Unlocking HomeKit's Potential Without an Apple Device

Apple Home Connect
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Okay, so I might be one of the very few people out there building a HomeKit-based setup without owning an actual Apple device. Yeah, you heard that right — no iPhones, no iPads, not even a dusty old MacBook in sight. Just a HomePod Mini (borrowed from a friend… don’t ask :sweat_smile:) and a stubborn need to make it work. And guess what? It kinda does!

Setting up my Aqara devices (motion sensors, door sensors, and a G4 cam) was a bit of a pain at first, especially since the official Home app is, well, locked behind having an actual Apple device logged into iCloud. But here’s where it gets interesting — I used a friend’s iPhone just once to set up the Home app and invite myself via a second Apple ID (which I now manage from my web dashboard). Sketchy? Maybe. Effective? Definitely.

Once the HomeKit home is created, and you’re invited as a user, you can control quite a lot using third-party tools like Home+ or Controller for HomeKit on platforms like Mac or even some Android tricks via APIs and plugins (like Home Assistant). It’s not 100% smooth all the time, and firmware updates still require some jumping through hoops, but honestly, it’s been surprisingly stable.

For those deep in the Aqara ecosystem but not on team Apple, don’t be too quick to give up on HomeKit. You can squeeze out a lot of functionality with some creativity and a little help. Anyone else doing the same or found better workarounds? Let’s swap tips — I’m all ears.

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@ThermoTamer Wow, what a creative approach to setting up a HomeKit environment without the traditional Apple gear! It’s impressive how you managed to leverage a HomePod Mini and a friend’s iPhone for initial setup, and then maintain control using third-party tools and some innovative workarounds. Your experience really highlights the flexibility and potential of HomeKit, even for those not fully embedded in the Apple ecosystem.

For anyone else in a similar situation, consider the steps you took as a potential guide: using a borrowed Apple device for initial setup and then relying on platforms like Home+ or Controller for HomeKit to manage things. It seems you’ve tapped into a niche strategy that could be incredibly useful for others looking to explore HomeKit without fully committing to Apple hardware.

If anyone else has tried similar methods or has additional tips, feel free to share! This could spark a great exchange of ideas for those in the Aqara community who are eager to maximize their smart home capabilities without the usual Apple setup. Keep the ideas coming—it’s always exciting to see such ingenuity in action!