HomeKit Bridge Official Released (Testing Closed)

[rehafer]

Somehow, I don’t think Apple will open up direct third party access to HomeKit even with a Home app on the Mac. My guess is that a bridge will still be required.

However, what if the Home app is scriptable and Indigo could access native HomeKit devices?

[spiv]

HomeKit API's are only inside the iOS-to-macOS conversion layer and are currently private API's with entitlements that make it either hard or impossible to access natively from macOS.

Apple also made vague references to Siri on the Mac being able to control HomeKit. Most likely, the private API's can be used by Siri but nothing else (at this time).

So, yeah, you could say "Hey Siri, turn on the lights" from your Mac. Incremental progress, but questionable utility.

But this is only a Beta1 ....



I don't see this impacting HomeBridge directly - Apple is still not allowing untested/uncertified devices ("accessories") to be integrated natively into HomeKit.

[jay (support)]

In either case it may mean HKB may have been a colossal waste of effort...

Highly doubtful - if it’s just a port of the Home app, which is what the keynote suggested, then it doesn’t change the need for hkb in any way since the Home app still needs to talk to the devices that hkb presents.

[webdeck]

In either case it may mean HKB may have been a colossal waste of effort...

Highly doubtful - if it’s just a port of the Home app, which is what the keynote suggested, then it doesn’t change the need for hkb in any way since the Home app still needs to talk to the devices that hkb presents.

Yeah, I'm not expecting Apple to make it open or easy to use from anywhere other than the Home application. The best we could hope for is some scripting support, and even that is doubtful...

[durosity]

In either case it may mean HKB may have been a colossal waste of effort...

Nope definitely not! For one thing even if there was some kind of API it’d only be for new macOS versions and as we all know even after it goes GM M&J won’t recommend we upgrade to it for quite some time after, not to mention the fact a lot of us will be running indigo on machines it simply won’t support. Plus I doubt there’ll ever be the ability to add SecuritySpy cameras.

The effort you and webdeck have put into HKB is exceptionally appreciated.

(Also iOS 12 *seems* to have fixed an issue I’ve been having with HK where any changes made would disappear a little while later. It was an exceptionally demoralising issue. Seems is the operative word though.. I’m gonna properly try to break it today! )


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[Londonmark]

No possible sense in which all the homebridge work has been a waste of time! It’s brilliant work.

[Different Computers]

What Durosity said!

[Colorado4Wheeler]

LOL, thanks for the kind words from all. I find HKB pretty much my home automation foundation, if Siri/HomeKit has some hiccup (which is pretty rare now) then I have a command on my Alexa devices to restart HKB and all my HomePods (all connected to Dome outlet controllers so I can) and I'm back up in a minute or two. Honestly, I haven't had a HomeKit issue for so long that I cannot even remember.

As for what may come of HomeKit in general, I think that it will open the API sooner or later and that's probably for the best if they want wide adoption. But then again, given the major position that Apple is taking on privacy and the fact the home automation compromises could represent a huge liability in that regard it could go the other way - so much so that they block "unlicensed" products like Homebridge.

Until then we have HKB and that works fine for me.

[GRWilde]

HomeKit Bridge has worked flawlessly for me. It is a great effort and you should keep supporting and improving it!

[virgahyatt]

LOL, thanks for the kind words from all. I find HKB pretty much my home automation foundation, if Siri/HomeKit has some hiccup (which is pretty rare now) then I have a command on my Alexa devices to restart HKB and all my HomePods (all connected to Dome outlet controllers so I can) and I'm back up in a minute or two. Honestly, I haven't had a HomeKit issue for so long that I cannot even remember.

As for what may come of HomeKit in general, I think that it will open the API sooner or later and that's probably for the best if they want wide adoption. But then again, given the major position that Apple is taking on privacy and the fact the home automation compromises could represent a huge liability in that regard it could go the other way - so much so that they block "unlicensed" products like Homebridge.

Until then we have HKB and that works fine for me.

Even if they open the API I don't think it would replace HKB. It would just make it easier to be official. Due to it's nature HK would still require a bridge to include the content from indigo. It may allow better control over the devices you may have in HK but in indigo though.

[mikejandreau]

Just installed this and published all my pertinent devices to HomeKit through the plugin. Works great for turning things on both via the Home App and Siri. My wife will be thrilled.

The only thing not working for me (and could be user error or a problem with setup) is when I tell Siri to turn something off, it doesn't work. Siri tells me the device is off. The icon in the Home app shows it's off. But the command to actually shut the device off doesn't get sent to Indigo, so the device never actually shuts off.

Can someone point me in the direction I should be looking to troubleshoot this?

[Colorado4Wheeler]

It depends on the device. Open a ticket on Git, there are instructions when you do about doing a simulation dump and log dump so I can see exactly what is happening when you issue an Off command. 99% of the common devices will likely work but if your device is from a plugin then a lot of those may not yet be supported.

[mikejandreau]

I think it's just a weird HomeKit thing that'll only happen when I'm testing.

It seems to not respond if I tell it to turn something off within 3-5 seconds of turning it on. Probably some sort of flood control. If I wait a bit longer, it seems to work more reliably.

Will adjust my testing accordingly. Thanks for the response (and the plugin!)

[Colorado4Wheeler]

That's an odd result.

[durosity]

Just a quick FYI in case anyone ever has this issue.. over the last few months I’ve had constant headaches with HomeKit forgetting new devices and changing of any setting (even icon positions in the home app).. it was like it was constantly getting itself to a point in the setup process, taking a snapshot and then every hour or so just restoring to it. Eventually I tracked it down to an iOS 9 ipad that was setup to act as a home hub but didn’t show up in the list in the home app. I suspect this issue might also affect iOS 10 iPads and Apple TV 3s. It’s replicatable too. Perhaps my use of water valves that came in after those OSes had ceased getting updates and new definitions? Either way.. all sorted now


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