Home Remote Broken? (sorta, read below)

Looks like the deprecation of the REST API has broken the Home Remote app. I used this app to set house occupants home or away according to a geofence. I've messaged the developer but he hasn't been active here for a long time.

[MODERATOR NOTE]: while the Home Remote app's built-in Indigo integration no longer works starting with Indigo 2022.2, a new HTTP API that we introduced can be used instead, see below for details.

I am half way through modifying my shortcuts and then I was going to use Home Remote for Geofencing, it not working in 2022.2 is a downer but I did read the other day that @DaveL17 said

Sorry if this all is getting a bit off topic, but I'll add that the only significant limitation that I've come across using shortcuts is geofencing. It works reasonably well, but Apple requires that all "Arrive" and "Leave" Automations to be confirmed every time.
I'm now using shortcuts for all the things that I used to do with the Home Remote app -- with the exception of geofencing which doesn't require any intervention after initial setup. I still use Home Remote for that and it has been bullet proof.

I don't know (guessing on reading some of his posts made about the shortcuts) but it seems he may have been in the 2022.2 beta and may have had a hand in writing the Shortcuts docs so hopefully he has found a way.

Let's cross our fingers it can be done.

A couple things on this:

1. It's true the developer of the Home Remote app hasn't been active on the Indigo forums for a long time. I believe his preferred approach to communication is Twitter (I haven't been on Twitter for a very long time, so this may no longer be true).
2. As far as I can see, there is no way to continue to use the Indigo integration in the Home Remote app with the new HTTP API (Home Remote used the RESTful API for Indigo). However, you can use Home Remote's URL integration with the new HTTP API by using the https://MY_REFLECTOR_NAME.indigodomo.net/v2/api/command/?api_key=MY_API_KEY approach and a JSON payload. @CliveS is correct -- I'm still using Home Remote for Geofencing because it doesn't require intervention for the automation to fire (the Shortcuts.app does require it) -- I use this URL method for this and it has been bullet proof.

I'm concerned Home Remote's days may be numbered because the app hasn't been updated in ages and I suspect Apple will purge it from the App Store if it sits too long unattended. I'm very interested in finding a new app to fire geofencing triggers that can either be picked up by the Shortcuts app or fire URL actions with no cloud server intermediary. If anyone knows of something, please share!

I've been happy with Shortcuts for everything except geofencing.

However, you can use Home Remote's URL integration with the new HTTP API by using the https://MY_REFLECTOR_NAME.indigodomo.ne ... MY_API_KEY approach and a JSON payload.

Thanks Dave - this is a great workaround.

As I have not yet updated to 2022.2 I can't check but is the JSON for Home Remote as simple as {message:indigo.actionGroup.execute,objectid:123456789} ?

Yep

Right. These are the settings I use for my Leave geofence in Home Remote:

Code: Select all

https://MY_REFLECTOR_NAME.indigodomo.net/v2/api/command/?api_key=MY_API_KEY

POST - JSON

Code: Select all

{"message": "indigo.variable.updateValue", "objectId": 206708788, "parameters": {"value": "false"} }

Thanks both, was getting 'bad JSON' until I used an online JSON checker which made me realise strings need "wrapping" and numbers don't .

Almost time for my upgrade to 2022.2!

Out of interest, with don’t you use find my friends for geolocation?
Is it a privacy thing or performance?
I looked at that app but liked to keep things simpler.

Not sure if that was to me, but I'll assume it was since most things are.

I've never used Find My Friends, but that's not by conscious choice. I just wanted something to set a variable when I left and came home. I don't use the variable for much yet, but do have a few alerts set up to let me know if something's not in the right state. I don't need to track myself everywhere, just near home.

Find my friends is great for answering "is X at home" but Home Remote has the ability to trigger based on RF beacon proximity, without having to use RPis in each room. I tried using it to tell if someone was in a particular room.

That said, with HR it was difficult to maintain and not hugely reliable.

The end result is I still don't have a reliable way to sense occupancy if there's not movement. But now that I think about it, the new Shortcuts options may let me do some interesting things with "if iPhone is charging" triggers.