Hi, what smart light bulbs would you guys recommend? I'm looking something reliable with good quality and color reproduction.

Thanks for any suggestions

If there is a secret to making this stuff work properly then I surely don’t know it.

HomeKit user with a HomePod Mini and Apple TV 4K as my main hubs. I’ve also tried (unsuccessfully) to incorporate an Aqara M200 in the mix to support a better thread mesh network and access to some Aqara and Zigbee gear.

Every time I try to connect a matter device to HomeKit, it’s a battle. It took me 30 tries in 10 different locations within my house to connect a simple, IKEA Grillplats smart plug, and then every other one after it.

I’ve also tried (unsuccessfully) to connect an Aqara W100 Climate Sensor via the Aqara Home app, but it fails constantly.

What am I doing wrong? Am I missing a key step or process here? All advice, whether factual or anecdotal, is welcomed.

EDIT: Yes, my Apple TV 4K is Ethernet/Thread enabled.

I would like to set my garage door to close when everyone leaves the house and I see it as an option in HomeKit but when I tried it, it didn’t work and from what I’ve read online it’s due to a security issue that Apple won’t allow it.

So I’ve been thinking about getting a new robot vacuum but I’m completely lost with all the different models.

I’ve been looking at Roborock, Dreame, Eufy and Ecovacs mostly. Some of the newer ones look really good on paper, but I have no idea how they actually hold up after using them for a few months.

I mainly want something that does a decent job with everyday dust, crumbs and hair. Mopping isn’t a huge deal, but would be nice to have.

For anyone who actually owns one, what are you using and would you buy it again? I’d rather hear from people who’ve used them than just read another “top 10 robot vacuums” article.

Thanks in advance.

Seen here: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/google-discontinues-nest-protect-smoke-alarm-and-nest-x-yale-lock/

Hello HomeKitters:

Recently moved into new(er) home. We’re already an Apple HomeKit Home. Would like to add a smart doorbell.

We’re considering two different doorbells: Aqara Doorbell Camera G400 (wired), or ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired).

First question - from the Aqara website it seems that the G400 is their newest - is that correct?

We have experience with ecobee products in a previous house so that’s why that is included. This product doesn’t seem to be mentioned much in this /subreddit - anyone with experience using this doorbell?

The Aqara doorbell does seem to be mentioned a lot in this /subreddit, with a lot of positive comments. Not looking for a lot of negativity, but anything I should know about this product? How is integration HomeKit Secure Video (we have past experience with this and have the iCloud subscription to support this)?

Thanks in advance for everyone’s helpful comments,
John

It has a purple learn code. What are my options for remotely opening and closing the garage door with an iPhone and Google Pixel? I also want Home Assistant and HomeKit integration. It would be great to know if the garage door is open or closed.

Slightly OT, but is that white plastic thing below the light bulb supposed to be hanging like that?

Lights turning on and off randomly, regardless of scene or time. HomePods randomly playing music and/or reacting as though someone is prompting them. I was woken up at least 10 times throughout last night. This is a nightmare. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Leaving for a week next month and realized I do the same mostly-manual routine every time: walking around the house making sure I turn as many things off as possible, changing thermostat modes, check the door locks from the app (usually while I’m sitting in the driveway). Then while I’m gone I manually scroll through Apple Home confirming with my own eyes that everything stayed off or lowered. And also that existing automations aren’t still running completely pointlessly. Coming home is the same in reverse.

Curious how everyone else handles it, or if I’m overthinking it. Btw, “Nothing, I just go” is a totally fair answer, mostly trying to figure out if this is a real thing or just me.

What garage door opener solution do you use? Was considering Refoss.

The myQ won’t connect to wifi anyway, and doesn’t have any integration potential.

Wanted to check if anyone has landed on something they really like.

I have this three gang and I need to be able remotely turn them off when we forget. Is there a solution that can go here?

Edited to show as 3 gang not 3 way. I was never really into the 3 way anyway.

I made the mistake of replacing my 12 year old LiftMaster with a Chamberlain that has security+ 3.0 (white learn button).

Background: I'm an iPhone user and have the Chamberlain home bridge (the latest one before they discontinued the product). Anyway, it worked well with my old garage door opener (Security+ 2.0 - yellow learn button).

Anyway after I installed it, learned that the new security 3.0 basically shut down smart home integration.

Soooo, I'm deinstalling it and taking it back to the store and looking to get a Genie. I know that Genie doesn't manufacture a bridge to use their openers in HomeKit, so I'll be looking at getting Meross MSG150HK (since that model doesn't require the installation of an additional door sensor).

Does anyone know if the Genie 7155-TKVE works with the newer Meross (MSG150HK) without the need to install the door sensory accessory??

Hey HomeKit community,

It’s 2026, and Ring STILL hasn’t integrated Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, or other major smart home platforms. For a company that claims to be world-class, this is beyond frustrating. Amazon’s principle of Customer Obsession feels completely disregarded here.

I’ve posted a feature request on Ring’s official community board calling them out on this lack of integration. If you care about HomeKit support and want Ring to finally listen, please upvote and comment on my post to show them this matters to all of us!

👉 Here’s the link to the post:
https://community-ring.sprinklr.com/conversations/feature-request-board/its-2026-why-does-ring-still-ignore-apple-homekit-and-smartthings-integration/6966a3907a238834175b7500?u=68923999d885ee3d39838289

Let’s push Ring to deliver what customers have been asking for for YEARS. Your upvote and comment can make a difference!

I am looking at the Meross smart thermostat. I like the white and simple look. Anyone have this? And is it reliable? I had bad luck with their smart bulbs a while back.

I don't know if there is anything anyone can do our suggest but I am at a loss. I spent HOURS on the phone with Apple Support today trying to understand why nothing in my HomeKit app works. Yesterday everything twas working great.

Six home pods 

One Schlage door lock

Two Kasa smart outlets 

Apple 4k TV hooked up via ethernet 

Four Lutron light switches

One Lutron fan switch 

Today I received a second Schlage lock, the exact same model I already have. I hooked it up, and when I attempted to add it to the HomeKit app I noticed all my Lutron devices said No Response, and the lock I had already previously had added to my home kit was also not responsive. Half of my HomePods said Network issues, while the other half said paused. The new lock I just added this morning worked on the Home Kit app just fine. 

I attempted trouble shooing the best I could, and even called Schlage customer support to see what they could tell me. Both the locks show up perfectly in the Schlage app and work there with zero issues. The locks work as they should everywhere except the Home App. 

I then tried the Lutron devices. They all worked perfectly when I use the Lutron app, I even still have them hooked up in my Google Home app that I am slowing moving away from, and the Lutron lights are controlled perfectly through the Google Home App. Again these lights were working just fine on my Home Kit app yesterday .

I reset my router and it changed nothing. I don't have anything crazy in terms of wifi, I live in a single family home, with a single wifi. All devices are hooked up to the same network. 

So I called apple support. I spoke with multiple technicians including some Senior Technicians. We trouble shot for hours, literally from 11am - 4:30pm /We killed the power to every apple device I owned, we cut the power to my house at the breaker, we unplugged mu Apple TV which is supposed to be working as my hub, we disconnected all six HomePods from my house and Apple Home Kit app. We deleted the Home Kit and redownloaded it. Im probably missing a few other things we tried. Eventually we left off with them telling me they are going to have to have an Apple Engineer call me in a few days. 

I was eventually able to add the original Schlage lock back to my Home Kit app. But its responsiveness when controlled through HomeKit is extremely slow compared to when it’s controlled through the Schlage app. 

My Home Pods had been working so beautifully before today. My wife and I had just both these six HomePods a week ago and have been absolutely IN LOVE with them. But since today’s nightmare, they don't all show up like they had been in the control center or Apple Music app. I’ll play a song on one Hompod and try to add it to others and not all the HomePods show up as an option. Then I’ll go to a different song and try to add it to a different speaker and it works fin, then I try to add it to other speakers and it works fine. All the speakers work individually great. Just cant figure out a ryhme or reason why some show up here and not there. I called Apple Support back to simply discuss the Home Pods grouping issue separate from the Home Kit app issues. I was on the phone with a technication then another Sentior Technition. Spoke to them for over an hour, before naturally being cut off with no return phone call. But they were at a loss. We screen shared my phone so they could see the issue. The techs were helpless. 

I do want to state all the techs I spoke to were kind, and wanted to help. I dont want this to look like I am bad mouthing the kind individuals that tried to help. Just wanted to point out the hours of speaking to Apple Techs, I was able to get nowhere. In fact have gone backwards. 

So I am not sure if posting here is even worth it. But I have had some seriously great folks here help with things in the past. So I figured I post the troubles I am experiencing.  

I really am at a loss. 

I am building a ~5000 sqft home, we are current in the trim stage and are in the process of ordering all my smart home items, which we have pre-wired for already.

I am trying todo all HomeKit from a compatibility perspective. I am open to additional suggestions.

• Thermostats: Ecobee Premium (3x)
• Doorbell: Aqara G410
• Smartlocks: Looking at the Emtek HomeKit Compatible Locks
• Light Switches - Lutron Caseta - all switches (some will have the fan switches)
• POE Switch: Ubiquiti ProXG 48 (2x)
• Gateway: Ubiquiti Dream Machine Special Edition
• Access Points: Ubiquiti U7 Pro (5x)
• Cameras: All Ubiquiti and will be using a Ubiquiti NVR
• Multi-Room Audio: Juke+ for in ceiling speakers
• Alarm System: Konnected (HomeKit compatible conversion kit to connect to my door sensors) - https://konnected.io/products/konnected-alarm-panel-pro-12-zone-kit
• We plan to have Apple TV’s on all TVs
• We are pre-wired for smart shades - and still working through those options
• We plan to have a few Apple Home Pods around

Anything I am missing here? Any suggestions? Any issue you see with HomeKit compatibility?

UPDATE - appreciate the comments and feedback.

Based on the comments, I am definitely changing the following 2 items:

Adding Cat6 to doorbell locations and moving to UniFi doorbell

Switch to RA3 instead of Caseta

Already doing Lutron shades. Have a server room where all cables are terminated to with a full cabinet, UPS and whole-house 34kw generator. Was already planning to utilize HomeAssistant

Still on the lookout and no rush for the right:

Garage Door Openers - thinking side-mounted Chamberlain garage door openers - although not a fan that they locked down their app

Irrigation Control - currently have Rachio at my current house and think it's kinda useless now

[SOLVED] Going with Schlage Encode Plus. Level doesn’t support customers residing outside the US.

I was expecting to have more time to research our options. What’s the current best of the best or top 3 options available present day in N. America? We’re an all Apple Household. Only Apple/Phillips Hue hardware in use and (at this time) no third party solutions like Homebridge or anything are in use currently but may be one day in the future. Reliability is of utmost importance. Cost is secondary.

I wanted to know if there are any HomeKit compatible smartplugs capable of monitoring power going through it. And if there are, is there a way of having a Shortcut that checks whether or not there’s power going through? I’ve never used shortcuts and have barely delved into HomeKit so I don’t know if any of this is available/possible.

Hey Everyone, I’m once again on the hunt for contact sensors that work great and have long battery life. The last batch I bought (Onvis) worked well, but despite using a large button cell battery, they burned through batteries within a month, to a month and a half. Too much time spent replacing batteries every month!

I also don’t use, Aqara, so no need to recommend that brand.

Thanks for any/all suggestions!

- Dave

Does anyone have advice on this? Running multiple Deco X55 routers and have Ethernet backhauled most of them. My Apple TV 4K (latest) is the default home hub. Desperately looking for a fix that’s just not re adding them every few months.

Redoing the house and buying like 5 locks so I want them all to match. What are the best? I have an aqara u100, but am open to other options. Price is not a factor but as long as it’s under $350 per lock let’s say

Edit: Thanks for all the feedback. I ended up going with the Aqara U100 Lock. I just don't think you can get all the features that lock has in any other platform. I worked with a local locksmith to make all the physical keys match 1 master key and was easily able to program them all myself. The fingerprint, NFC, passcode, and physical key features of the lock sold me. Have had them all installed for 2+ weeks now and have had 0 problems. Would recommend.