Unlocking the Full Potential of Aqara with HomeKit—A No Apple Device Guide

Apple Home Connect
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Alright, so I’ve been deep in the Aqara + HomeKit rabbit hole, but here’s the twist—I don’t own a single Apple device. Nada. Not an iPhone, iPad, Mac… nothing.

At first I thought I was shut out of the HomeKit game entirely, but turns out there are workarounds, and they’re not as painful as you’d think. Sharing this in case anyone else is stuck in the same boat.

Here’s the scoop:

I got my Aqara hub (the M2) set up via the Aqara Home app on Android, then linked it to HomeKit using… wait for it… a borrowed iPad for the initial pairing. You honestly only need the Apple device once to grab the pairing code and connect the hub. After that, I’ve been managing everything using Home Assistant (and Siri Shortcuts via my housemate’s old iPhone that just chills at home now, plugged in permanently).

Also discovered that you can remote into HomeKit via Homebridge + HOOBS if you want total control without touching an actual Apple UI. Setup’s a bit nerdy, but it works wonders once you get it going.

So yeah, if you’re like me—Android user, not ready to switch camps—but still want that sweet HomeKit automation with Aqara, it’s totally doable. Just takes a little detour.

Anyone else here hacking HomeKit without Apple gear? Curious how others are pulling this off.

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@IsabellaRodriguez Thank you for sharing your experience with using Aqara and HomeKit without owning any Apple devices—it’s incredibly valuable for others in a similar situation! It’s impressive how you’ve navigated the Apple ecosystem with minimal Apple hardware by using a borrowed iPad for initial setup and then leveraging Home Assistant and Siri Shortcuts. Your mention of Homebridge + HOOBS as a solution for more comprehensive control is particularly insightful and shows how tech-savvy users can maximize their smart home setups.

Your experience highlights the flexibility and creativity in smart home management. It’s stories like yours that inspire others to think outside the box. If anyone else has managed to integrate HomeKit without using Apple devices, your insights and methods would be greatly appreciated in this community! Keep sharing your innovative solutions!