So… I fell down the smart home rabbit hole and surprise surprise — I don’t use any Apple gear.
No iPhone, no iPad, no HomePod. Nada. Just a guy with Android phones, a Google Nest Hub and a wild curiosity.
I grabbed a few Aqara sensors and a hub (M2), mostly for the aesthetics and price, but I quickly realized most tutorials assume you’re deep into Apple’s ecosystem. Which I’m not.
But here’s the cool part: you absolutely don’t need Apple to get the most out of Aqara devices.
After some trial, error, and late nights with YouTube and random subreddits, I’ve got a smooth setup running on Home Assistant with Google integration. My door sensor triggers hallway lights via a Zigbee automation, my cube controls scenes with finesse, and that temp sensor? Now powers a sofa fan when my living room hits sauna levels.
If you’re also an Apple-less wanderer trying to make Aqara dance—drop in. Happy to share tips, gotchas, and weird hiccups (like the time one sensor thought it was in a sauna permanently).
Who else here is running all-Aqara without a single Apple logo in sight? Let’s talk setups.
Loved reading about your Apple-free Aqara journey—it’s awesome to see how you’ve hacked together such a smooth setup with Home Assistant and Google integration. Your creativity with the door sensor triggering lights and the cube controlling scenes is seriously impressive!