Smart home products, from smart speakers and virtual assistants to smart thermostats and lights, are ubiquitous. But not all work with HomeKit.
Apple Home is the smart home hub of choice for many iPhone users, but how can they figure out which smart home accessories are compatible with HomeKit? Luckily, it’s fairly easy to see whether an accessory is compatible with Apple Home, and users might be able to find out just by looking at the box. Support for HomeKit is also expanding thanks to Apple’s support of the Matter smart home standard. Matter is a smart home interoperability standard that ensures smart home accessories are compatible with all the major brands — including Apple, Google, Samsung, and Amazon. Moving forward, that means a lot more products will work with Apple Home in the future.
Most smart home networks have support badges that appear on the packaging of products that support their ecosystem, and Apple Home is no different. However, there are a few different types of badges buyers might find on compatible products. Accessories with the ‘Works With Apple Home’ and ‘Matter’ badges will have full HomeKit support, and can be added to an Apple Home without issue.
View The Full List Of HomeKit-Compatible Products
The badge ‘Works With Apple AirPlay’ means something different. The ‘Works With Apple AirPlay’ badge with a circular shape indicates that music and audio can be AirPlayed from Apple devices, and the ‘Works With Apple AirPlay’ badge with a rectangular shape indicates video and visual content can be AirPlayed. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is HomeKit compatible, though.
Products can be compatible with AirPlay but not compatible with HomeKit, which makes the task of identifying HomeKit-compatible products more confusing. To view the full list of smart home accessories compatible with Apple Home, the company offers a complete rundown on its website. The list is updated regularly, so as more products add HomeKit or Matter support, they’ll be included on Apple’s page.
If users are trying to see what products work with Apple Home before making their purchase, an even easier way might be to visit Apple’s online store. Under the ‘Accessories’ tab and the ‘TV & Home’ category, prospective buyers can see Apple Home-compatible products straight from the Apple Store. These include accessories from Belkin, Logitech, and Nanoleaf — among others. It’s important to note that not every HomeKit-compatible product is sold through Apple, so choices are limited. However, buying direct from Apple is a clear-cut way to make sure a product is compatible with HomeKit.
Source: Apple Support, Apple Store