Master Your Smart Home: The Best HomeKit Devices

Apple HomeKit is a smart home framework that helps you control and utilize smart home products to interact with Apple devices. Things like locks, lights, and thermostats. Compatible devices can interact with the Apple Home app, which uses the HomeKit model to further categorize and control these kinds of accessories. There are several devices compatible with Apple home control that can be used to create a HomeKit Hub. We’ll cover the best Apple HomeKit devices, including pros and cons, so you can create the best hub for your smart home needs.  

What is a HomeKit Hub?

A HomeKit Hub is a way to manage various smart home devices. You can set up automations, control accessories remotely, and grant access to friends and family. You can use Apple’s Siri voice assistant to give verbal commands as well. The Hub is a way to interact with the HomeKit app, so you can control all of your connected devices. We’ll be going over some of the best Hub options later in this article. 

Choosing the Best HomeKit Hub

To help you select the best hub for Apple Home control and HomeKit devices, we’ve broken down the pros, cons, and set up instructions. Just remember, all hubs need to be able to connect to your Wi-Fi to work. 

HomePod or HomePod Mini

Apple’s HomePod and HomePod Mini speakers are a great method to control your HomeKit accessories. Thanks to Siri, commands can be given verbally, letting you adjust things like lighting, security cameras, door locks, connected Apple TVs, and even create automations like dimming the lights at night. Using HomePod as a hub is remarkably simple, since the interface is verbal instructions. It’s great for anyone looking for simplicity in their smart home controls. Plus, it’s a pretty handy speaker for music too. 

Pros

• Portable and easy to move
• Voice commands make control easy
• It is always ready and turned on
• High fidelity speaker functionality for music and audio
• Built-in sensors for temperature and humidity, which give you further control for automations. Ex. having the blinds close when it hits a certain temperature
• Can recognize the sounds of carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, giving you alerts
• Privacy designs so your personal data is protected

Cons:

• Can be more costly than other options
• Audio controls can be more limiting than visual based hubs
• Because HomePods don’t have batteries, it must be plugged in at all times

How to Set Up

1. Make sure you have the latest ios version installed on your Apple smartphone or tablet
2. Have your Bluetooth turned on
3. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Wi-fi network
4. Plug in your HomePod speaker. You should hear a starting sound and see the light on top pulse white
5. Hold your iPad or iPhone near the speaker. Your phone should be unlocked and a setup screen should pop up
6. Tap the Set Up option and follow the prompts
   
7. After initial set up, further configurations can be done in Apple’s Home app, which allows you to visually interact with your hub

AppleTV

Apple TV gives you a visual interface for adjusting smart accessories. You can also watch your security camera footage on your Apple TV, making it a useful visual tool and hub all at once. As for the controls themselves, you can either use the tv remote for navigation or hold the button on the remote to give Siri verbal commands. 

Pros: 

• Has television specific extras as well as a HomeKit Hub
• Can be voice controlled or manually controlled
• Some of the best graphics for things like camera footage
• Remote access accessible via the Home app on your other Apple devices

Cons: 

• Larger than other Hubs
• Not mobile in terms of tv placement
• Older Apple TV models won’t work as a hub

How to Set Up

Connecting Apple TV and HomeKit automatically makes it into a hub. Here’s how: 

1. Make sure your iOS settings are up to date
2. Navigate to Settings on your Apple TV
3. Go to Users and Accounts
4. The Default User name should be whoever is going to be in control of your hub
5. Make sure you’re signed in to iCloud and Apple ID with the same profile as your HomeKit profile
6. Return to Settings
7. Choose AirPlay and HomeKit
   
8. You can add a room and other set up navigation by following the prompts

Another method  to add your Apple TV: 

1. Open Settings on your Apple TV
2. Go to Accounts
3. Go to iCloud
4. Choose “Use this Apple TV as a Home Hub” 
5. Fill in your password and ID to link the TV to your iCloud
6. With your iOS device (such as your iPhone, etc.), open the Home app
7. Choose “Add Accessory”
8. Choose “Add Apple TV”
9. There should be a list of available devices. Choose your Apple TV and follow the prompts

iPhone or iPad

In earlier models, iPads could be used as home hubs, usually when they were docked and continually charging so they would always be available. As of 2022, however, Apple dropped support for iPads. If you have an earlier iOS version and earlier iPad model, you may still be able to use it as a hub, for now. 

As for iPhones, they are not supported as a hub. Instead, they are a useful way to interact with your hub remotely. What iPhones and iPads are great for, is interfacing with your home hub and utilizing the Home app. Here are the pros and cons for those aspects: 

Pros

• Makes it easy to add home hub devices, like Apple TVs
• Customizable widgets quickly let you control smart products, such as light switches
• Intuitive controls and settings for adjusting smart home devices
• Gives you remote access to your home hub

Cons

• Newer models of iPads are no longer supported to be used as a home hub
• iPhones are not compatible or supported as hubs
• Remote access is only available with a charged battery and good signal connectivity 

How to Set Up

To get Apple’s Home app on your iPhone: 

1. Search your apps to see if it is already installed, which is not uncommon
2. If it’s not there, go to the official App Store on your phone
3. Type Apple Home into the search box
4. It will probably already be on your device by default but you can tap the cloud icon to re-download it
5. The app should be connected to your Apple account. You may need to sign in with iCloud on your phone to link the two
6. From there, open the app and follow the prompts to set everything up. Some options include adding accessories and devices, organizing rooms and zones, and setting automations and notifications

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch can’t be used as an actual home hub, but it will let you connect and control it. It’s also a great way to receive notifications for HomeKit tasks and events. Because it’s so portable, it lends itself well to on the go commands, letting you place them right from your wrist. You’ll still need to do all your Home app set up via your iPhone, however. Once those settings are active, you can place commands with your Apple Watch. 

Because Apple Watches are worn, on the go users find them wildly helpful. For example, if you have smart locks on your doors and you’ve connected everything properly, you can go jogging without your keys. Just use your Apple Watch to open your smart lock. 

Pros

• Can still use Siri voice controls with it
• Incredibly portable as you wear it vs carry it
• Can be used to control your Apple TV, so it’s like wearing a remote on your wrist
• Lots of functions and alerts without having to dig for your phone

Cons

• While Apple Watch is more portable and accessible than your iPhone, iPhones still do all the same functions. Some users may not want to pay for two hub interfacing devices when they can just use their phone
• More prone to wear and tear, depending on the activities of the wearer
• You still need to set up the Apple Watch via your iPhone

How to Set Up

Once you have the Home app set up on your iPhone, your synced Apple Watch should have the same access. Just make sure you allow remote access: 

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone
2. Tap your name
3. Go to iCloud
   
   
4. Select Show All
5. Toggle on the Home app
   
   
6. Be sure all devices are signed in with the same Apple ID
7. Access the Home app from your watch

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you control Apple TV with Google Home?

You cannot currently control your Apple TV with the Google Home app, as they are incompatible systems. You can utilize some Google apps via your Apple TV, but they won’t be able to control it. 

Do you need a hub for your HomeKit?

Not strictly, but you lose a lot of functionality without it. When you’re home, you can control connected smart home devices via your iPhone, Mac, or iPad. When you aren’t home, however, you lose remote access, and automations won’t work unless you’re actually home too.  

What is the difference between Apple Home and HomeKit?

Apple Home is the application that lets you set up and control your HomeKit accessories via your iPhone or iPad. HomeKit is the framework/technology that lets compatible smart home products interact with Apple devices.