Why I Switched From Alexa to Apple's HomeKit!
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Are you starting your smart home or trying to decide between Amazon's Alexa or Apple's HomeKit and need help deciding? Here are my 5 reasons why I changed from an Amazon Alexa smart home to Apple's HomeKit smart home. I will still be using Echos, but my HomePods and HomePod Mini's. HomeKit has great features such as OS integration, Automations, the Home App, Security. Apple's HomeKit has grown a lot over the past 2 years. HomeKit has so many great features and will support the latest protocols. Apple is playing a big part in Matter and is the only one supporting Thread.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:58 - #1 OS Integration
03:13 - #2 Home App
05:42 - #3 Automations
08:55 - #4 Shortcuts
10:37 - Content Creators
11:00 - #5 Security & Protocols
#AppleHomeKit #HomeKit #Alexa #SmartHome #Automation - Věda a technologie
Quick tip: for NFC tags you don’t necessarily need 2 different tags, one to turn things on and one to turn things off. You can use an if statement: e.g.: when scanned: if lights are on turn them off else turn them on.
What are these stickers called? Link?
@@KeyTone780 NFC stickers 🤯🤯
We're new to HomeKit, and loving it. Thank you, for all of your very helpful videos.
Thank you Stanley. I hope you enjoy HomeKit. Definitely check out the channels I mentioned for great info.
Brilliant content. Well presented and easy to understand. And more HomeKit videos would be much appreciated.
Thank you Gary 🙏. That is very kind of you. Glad to hear you would like to see more. Thanks for watching
Ok, I'm sold. I'm moving everything over to HomeKit. And yes, more HomeKit videos 🙏🏼 ! 😁
Great video Craig. Glad to hear you discussing things like shortcuts, local control, security, etc. Keep up the great work!
I am glad that I could get you to commit to HomeKit. 🤣🤣
Thank you Shane. Appreciate it from you, the Captain of team HomeKit.
😂
Yes more HomeKit! I’m very slowly switching from Amazon to Apple HomeKit!
Yes!! Welcome to the HomeKit team! 👌🏽
Thank you Adam. Appreciate it buddy. Thanks for checking out the video 🙏
I’ve always been a homekit guy. I’m deep into the ecosystem so when the HomePod mini came out I went full into that. It has its drawbacks but I love it. I bought an Echo for my brother since he uses android and windows and I dug some of the features it had but everything being built in natively to Siri (which is on everything I own from my TV to my watch) is irreplaceable for me
Very cool you are all in. It just makes more sense like you said with Siri on everything. The Mini and recent updates has made it a better option for many people.
Slowly transitioning to HomeKit from Alexa. Family is used to Alexa so its a slow move, I find I use my phone to control most things now vs speaking to an Echo. The automations in HomeKit are awesome, use them as much as possible. Great video as always.
Thanks for your kind gift that allowed me to step into the HomeKit world 🙏
You are so welcome my friend. Thanks for all the support over the years.
I have tried them all and the only one that continually works with zero issues is HomeKit. Amazon and Google integration is insane how you have to setup and use. SmartThings was good in beginning but really fell off as the others moved ahead quickly. Aqara, Lutron Caseta, MyQ, Ecobee, Schlage, and August devices I have found to be awesome with HomeKit. And then there is always Hoobs!
Hello Greg. Kudos on replying to people's questions! My wife and I are helping a 90, beautiful blind lady phone calling needs. Basically verbal commands is a must. Were do we start, equipment, software, apple products etc. Thanks!
Thanks for the video! Which NFC stickers would you recommend? I bought some, but they are hit and miss...
Really enjoying my HomeKit journey so far, Shortcuts & the native HomeKit functions are allowing me to control the vast majority of my existing smart home infrastructure, I’m looking at the option that Paul mentioned in his video against Hoobs as a potential expansion to HomeKit
I love that you are enjoying it. I don’t think I have seen an Apple switch as fast as yours. I was worried about a mid-life crisis. I do like the hub Paul mentioned. I want to check that out. Sounds great.
@@CraigsTechTalk I had some NFC tags delivered yesterday, things are gonna get reeeeeeal nerdy 🤓
That’s awesome. I love it. Can’t wait to hear how nerdy.
Hi Craig. Nice video on HomeKit. I'm looking into deploying this with some elderly clients versus my current Alexa solution and ran into a few problems for this Use Case
* No auto-accept video calling (Alexa drop in)
* No Facetime on Apple TV
* No small screen device to be placed near the elder (aka Echo Show). An iPad requires it to be held, kept charged and located when needed
* No EASY way for automation to speak through the Homepod Mini on events such as "Fridge door left open", "sitting too long on the couch", Calendar events, etc
I'm looking into the tradeoff of adding it as a second home to the kid's account (with a Homepod Mini at moms) versus having the kids create her an Apple account and give an iPad
I’m guessing your specific use case will not be a fit for Apple HomeKit. I am a HomeKit user, and think that for personal use, it is a better solution, but it almost seems that you need an enterprise-level solution. I don’t see Apple changing their security protections that currently prevent the items on your wishlist ( and I would hope that they don’t).
I can see the value in what you’re trying to achieve, but I just think that Apple will want to consider the average homeowner needs, rather than a situation where privacy concerns are overridden by the specific needs of your clients’ situations.
Hello Technology4Senior, for what you’re trying to achieve, HomeKit doesn’t sound like a good option at all. I wish it was capable of all that. The tough part is Amazon will do all of that, but not all of it well. Which can lead to a frustration in using it.
I think the setting up as a second home is a good option. It can offer value in different way. Hopefully we see a camera & screen HomePod.
The Brad Lloyd's channel is great I have been a long time subscriber of his. He also has a Channel's page listing a lot of great HomeKit and Home Automation channels. A great resource to find other Home Automation CZcamsrs.
Hi Craig. I’m leaning to make the switch to home kit but have Ring alarm, cameras, doorbell, myQ garage opener. With Matter slated to be released later this year, do you know if these devices will be able to connect through my Apple Home app or will I still need to get a HOOBS to integrate these devices?
Started with google, since the nest mini was on a discount, but having used (and immediately bought) a set of HomePod mini’s (only available here since three weeks) I am swapping to Apple. A lot of the ecosystem is already there anyway, but for certain the security, flawless integration and your video’s have convinced me 👍🍀
Very cool to hear HomeKit has worked so well after using Google Nest. Thank you for watching.
I use mainly Alexa but have been slowly putting more effort into HomeKit. Been playing around with HomeBridge for the devices that are not natively supported in HomeKit and that works great. Like you I will have a harder time getting my wife to use the HomePods instead of the Echo devices although she uses Siri on her iPhone constantly so maybe it will be easier than I think. Hoping we see lots of Matter/Thread devices this coming year. That and the rumored HomePod with a screen.
Very cool Jason that you are diving in. Even to the point you are using HomeBridge. It was hard enough to get the wife to use Alexa. I hope to see more thread devices too. I am adding more Nanoleaf to my house.
Interestingly enough I made the same transition recently, though I've maintained my entire setup across all 3 platforms just in case. It's been great so far, and Shortcuts is an absolute game-changer - nothing comparable really exists on the other platforms! Only downside I've noticed, and obviously that's nothing to do with Apple per se, but my Yeelights 1S bulbs, which are probably some of the best smart bulbs out there (and that's coming from an almost entirely Philips Hue household), are simply struggling with their Homekit integration with constant 'No response' in the Home app. I've had to use elaborate workarounds through Shortcuts to be able to use them just the way I want through the Apple ecosystem - but hey, it's amazing that I can still do that, because otherwise I'd miss out on some of my favorite smart light bulbs! While at the same time my Meross bulbs just work flawlessly, even though their colors and brightness aren't as amazing, and their smart switches are on a whole new level of blazing fast response and perfect operation.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Always good to hear from someone who has used them all 👏. Shortcuts is awesome. I have done something similar with my lifx and trigger the LIFX scene instead of the HomeKit scene that showed no response. Check out Paul Hibberts video on a new HomeKit hub that covers a lot of no supported devices.
Thanks for sharing
Convert to shortcut also opens up numerous possibilities within home automations.
That is a great point. Haven’t taken advantage of that yet. Thanks for sharing.
Great video Craig! I’ll be in the Homekit camp for the foreseeable future, but there are still quite a few features that Alexa has that I’d like to see come to HomeKit. Namely whisper mode and Guard.
Ditto on Guard
Thank you very much. 🙏. Whisper mode and guard would be great. Thought about whisper mode when Siri was loud last night.
Please, yes, Whisper mode! I’m 60+ years old, but even for me, Siri talks too loud. I ask her to speak softer, and eventually she says “this is as quiet as I can speak”.
Guard doesn’t do much for me - I tried it while I was still using Alexa, but just didn’t see any value there. Have you found many situations where Guard improves your home automation experience? Maybe this is something you only notice if you actually have a break-in?
Hey love your channel and tips on tech. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I’m in the process of changing over to HomeKit. 2 questions though.
1. Can I make my eufy 2K wireless doorbell to work with HomeKit? How to do that please?
2. Security. Works locally. Matters and thread. So no WiFi necessary? If no WiFi then how can I remotely control my smart devices away from home? Thanks in advance.
Yep 👍 Apple Fan Boy here. In Australia here and HomeKit Accessories are few and far between. I use Alexa mainly only because HomeKit stuff is so hard to find.
Best thing about HomeKit is local fulfillment. Asking Siri to turn on a light or doing it from the HomeKit app is instant. For iPhone users, it’s the best front end dashboard for HomeAssistant imo. HomeKit + HomeAssistant is top tier for those with iPhones.
7:24 “It will ignore my wife” 🤣😂🤣😂
…. I wish I had the same ability that HomeKit has!
That's funny. I better not let my wife see that.
I have been using HomeKit for a few years, but I also have Echo devices throughout the entire house.
I found that many of my HK devices would not respond, even with really great wireless signal. I ended up setting up Home Assistant, linking all HK devices into HA, then sending them back out to HK so I can control them there.
This does a few things:
The ability to control what devices are shown to HK and Alexa
I can control all devices from both platforms
Still have the ability to use Shortcuts, which is super powerful.
You're exactly right- If you're invested heavily into the Apple ecosystem (We have 2 x iPhone, 2 x iPad, 2 x HomePod mini, 4 x ATV, 2 x Apple Watch, 1 MacBook Pro), then HomeKit is a no brainer for some of that on-device control.
Thank you.🙏 That is great information and is an interesting work around. I like it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi do I need the apple4k or can I just use my iPad which one will be better .
Will the NFC tags work when you put your Apple Watch next to it also?
Using HomeKit in our home. So far the only thing we have automated is our lights. Was unable to get sunrise/sunset working so just manually enter/adjust the times every now and then.
My ecosystem is all Apple Homekit so of course Id love to see more videos about it!
Very cool. Thank you. I have some good ones coming up if you like Apple. Some Apple Watch tips, Apple TV and more. Thank you for watching.
Craig what NFC tags do you use? I've searched them on Amazon and there are way too many listed!!
Yah I did the same thing this winter, for all the same reasons, but Apple TV integration with cameras is the absolute best.
Congratulations on the move over. Hopefully it had been a good one. The Camera integration is very cool and definitely under utilized in my house. You get these cool features after not having, you forget they are their. Thanks for watching and sharing.
I completely agree. All of HomeKit’s features make my home super reactive to me. The house works for me rather than the other way around.
That is a great way to put it. My wife doesn’t use Siri because things just happen for her. She doesn’t notice things. Thanks Robert.
HomeKit Insider podcast is an amazing resource for HomeKit tech!
Thank you for sharing and checking out the video.
I tried at some point Alexa but in the end I switched over to HomeKit, as for ring doorbell and nest I installed Homebridge in a Synology and was able to integrate everything and now even my Apple TV show a live feed of my doorbell when some one ring.
As a fellow HomeKit user, who switched from Echoes, I say more HomeKit videos please Craig!
Thank you Spencer. I am surprised how many people have made the change. Thanks for watching
Started with Xiaomi and Google (although I’m an apple user) due to products availability, but the interface wasn’t as versatile and the speech recognition/flexibility isn’t as smart as compared to Siri. Ended up switching over to Homekit (+homebridge on my mac mini m1), so much more stable, intuitive and I haven’t been touching my switches! Ytd’s announcement on Matter made the next few months even more exciting!
What would be your honest recommendation for a Smart Home system that just works. As in light switches/bulbs, Motion/door sensors, TV and voice control etc etc, without having to use something like Homebridge or Smartthings to artificially add compatibility, or have to do constant workarounds with the system not being able to execute certain commands or giving specific language. And most importantly, work as an all in one system, no Alexa for certain functions, Apple for others, etc etc, as that would not be productive day to day, especially as I have major memory issues, so I don’t want to be forced to memorize which commands for which assistant. Apple Homekit or Amazon Alexa? We are switching to iPhones and Macs, so the device integration of Homekit sounds great, I’m just not sure if it’s a real Smart Home system.
Love this, Craig! Liked and subbed. I currently use both Alexa and HomeKit but I'm looking at just getting rid of Alexa at some point too. I'm actually putting together my own video on HomeKit and I'm wondering if I could use a short clip from your video as b-roll? Either way keep up the good work.
Thank you very much. I appreciate you sticking around. I am good with a clip being used. I like to have the channel credited in the clip. Please let me know which clip you would like to know and in what context for your video. I appreciate you asking.
Awesome! Thank you so much. Very happy to credit you. It'll be the part where you're setting up automation in the Home app as I'm talking about HomeKit automations. No longer than 10 seconds in total. Thanks again.@@CraigsTechTalk
Thank you for the info. Sounds good.
Curious as to what NFC stickers you are using that works
Great review!!!!!
Thank you very much Curtis. I appreciate you watching. Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Craig from across the pond. Love your channel, always very helpful and honest. How can I set up an automation/routine/shortcut to turn on a smart light on the start of a meeting in my Apple calendar?
Thank you very much 🙏 from this side of the pond. I am not sure about this. I tried playing around. Here is a shortcut link. Don’t know how long it last and if it is available later. www.icloud.com/shortcuts/4b793eaecd9844baa86e520a27981cf1
I tried getting the status from the calendar and if it had any value to turn on a light. I am wondering if you put a status in your meeting if it could trigger the routine. Haven’t tried this, just throwing out an idea. Thanks for watching.
I have been using HK for a while now. But I was using echos for music. Recently changed them out for HomePod minis.. so much better, things work smoother now
Very cool. Glad to hear it is working well Blake. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Interesting as ever.
I did this myself about 4 months ago. Replaced a house full of Alexa devices with multiple HomePod Minis.
Main reason being the HomePod multi room music setup actually used my very expensive Sonos ARC which I think ive given Amazon and Sonos long enough to integrate with Echo - and they havent. That said the software on the HomePods is really quite ropey still!
I have kept Alexas around the house - enough to be heard should I shout out 'Alexa' - and the show 5 is a great bedside clock. Biggest issue is that, like Craig, I have Ring alarm, cameras and a Nest Learning Thermostat. Ring and Nest so far steadfastly refuse to play nice with HomeKit so I have to retain the Alexa network to control these.
Im hopeful that Ring and Nest will eventually integrate but if they don't I imagine someday ill have to get rid of them to get a HomeKit compatible solution instead which will be a shame.
As I commented elsewhere on this video, I changed over from Alexa to HomeKit about 8-9 months ago. I also have Ring cameras and Alarm system, and have a Nest thermostat. I was going to just run these separate from HomeKit, and maybe use one Amazon Dot for occasional Alexa commands to change the thermostat setting.
However, I hinted to Santa that I would like a HOOBS box (Homebridge system for lazy dummies 😁) for Xmas, and now I can “see” and control all Ring devices and Nest thermostat within the Home app. It also let me add virtual (dummy ) switches and delay timers into my home automations, which has really increased flexibility in programming my automations. HOOBS, combined with the IOS / Mac app “Controller for HomeKit” let me do just about anything I would like in the way of controlling my home.
While it would be nice if all vendors played along nicely (c’mon Matter!), I’m just saying that you don’t have to wait for that future day, or change out all your devices. If you prefer Ring, Nest, or many many other popular devices, you can implement them into HomeKit now, plus get additional benefits.
@@mmaxton hoobs is fine if you live in the USA. I don't!
Love your videos Craig! I have Homekit, but just bought a Google Nest doorbell because I it seems like there are a lot of negative reviews about the Longitech doorbell. So I bought a Starling hub which is on it's way to connect my Nest doorbell and thermostat to Homekit. Not sure if it is best to just stay with all things Apple or go with a hub.
Thank you very much April🙏 The starling hub seems to be the way to go from what I am seeing. Please let us know how it works. I don’t have any Nest products other than my thermostat. Homebridge is another option. But that is for all different devices. The Starling bring specific to nest sounds easier.
I would say stick to apple if you can. But I like my Ring Cameras and alarm. Until HomeKir has a strong option, I will use a hoobs hub to get my Ring cameras to work with HomeKit. Similar to what Starling is doing.
Home app. Just purchased Mano Nanoleaf lightbulbs, but need intermediate base on several bulbs, and can lights that don’t exist yet. Hopefully they will start manufacturing them soon.
Congrats! You just made me doubt if I made the right decision (while being an Apple user) of purchasing mi Echo devices! Hahaha great video!
I am sorry for that 🙁. As an apple user, you can work in one mini at some point and play along too. Thank you very much.
@@CraigsTechTalk Nothing to be sorry about! I love your content and I admire that you are able to mention the pros and cons of both Apple and Alexa! 😀
Appreciate it. Trying to be as balanced as my own bias allows. 😀👍
Wow, Thanks for the shout out, Craig! Great video and excellent decision to use HomeKit. Love seeing the blue, orange and yellow HomePod minis in your background...🤩 You’ve shared some very compelling reasons that will hopefully help others who may be on the fence!
Thank you Brad🙏 You are welcome. You have a great presentation style that is calming and very educational. I do like the new colors. The orange one is next to the bed now.
I think there are a lot of great reasons to switch. I am surprised, in the comments, how many people are switching. Thanks for checking out the video.
HomeKit is so cool!
Apple TV is the future for human / home connection and media content. It’s simple to set up and powerfully executed. Apple have done it again and expect even more integration with Apple TV.
I was looking at HomeKit and the first thing I ran into is that I am not willing to give up my folding phone (which Apple doesn't offer) so any aspect of the ecosystem that can't work with other brands of mobile phone is a non-starter for me. And this got me thinking, why would I ever let my choice of Home Automation products dictate what kind of phone I can buy? And even though I am a heavy user of Amazon Echos I don't use them in a way that locks me out from switching to a different voice assistant at some point let alone let Amazon dictate what kind of phone I buy or what kind of streaming box to use with my TV etc. I know that Apple makes it easy to do products without having to understand how they work but at what point do you question the degree of control a single manufacturer should have over your ability to select the best features from competing companies, especially in products like phones and TVs and computers where you can find valuable options that the ecosystem you are locked into simply does not offer?
I used to be that way too, and then I just went all in on apple and I don’t regret it at all. I used to be afraid of the walled garden too, lol. Plus, All of apple’s offerings offer wayyyy better privacy than their android competitors.
Looked into everything and decided to go with HomeKit. But all of the stuff I have installed that I am planning on leaving has to work with all platforms, like Lutron Caseta wired switches everywhere. This way someone else can still use the Lutron switches with any of the Home Automation platforms, OR no platform at all. They can use them as just manual switches.
Frederick, I am with you. That is why I went with Lutron. To have that maximum flexibility. Thanks for sharing.
I started with Alexa and she still exists in my house but I am transitioning to HomeKit going forward for all the reasons you listed.
I was all-in with Alexa until about 8-9 months ago. I made the switch, and I don’t regret it one bit.
I do still have 2 Alexa Dots (with clock) - one in kitchen, because I want a visible timer countdown while cooking, and one in guest bedroom (again for the visible clock).
Funny - I read recently, one reason Alexa is constantly pushing new skills is because 90% of their users just use Alexa to either start a timer or play a song.
No system is perfect, but I find that I have much more control & customization with HomeKit & Shortcuts.
It is crazy how many people like you both are switching over. I think a lot of people have felt Alexa have hit a wall and have kept the things people don’t like. But don’t change what users want.
Craig, another great video. Question, are the HomePods good for phone calls? I would like to get one for my elderly mother so she can hear phone calls better. Is it easy to transfer phone calls onto the speaker? What do you think?
Also, I’d like to see a video on Hoobs. Thanks
Thank you very much. I think they are great for phone calls. Clear and loud. As for transferring calls, it’s a matter of bringing the phone next to the HomePod mini. You can answer by saying “Hey Siri, answer the phone”
I’ve not made the switch yet, but really wanting to. I currently use Smartthings with various devices connected (Alexa,Ring, Kasa, Cree/Sengled lights, halo lights, myQ garage door) what is the best way to start the switch from what you’ve experienced?
I highly recommend getting a HomePod mini, even to start using it for the apple app integration. As for switching, you can use smart assistant or homebridge. I believe Reed from smart home solver switched from Smartthings to home assistant. Now he is using Home assistant and HomePods. I would recommend checking out his channel since he is a smart things user. www.youtube.com/@SmartHomeSolver Thanks for watching.
It’s been 2 years now, I am still watching your video. As a courtesy pls send your homepod on my address 🤣
🤣 I really appreciate you watching. I wish I could, I have them all in use. Those full size HomePods are like gold they cost so much. You can't get rid of them. Thanks for watching.
@@CraigsTechTalk Your content is the main souvenir! Homepods cost nothing in comparison. You are sharing knowledge hence u have a treasure with you😜 Come on be Robin hood it’s good to give away little things
The problem is that Apple was waaaaay late to the game. By the time its home automation concept came to fruition, I was already highly invested in Alexa and Smartthings. Being invested, and having almost all my automations (aside from the hdtv) working as I want them to, there’s just no reason whatsoever to make the substantial investment required to switch over. But it’s on my radar, and I will eventually replace my old AppleTV - and then, if/when components of my smart home start to falter, I will look into a gradual segue to Apple.
I can respect and understand what you are saying. It makes no sense to toss it all. Bringing it in slowly is a good thing. You have the Apple TV and you are ready. You can start playing with Thread devices or see what you can move over. Thanks for watching.
I really want to find a way to trigger a personal automation with a smart home device. I’d love to have a Flic button at the front door to start an Apple Watch walk/run workout for example. As far as I know that’s not currently possible
Craig, did they change something so that it doesn’t handoff automatically anymore to the HomePod Mini? I noticed now I get a message on the phone having to confirm the switch. I don’t like that, you shouldn’t have to acknowledge the switch if you already know that you want to make the switch back and forth. Thanks
EDIT: looks like for music is switches automatically, but for phone calls is asks you to confirm the switch before doing so. I don’t like that. It should switch instantly regardless what you are listening to.
Craig , is there any way to turn off / on my devices individually? I don't want Siri to turn on AT4K when I wanna play a game on the PS5 or Xbox.
I do not know of anyway. When it comes to power, it is using CEC which is limited, not IR. So its an all or nothing type thing.
Not sure if my settings are off on CZcams playback (I tried everything) but the image was cropped and couldn’t see the words at the top or bottom. Great video. My wife tends to stick with Alexa too. If Apple gives us a screen all Alexa devices will be gone.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I’m on both ecosystems. There are a few automations that I have trouble with on HomeKit. My car has Alexa so sometimes it’s convenient to open the garage without pressing buttons. I also like to view cameras on the Echo Shows. I have all eufy cameras. Still need the HomeKit ecosystem so I can use my Apple Watch.
I love it DG. That sounds like my kind of breakdown. The is room for both like you have it. I don’t think it’s not all or nothing with these assistants. Thanks for sharing and watching.
I wish there was a way to integrate my z-wave switches to Homekit. I have my arlo doorbell cam, Schlage front door lock, and myq garage opener on my Homekit. I love how easy they are to operate. I just can't see spending the money to replace all 35 switches in my home from zwave.
Check out Paul Hibberts video on a new hub for HomeKit that supports Zigbee and I don’t know about Z wave.
What is the most popular security system/cameras used for HomeKit Integration? Appreciate the feedback
I agree. I love the Echo but they have a hard time hearing me sometimes and the app is pretty terrible in my opinion. Not to mention that there are many countries that the echo doesn’t support Apple Music link in. It’s just not a very smart choice for an iPhone user, just an affordable one.
Jay, I think you have said it well. HomePod mini makes sense for the Apple Music support. It’s nice to have real integration.
Transitioning from Alexa to Homekit (ran a hybrid home, but fully committed with HomePod minis). Ditto on all points, I hope they add a flash-briefing lol. I do find Siri to be more constant than Alexa which is what you want at the end of the day.
Now that I’m thinking about it. You’ve switched, I switched, and several others commented the same. Did Apple do it again? Double downing on the HomePod minis and releasing new colors caused a surge in Homekit users? Mmm
Hi Craig, do you need to authenticate your ring account in your hoobs multiple times? Like once a month or similar?
No you don't. I set mine once and it has been good to go. I have had the hubs hoob rarely go offline. The few times I have had that, I gave a restart
@@CraigsTechTalk I have some issues then with it. Have you tried HomeBridge instead of Hoobs? I have installed HomeBridge in the iMac at home but thinking in get a small hardware for it like hoobs.
For me to add more stuff to homekit is the price of devices need to come down to same level as alexa/google home.
Not a huge fan of Echo devices due to privacy concerns, would like to see more HomeKit devices for Video and other home automation
I can understand that. Thank you. Glad you want to see more.
Late to this video but I currently use alexa but luckily I've not gotten to into that side of it and so that being said I'm switching what little I have over to Apple homekit and smart supplies like tv, lights and the like.
What is that App or something you mentioned so the Home App can integrate with RING products [Doorbell, Camera & the Security System], please?
Brilliant contents and thorough. I love it, as well as enjoy watching your contents. As myself being disabled I rely on many tools and adaptation to ease for me.
I believe, *_Our World_* is a *_Shared Experience_* … Look after yourself and each other & Stay Safe… Remember, *_Life_* is *_Short_* so *_Live Long_* and *_Prosper_* … 🖖 Cheers matey!!!
HomeKit for everything. And homeassistant for making everything HomeKit compatible 👌👍
Very cool Rene. I like you have Home Assistant going. Thanks for watching
HI Craig, I figured out how to use Siri HomePod mini as your alarm and have her run a automation when you tell her to cancel the alarm. It took me a while to figure it out but I got it. You need to create a shortcut for the automation you want to run and name it whatever your going to tell Siri how to cancel alarm. Example sir cancel the alarm. She will turn to alarm off and then run the shortcut with the same name. You need to make sure you have that turned on in your HomePod settings. Allow personal request. Also for other HomePod voices you need to make sure you have the other user setting set to allow them personal requests. Also I made sure that shortcut was on every device I have and my wife device as well.
Now when either of us tell Siri to cancel alarm she will also run the shortcut cancel alarm. Another thing was to make. Sure the other voices that Siri will recognize are in your contacts list as well. This needs to be done for personal requests? I think?? Siri kept tell me that when my wife was trying to run the shortcut that she was not in contacts?
Very cool. I am glad to hear you were able to get it figured out. It is crazy what you can do with shortcuts.
Hi Craig, I have just paused my switch. I will wait to see what happens in the future, the one simple thing I tried was to turn no my light when I paused the HomePod alarm. Its not available to do for a home automation, It can be done on a device but not the home. I Hope you keep making Alex videos.
Have you tried it as a shortcut. Didn’t get a chance to watch the whole video, but this is one where he is writing a good morning shortcut. Don’t know if this helps with an idea.
czcams.com/video/eR9cB7KIx7I/video.html
I will still be covering Echos and Alexa updates. Feels like Amazon hasn’t done much. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@CraigsTechTalk Yes I watched the video. From what I get out of it it using the short cut fir that set up is for the device only not the home. you use the clock in the short cut for the device. There is no option to select that using it in a home set up so you would need to set the alarm on your phone or I pad
More HomeKit videos!
Inside the walled garden and haven't ventured outside Homekit - and no need to as it does everything I need right now even if it’s just a few bulbs and light strips.
What are good Homekit cameras?
Thank you very much. The walled garden is blooming 💐Eufy makes some great indoor and outdoor cameras that support HomeKit Secure video that records clips to iCloud.
Ok I am sold.. Great videos .. I am already in the process. I do have a question. How do you get Siri to recognize more then one voice with HomePod mini? My wife and I share a iCloud account. did that a long time ago. So I can't send an invite because she does not have an include account. What would be the work around on that
Thank you very much.🙏 Welcome to the HomeKit world. There really is no work around. Unfortunately to take advantage of all the features a second iCloud account would be needed. Here is Apples setup process. support.apple.com/en-us/HT204753
If you added your wife to family sharing, all of your content that you have purchased would still be accessible by both. It would require a family music plan though.
Good video, I just switch for Homekit and for thia reason I need to buy a iPhone. I have Android but not realy good with Homekit. You need just one NFC tag to open and close light. With IF command.
Hello Patrick, thank you. I appreciate it. Very cool you made the switch. Appreciate the one NFC and if recommendations. I need to learn more and go deeper.
Is it going to matter who you use when Matter comes along? I find Siri is thick as two short planks to be honest. Siri is a bit more slick, polished compared to Siri. I am a iPhone user and I don’t think it will change but I prefer Alexa.
How do you control all of your stuff if home kit isn’t supported with 80% of Amazon and google products
Instead of using two separate nfc tags to turn your lights on and off, you can use only one NFC to toggle your lights. (If office light is ON, turn office light OFF else turn office light ON).
HomeKit is the obvious way to go if you're in the Apple ecosystem. The biggest gaps I see is the lack of a HomePod with a screen, cheap dedicated Siri devices (similar to Echo Flex) and the fact that Sonos doesn't support Siri. Solve those issues and I think Apple will have a home run on its hands.
Goodnight
after starting to want to have a smart house
and buy good and bad devices, I have alexa for everything being easier, but I have siri homekit
I think I heard you say you have a hue
that helps you control your smart appliances with homekit app home
very good videos
thank you
best wishes
Can you use devices from alexa and homekit at the same time? I cant add homekit accessories while the devices are added to alexa and google home.
Yes you can. I use both Alexa and HomeKit simultaneously in my house.
Devices connected to alexa cant be added to alexa. Should i add it first to homekit?
Hi, trying to control siri by pressing the side button on the iphone but nothing is happening. Im trying to control my hue lights. I do not have a home pod, do I need one to do this or is there some settings im missing out?
To be able to control your lights with Siri you need to have a HomePod Mini or Apple TV as a HomeKit hub. You are currently limited to using just the Hue app on the phone.
@@CraigsTechTalk Thanks for the reply. So i have been trying out some smart devices in my current apartment and my main hub is alexa, i found it easier to use since i am an iphone user and my partner is an android user but really would like to switch to apple (using homebridge to connect to more devices, although now matter is coming out so might not need homebridge). I obviously do not wish to get rid of my alexa devices, so my question is, how does it work out using 2 different brands of smart speakers in the same house? Do they interfere etc? What device do you use to give voice comands, alexa or siri (homekit)? Thanks and great videos!!!
what is that game controller icon on Apple TV for
?=)
When you pair a controller it will show up. There you can select controllers and settings.
Your idea on switching from Alexa to HomeKit is good. Unfortunately, after spending my money on Amazon speaker and other gadgets it’s not a good idea for me. I know apple makes greats stuff, not crazy about the last speaker or the first one. Anyway I will stick with the what I have, thanks for the info.
Jose I understand what you are saying and I would not get rid of it all if you are all happy. I think these devices are going to become more a like and will open up so we can move our devices between. That is why I like to cover both so hopefully Apple and Echo folks can learn about what is going on each side.
So my entire home is Amazon enable but I have all apple devices except HomePod but with Hoobs it brings all my switches plugs and lights and cameras to HomeKit
Thanks bro...so baked into Amazon Alexa (and Smartthings) for smart home stuff, BUT I'm an apple fanboy (iphone, ipad, mac mini, ipod, blah blah blah), so very interested in seeing if switching for smart home stuff is for me.
You are welcome. I know what you mean. Making the switch is going to be some sacrifices. Especially with your SmartThings knowledge. But Shortcuts might be an automation toy that helps counter some of the lost smart things features. Good luck. The nice thing is you can run them parallel and experiment.
Was stoked that Apple finally released a v2 of the full-size HomePod, so picked one up, and I'm now ditching last-remaining ties to Amazon and am trying to switch from Alexa-control of lights to HomeKit control of lights (at least, for now, those that are Hue bulbs).
Just bought and setup the Hue bridge, but it can't find my lamps when using the "search" function. Hours googling and searching CZcams has revealed nothing helpful.
How is the transition completed? Do I have to factory-reset all bulbs-destroying the Alexa control BEFORE I've established HomeKit control? Or is there a way to overlap so that I can still control using Alexa until I've got parity between the two?
Any and all advice is VERY MUCH appreciated!! 😊
or do I have to manually add each bulb by scanning the QR on each bulb?
Hello Scot, you have to make sure all the hue bulbs are paired to the hue bridge using the Philips Hue app. The only thing that needs scanned into HomeKit is the Hue Bridge. The HomePod and HomeKit never talk directly to the bulbs. Just to the Hub.
To use with Alexa too, download the Alexa hue skill and sign into your Hue account. You just need to get the lights paired to the hub first.
@@CraigsTechTalk thanks. Yeah… I tried the “Search” function in Hue app to get bulbs paired to Hue Bridge… unsuccessfully. So my question is… do bulbs have to be added manually to Hue app one at a time if they’re already paired with another hub (in my case, an Amazon Echo Plus)?
Yes they do need to be paired individually to the hue hub through the hue app. The hue hub will replace the Echo as the Zigbee hub. The lights can be paired to only one hub at a time.
@@CraigsTechTalk Bummer. Was hoping it was going to be a smoother transition and that I could keep the Alexa-based control as I set up HomeKit-based control.
If I can’t have overlapping control, then I might as well factory-reset each bulb manually, and then have the “Search” function in Hue’s app pair them all automatically.
Craig, can a device be set up to work in the home with Homekit and Alexa or do you have to choose which to use? (Assuming it one of those devices that says it is compatible with both)
You can use them with both at the same time. All of my devices, except the Nanoleaf essential bulbs, work with Alexa and HomeKit. The Nanoleaf lights are thread and Echos don’t support it yet. For HomeKit you either link it in the manufacturers app or in the Home App. For Alexa and echos you would download the device skill and login.
You can set them up with both. I have all my devices hooked to HomeKit, Alexa and Assistant.
Thanks Jason. Good to see you are using multiple assistants. I think they can all live in harmony.
@@jasonedwards6562 Thank you for taking the time to reply.
You can use them all together. I do that because it’s always good to compare the features and how they develop. I am from Germany and new features come to us usually a lot later than to the US.
But I have to say I like Apple’s HomeKit the most. It’s very organized and easy to use.
HomeKit all the way. I have a HomePod mini in every room and my garage. Lutron light switches, smart plugs, circle tek doorbell. I almost forgot my smart blinds. HomeKit is king for me and my home.
Very cool Anthony. You do have quite the set up if you have gone to the point of smart blinds. Very cool thanks for sharing and watching.
Why doesn’t the automation work that when I arrive home it doesn’t open my garage door?
Awesome videos sorry I’m soo late
Thank you Thomas. Appreciate the support and you watching.
Can you control your homepod mini remotely? When u r not home?
You can create automations that will do a few things with the HomePod media and volume. Other then that, I don’t think there is much to control on the HomePod. You can control all your smart devices away from your home because the HomePod controls it all in the house.
As much as I would like to, I switched from Apple Music (after using since 2016) to Spotify and I really really prefer Spotify over Apple Music because of music discovery. I even bought a HomePod mini to use with Apple Music but Spotify works better for me overall. Which means the HomePod is essentially useless to me so I’m sticking with my echo 4th gen
Use home assistant！You can even control echo through HomeKit
Great option. Thanks for sharing.
When starting with HomeKit but still having Alexa, will devices continue to work with Alexa after connecting to HomeKit so I can use either assistant to interact?
Yes, they will both work. I use both to control lights. As long as the device supports both.
Thanks much. Great channel
Just open the home kit and felt a need for basic info on how to use it. if this is already done point me to the battle field !
Well it’s time to learn shortcuts everybody, the apple “tasker” 😂
Way beyond tasker on OS integration and ease of use. I have used tasker and it so much more complicated. Most people will run from it. My brother who has used only pixels since the 2 bought an iPad and said tasker couldn’t half the stuff. Really use shortcuts and you might see what I mean and not be laughing at it. Doesn’t compare.
@@CraigsTechTalk I just made my change to android 6 months ago from iOS and what a mistake, I’m at the Apple Store literally watching your video, getting my new iPhone and start following your peers. Bring shortcuts to your channel please. Keep up the good work sir !!!
I have to give you credit for doing 6 months on Android. Now you can enjoy your iPhone and speak intelligently speak about Android. Good luck and hope you enjoy your new iPhone. Definitely check out those other folks.
@@CraigsTechTalk I’ve been subscribed to all of you, I’m a smart home tech myself only that don’t have the time to do CZcams videos. All I need is a bigger house to have more gadgets lol. Need to learn shortcuts tho, that’s something I’m really struggling
For what it’s worth you can add an Alexa widget to your iPhone so you just tap it and speak your command without using the wake word and quickly commanding something on your phone like you enjoyed with the Siri shortcut.
Just curious - can you do this without having to unlock the phone?
@@mmaxton yup! It’s a default iPhone feature on the newer OS. I have a weather widget on the homescreen showing me the daily forecast and an Alexa widget which is a big button that says Ask Alexa. When you press it it opens the Alexa app automatically and instantly activates the button to ask Alexa something so you can instantly say your command.
THE HOLY GRAIL: TURNING ON THE TV AND APPLETV WITH ONE VOICE COMMAND. Hi Craig and fellow subscribers. Do you know how to turn on a smart-plug (Vocolinc) and AppleTV using just one voice command to an Apple HomePod Mini with either scenes, automations, shortcuts or any combination of them? My TV is turned on and off with a voice command to the smart-plug it is connected to. My AppleTV presumably turns on with a voice command via a shortcut. Try as I may in the Apple ecosystem, I cannot find a way to have the TV and AppleTV turn on with just one voice command, instead of one each. Any ideas? Is the answer a workaround using the setups within the Vocolinc app instead?
Your best bet is shortcuts. Here is a 2 step that would wake the Apple TV and the next step would control a scene or device from the Home app. You can add more smart home control by choosing the home app. As for Apple TV control you would use the remote app for the command I have in the shortcut. www.icloud.com/shortcuts/094a8ea01be24830995daf39b217cce4