacturers into one system. It works more like a smart-home hub, like SmartThings and Wink, but in this case the hub lives in the cloud. All HomeKit devices automatically “see” one another without requiring any setup. And setting up automations—preset actions that involve one or more devices—is satisfyingly straightforward, requiring only a few taps in Apple’s Home app, which comes preinstalled on iOS devices.

Unlike Alexa and Google Assistant, HomeKit is primarily a smart-home system with a voice search feature, while the other two are voice search systems (for music and random queries) with smart-home features. Many smart-home accessories are designed specifically for HomeKit, while Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility are often just an add-on feature to an existing device. The Home app for HomeKit is a much more comprehensive interface for smart-home control than the apps for Alexa and Google Assistant, though the latter two systems are catching up.

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