Alright, so here’s the thing — I’ve never owned an iPhone (Android all the way), but that didn’t stop me from diving into the Aqara ecosystem and getting everything running with HomeKit. Yeah, you read that right — HomeKit WITHOUT an iPhone.
It took a bit of trial and error, a few late nights, and some serious Googling, but I figured out a setup that works way smoother than I expected. I used an iPad temporarily (thanks to my roommate), but I ended up controlling almost everything through Home Assistant in the end. And now? Full automation, notifications, camera access, the whole shebang. No iPhone in sight.
If you’re an Android user thinking HomeKit is off-limits — nope, it’s tricky but not impossible. Bonus tip: Aqara hubs make it way easier, and bridging through HA is a game-changer.
Anyone else running no-iPhone setups here? Curious if others found different ways around the walled garden. Let’s swap stories.