One of the great features of Apple HomeKit is the ability to make a scene. Once you have set up your Apple HomeKit compatible devices in the Home App you can control them with your iPhone or with Siri. So, hook up that August lock and you can say “Hey Siri, lock the front door” and bingo, the door is locked.
But if you make a scene you can control multiple accessories at the same time. For example, I have a scene called “good night”. When I am ready to go to bed at night I tell Siri “good night” and both my doors lock, all the lights, except the bedroom light, are turned off and the thermostat is turned to a comfortable sleeping temperature. I only wish Sonos could be controlled there, too, so I could also automatically play the blues in the bedroom but that may come soon.
To create a scene (act like a crazy person?) no really to make a scene:
1. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Home tab or the Rooms tab at the bottom and then tap +
2) Tap Add Scene
3) You can either choose one of the included scenes or a custom scene.
4) Tap Add or Remove Accessories
5) Tap the accessories you want to add and then tap Done
6) Touch and hold an accessory to adjust its settings – i.e. slide the bar up or down for thermostat temperature setting
7) To preview the scene, tap Test This Scene. If you want to access this scene in your Home tab, the Control Center and on your Apple Watch you should toggle Show in Favorites.
I think it is pretty cool that I can control my scenes with my Apple Watch and just by sliding up and to the left in the control center.
You can add or delete or adjust accessories from a scene anytime. You just touch and hold a scene in the Home app and then tap Details.
Okay, now let’s say you want MORE automation for your scene. Perhaps you want to run the scene at a certain time every day. I don’t go to bed at the same time every day but let’s say you do come home from work everyday at about the same time. You could set the lights to come on, the heat to go on, etc. as you walk in the door.
To automate your accessories you must first set up your iPad or 4th Generation AppleTV to be your smart home hub. Once you have done that you can create an automation by:
1) Open the Home app and tap the Automation tab. Then tap Create New Automation.
2) Now you will have the choice of when you want the automation to occur.
- My Location Changes: Have your chosen accessories and/or scenes turn on and off when you leave or arrive at a specified location, like your home.
- A Time of Day Occurs: Choose the time of day and days of the week you want your accessories to turn on and off automatically
- An accessory is Controlled: If an accessory turns on or off, you can have other accessories or scenes react. An example would be whenever the door is unlocked the lights come on
- A Sensor Detects Something: You might use this with a motion sensor.
3) Select the scenes and accessories to automate. Then tap Next.
4) Verify the accessories and scenes. Touch and hold an accessory or scene to adjust.
5) Finish up by tapping Done.
If you want to turn off or delete an automation you do so in the Home app in the automation section. Tap the automation and then choose Turn off, Enable this automation or Delete automation. You can also swipe left over the automation and select delete.
I know Tim Cook talked about how he uses HomeKit every day during the recent earnings call. I don’t know some times all this home automation stuff reminds me of the Jetsons and others of one of my favorite movies Brazil. But he talked about starting up the coffee maker and had everyone wondering whether that was just a plug switch or something cooler. I know I want to be able to control my TV with HomeKit – so when I say Good Night to Siri she also turns off the TV.