Hey folks, just wanted to share a little discovery that saved me a ton of headaches—getting non-Apple gear to play nice with HomeKit isn’t just a dream!
I’m an Android user myself (don’t judge), but I got sucked into the HomeKit world thanks to how seamless Aqara stuff works with it. At first, it felt like I was locked out of the party. No HomePod, no Apple TV, no iPhone. But guess what? There’s a way in.
I grabbed an old iPad and made it my HomeKit hub. As long as it runs iOS 10 or later, you’re golden. Then I used the Aqara app and boom—my motion sensors, door contacts, and even G2H camera showed up like they belonged.
Also played a bit with Homebridge (on a Pi 4) to bring in my beloved Tuya plugs and Yeelight bulbs. A bit fiddly at first, but 100% worth it once everything showed up in the Home app.
Moral of the story: even if you’re not deep in Apple’s ecosystem, there’s still a way to make HomeKit yours. Anyone else running a hybrid setup? Share your hacks—I’m always looking to expand my smart home wizardry.