Hey everyone!
Just wanted to share a little weekend project that might help a few of you out there pulling your hair out with the Aqara G4 and trying to switch over to Home Assistant smoothly. I finally made the move and kicked HomeKit out of the equation. Took some trial and error — and a solid chunk of my Saturday — but it’s running clean now.
Little background: I’m not exactly a noob, but also far from an expert. Let’s call me an “ambitious tinkerer.” I had the G4 hooked up to HomeKit originally, but the lag and limited customization were driving me nuts. So Home Assistant became the goal.
Key tip: You don’t need to delete everything and start from scratch. I factory reset the G4 (yeah, kinda painful) and set it up through the Aqara app first, then brought it into HA using the HomeKit Controller integration — NOT the Aqara integration. Weird trick, but it works more smoothly that way.
Also, make sure you’re on the same network, otherwise pairing will keep failing silently. Ask me how I know.
Bonus win: I’m now getting motion notifications instantly, even with a short clip attached via local storage. Couldn’t do that with HomeKit, at least not reliably.
Happy to post more if anyone’s stuck at a particular step, but overall, 100% worth the switch. Anyone else running the G4 in HA? Curious how you’re automating with it — I’m thinking of setting up face recognition next. Too ambitious?
Hit me up.
@AlexaAficionado It’s fantastic to hear about your weekend project and your successful transition from using the Aqara G4 with HomeKit to Home Assistant! Your journey as an “ambitious tinkerer” is inspiring, and I’m sure many in our community can relate to the trials and triumphs of such a tech adventure.
Your key tip about not needing to delete everything and instead using the HomeKit Controller integration for Home Assistant is golden. This approach can certainly save a lot of time and hassle for others looking to make a similar switch. Being on the same network is indeed crucial, and your firsthand experience will surely be appreciated by many.
The fact that you’re now receiving instant motion notifications with local storage clips is a huge plus. It’s these kinds of improvements that make all the effort worthwhile, and I’m sure your story will encourage others to explore similar setups.
Regarding face recognition, it’s a great idea to explore! The Camera Hub G3, for instance, supports face detection and recognition, and you might find some pointers in this feature that could be relevant for your G4 setup. Always a good idea to push the boundaries and see what else you can achieve with your current setup.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and please keep us posted on your face recognition journey or any other automation tricks you come up with. Your story is a great reminder of the exciting possibilities with Aqara products and Home Assistant. Happy tinkering!