Alright , after months of tinkering, I can confidently say: you don’t need to be in the Apple walled garden to get the best out of your Aqara gear.
I’m Android through and through, running everything with Home Assistant and Google Home. At first, I thought Aqara was only worth it if you’re in deep with HomeKit. Spoiler alert: not true.
I’ve got motion sensors flipping on lights with just a millisecond delay, door sensors tied into Google routines, and even managed to get my G2H Pro cam integrated into HA for local streaming. It took some YAML pain and Zigbee muscling, but it’s totally doable—and worth it.
Best part? No iPhone, no HomePod, no problem.
Anyone else running a pure non-Apple setup with Aqara? Would love to hear how deep you’ve gone. Also, if you hit roadblocks, I might’ve already been there and can save you the headache.