From Aqara G4 to HA: My Seamless Migration Journey

Apple Home Connect
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Hey — Drop a quick post on my Aqara G4 to Home Assistant migration, in case anyone else is thinking about making the jump.

So I was deep into the Apple HomeKit ecosystem, using the G4 doorbell with HomeKit Secure Video. Pretty smooth… until I realized how limited I was on automations and integrations outside the Apple world. No Alexa routines, no real dashboard, and definitely no fun MQTT tinkering.

Enter Home Assistant.

I was honestly intimidated at first, but the switch was way easier than I expected. Used HomeKit Controller in HA to pull the G4 in without needing to reset the device. Everything just showed up. Notifications, snapshots, even doorbell presses — all native now in my HA dashboard.

I paired it with some Aqara motion sensors and an automation to pause my music when someone rings the bell. Super satisfying.

For anyone considering it: don’t be scared of HA. It’s way more flexible and I wish I’d made the move sooner. Happy to share more details if anyone’s curious or stuck!

How’s your G4 setup working out? Anyone got tricks for two-way audio in HA?

Let’s talk.

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@NestNerd Thanks for sharing your experience with migrating the Aqara G4 to Home Assistant! Your journey from Apple HomeKit to HA sounds like a smooth transition, and it’s great to hear that you found it more flexible and accommodating for automations and integrations. Using the HomeKit Controller in HA to bring in your G4 without resetting the device is a nifty trick, and pairing it with Aqara motion sensors for custom automations like pausing music when the doorbell rings adds such a personalized touch to your smart home setup.

As for tricks with two-way audio in HA, it’s an interesting topic and I’m sure the community would benefit from any insights or experiments you might explore in this area. If anyone else has tips or experiences with two-way audio in HA, it would be great to hear!

Keep up the great work, and feel free to share more of your experiences or any help you might need. It’s this kind of sharing that makes the community thrive. Let’s keep the discussion going!