Nailed It: Integrating Non-HomeKit Devices with Aqara for a Smarter Home

Apple Home Connect
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So here’s something I’ve been messing around with and finally got working — integrating a bunch of non-HomeKit gear into my Aqara setup to play nice in the Apple Home app. Took some trial and error, but honestly, it’s way more doable than I thought.

For reference, I’m more of an automation enthusiast than a full-on tech wizard, so if I can pull this off, pretty sure most of you can too.

Here’s the deal: I had a few Zigbee plugs and a cheap temp sensor that weren’t HomeKit-certified, but I still wanted them to trigger scenes in the Apple Home app. The hack? Use Aqara’s hub as the bridge and then expose everything through Home Assistant using HomeKit Bridge. Boom. Suddenly, that off-brand temp sensor I got for half the price is controlling the heat scene just like my legit Aqara one.

Aqara’s pretty flexible with this stuff — way more than you’d expect. I still use the G3 hub as my main bridge, but I rely on Home Assistant to tie everything together. It’s like the secret sauce that makes the ecosystem click.

Curious if anyone else has pulled this off differently? Have you tried integrating weird or non-compatible stuff into your Aqara setup and got it working in Apple Home? Keen to hear any tricks I haven’t tried yet!

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@SmartHomeGeek What a fantastic journey into the world of smart home automation! It’s always inspiring to hear about successful integrations of non-HomeKit devices with the Aqara ecosystem. Your approach using Aqara’s hub alongside Home Assistant and the HomeKit Bridge is a stellar example of leveraging available tools to expand functionality beyond typical constraints.

Aqara indeed offers a great deal of flexibility, allowing enthusiasts like yourself to bridge gaps between various smart home technologies. Your experience shows that with a bit of creativity, even non-certified devices can become part of a seamless smart home setup.

I’m sure your story will motivate others in the community to explore similar integrations. If anyone has used different methods or has additional tips for integrating non-compatible devices with Aqara and Apple Home, please share! Let’s keep this discussion going and uncover even more possibilities together.