Hey everyone,
So I’ve been diving deep into the Aqara ecosystem recently, and here’s the kicker: I don’t own a single Apple device. Nada. Zero. Thought that would be a massive roadblock, but turns out—it really isn’t.
I started with just an Aqara motion sensor and camera hub, and I dreaded the whole “must-have-Homekit” narrative I kept seeing. Didn’t have a spare iPhone or iPad lying around, so I figured I’d have to return everything. But curiosity got the better of me. Glad it did.
Here’s what worked:
Set everything up using the Aqara Home app on Android, and paired the devices to a Zigbee2MQTT setup on my Home Assistant instance. Yes, it took a weekend of tinkering, but now I’ve got local control, automations flying, and absolutely no need for iCloud accounts or Apple bridges.
Honestly, I feel like the Aqara gear is kind of underrated outside the Apple bubble. These sensors are snappy, battery lasts forever, and once they’re talking to HA, the possibilities open up. The camera even works as a Zigbee bridge—which was a lifesaver since I didn’t want to buy a dedicated hub at the time.
If you’re also non-Apple and on the fence: don’t be. It’ll take some extra steps, sure, but once it’s rolling, it’s super solid. Happy to share details if anyone’s stuck—or just venting about Apple-only integrations. Been there.
Anyone else here running Aqara without Apple stuff? Curious what setups people are rocking.