en_US
en_US zh_TW
en_US
en_US zh_TW
Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial

HomeKit Bridge gives you more choices for your smart home – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 5

, Modified:
Neil
Neil
Works with Apple Home

When it comes to smart home, it is inevitable to mention Homekit, the smart home ecosystem developed by Apple. However, although Homekit is powerful, its shortcomings are also obvious. If you want to use Homekit as the core of your smart home but feel that the device is too expensive, or your favorite device is If you happen to not support Homekit, then HomeKit Bridge is your antidote! let's go!

What is "HomeKit Bridge"?

HomeKit Bridge is a plug-in for the Home Assistant platform, which is used to integrate smart home devices that do not support Apple Home into the Apple Home ecosystem. HomeKit Bridge acts as an intermediary between Apple Home and Home Assistant. The smart home device is connected to Home Assistant and then transferred to Apple Home through Homekit Bridge. The relationship between the three is roughly as follows:

HomeKit Bridge 介接流程圖
Smart home device, Home Assistant, HomeKit Bridge, Apple Home relationship diagram

Of course, you can also bind devices that support Apple Home directly to Apple Home. Not all devices need to go through HA and HomeKit Bridge, depending on the needs of each home environment.

In short, HomeKit Bridge allows you to choose more devices when using Apple Home. You no longer need to buy Guisongsong's HomeKit certified devices! (How expensive is HomeKit?Official website link Here, feel it~)

Before you start entering Homekit Bridge settings, if you haven’t set up Home Assistant yet, you can refer to this tutorial to help you get started quickly:

[irp posts=”411″]

Added "HomeKit Bridge" integration in HA

Step 1. Home Assistant ➜ "Settings" on the left ➜ "Devices and Services"

Home Assistant 中新增 HomeKit Bridge 整合

Step 2. Add "HomeKit Bridge" integration

  1. Click "Add Integration" in the lower right corner
  2. Enter "apple" in the search box
  3. Select "Apple" from the menu
  4. Select "HomeKit Bridge" from the menu
Home Assistant 中新增 HomeKit Bridge 整合

Step 3. Select domains to include

This step is to select which types of smart home devices should be synchronized from Home Assistant to HomeKit. If there are no special considerations, just use the default selection and click "Transfer" directly. This setting can be adjusted in the future, don't worry!

HomeKit Bridge 設定欲同步到 HomeKit 的設備類型

Step 4. Pair HomeKit

Next, a prompt will appear here, just click "Send".

完成 HomeKit Bridge 整合

Because HomeKit Bridge is a new setting for Home Assistant, the option to set the partition will appear. Here, set the partition according to personal preference. After setting, click "Finish".

完成 HomeKit Bridge 整合

Then click on the "Notification Alert" on the left column and you will see the QR code. At this time, pick up your iPhone or iPad and open the "Home" APP.

設定 HomeKit

Click "Add Accessories" in the "Home" APP and scan the QR code provided by Home Assistant.

設定 HomeKit
設定 HomeKit

Then add the bridge to "Apple Family" and force the addition of certified accessories.

設定 HomeKit
設定 HomeKit

Next, set the room, name, and display mode of all devices step by step just like adding a HomeKit device.

HomeKit 設定同步裝置
HomeKit 設定同步裝置
HomeKit 設定同步裝置
HomeKit 設定同步裝置

Done

HomeKit 設定完成

congratulations! After completing the above steps, you can bridge the device connected to Home Assistant to HomeKit! In the future, any device that Home Assistant can access can be used in HomeKit!

33 COMMENTS

  1. Hello Neil,

    I want to buy some Aqara accessories later. Since they are directly installed in HA, can I choose the Chinese version or the international version?

  2. Hello Neil
    I plan to use HA SkyConnect
    If you want to use VIZO's zigbee smart switch
    Do I still need to buy VIZO's Zigbee gateway?

  3. Hi Neil,
    I would like to ask, I connected the Vizo switch through HA and purchased a four-way switch. However, there are only two buttons that can be used, not dual-way switches.
    How to connect Vizo switch through Z2M? Thanks

    • Hi TW,
      The four switches may need to be paired once each. In Z2M, there should be two devices with two switches each. Give it a try.

  4. Hello moderator! The new house is about to be completed recently, and I want to study the smart home part. In the voice control part, what is the connection method between Google Nust and Google Home?

  5. Hi Neil~
    Thanks for the previous zigbee2mqtt teaching
    I bought aqara T1 ribbon lights and can already control them through the zigbee gateway.
    But next step: HA uses Homekit bridge to synchronize the device to Homekit card. It took a long time hahaha
    I would like to ask Neil, do I need to add aqara and integrate it into HA first?
    Thanks

  6. Hi Neil big,
    Want to ask questions about HA voice control:
    1. If you want to use Siri to control, most of the devices at home are iOS devices (iPhone, HomePod mini). Do you need to use HomeKit Bridge to connect them back to Apple Home to control them?
    2. Can I still connect the multimedia device (HomePod mini) to the HA and use other methods for voice control?

    Thank you~

  7. Hi Neil,
    Thank you for your article, it gives people who want to play HA a better understanding.
    I would like to ask what method you would recommend if you want to control HA equipment by voice?
    Is there any solution from Xiaoai or Tmall Elf?
    thank you for your help

  8. Hi Neil,

    I would like to ask how to know that my device can access HA?

    LG dehumidifiers, smart switches from mainland China, etc.

    • Hi Will, I usually Google to see if anyone else has used it. This is the LG plug-in I found for HA: https://github.com/ollo69/ha-smartthinq-sensors You can research it again.
      Smart switch (similar to other smart devices) mainly depends on the connection method of these devices. Some may need to go through a gateway. If it is a matter, it can be connected directly.

      • Thanks to Neil for his great firepower support and for providing a method for LG to connect to HA. I am planning to buy a Raspberry Pi with HA built into it.

        In addition, I would like to ask if the international brand LJ series air conditioners and Roborock S7 sweepers can be connected to HA and then connected to Homekit through Homebridge.

      • I haven't tried it, but in theory it is possible. However, since HA is required, it is recommended to use HA as the main method, and Homekit can at most be used as voice control🤣

      • In addition, can Electrolux equipment be connected? I have an elution dryer here.

      • There is a plug-in for Electrolux HA. If your washing machine has networking capabilities and can be connected to Electrolux’s own APP, you can connect to HA.

      • The main reason for wanting to connect to Homekit is to use Siri to control air conditioners, sweepers and other equipment.

  9. We also use Android phones at home, but we have iPads. Would it be recommended to use Homesite Bridge?

    Also, are Zhongkong’s homes made with software?

    • Unless there are special needs to consider using Homekit Bridge, our iOS devices use Home Assistant directly without using Homekit.
      The floor plan of the Dashboard was made using “Kujiale”~

  10. Hello Neil, I would like to ask about a problem I encountered during operation. I used my iPhone to scan the HomeKit QR code in the notification, but the home pairing kept failing and the operation timed out was displayed. Then another QR code popped up in the HA notification. I scanned it again. , it shows that the accessory has been added to another family and needs to be reset before it can join.

    • I didn't encounter this problem when I was operating it. I Googled and found no similar situation on the Internet. You may want to check whether the HA version needs to be updated, whether the network connection is stable, and whether HA has a fixed IP set.

  11. Neil Hello!
    I wonder if you will have time to write down how to make the amazing indoor light map of your home?
    I am impressed every time I watch it!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

you might like
recent discussions
  • Jerry 2025/04/14Thank you very much Neil for your selfless sharing. The websites you provided are of great help to me. I will save it first and digest it slowly^^ I also look forward to Neil's industry news and teaching articles in the futureHome Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Neil 2025/04/13Hi Jerry, I usually get information about HA from these places: Website: – Home Assistant official Release notes – Automata – Home Automation Community – Weijia Home Intelligence FB Group: – Taiwan Home Assistant enthusiasts exchange – Home Assistant YouTube channel: – Smart Home Solver – Everything Smart Home – Home Assistant Programming language: Strictly speaking, YAML is not really a programming language (let me make this clear in case some people mind 🤣), but if we include these data formats or style languages that “look like” programming languages, and sort them by depth of use in HA (the deeper the bottom, the deeper the bottom): – YAML (data format): a language for configuration files used in many places in the HA environment. – CSS (style language): used to adjust the interface style (font size, color, image, position, etc.). – JSON (data format): If you use Node-RED, you will probably come across it. – Jinja2 (Python template syntax): You may encounter it when you explore automation or Dashboard in depth. ※ But in fact, even if HA does not know the above, it can still make a smart home complete. You don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself, but if you are interested, it is also good to know more. It is actually difficult to generalize about the support of devices. Now, even if the home appliances themselves do not support it, there are still many different ways to connect traditional home appliances to HA. In addition, cases like Haier do require in-depth research. What I usually do is to crawl a lot of information on the Internet, and usually find attempts made by others. It just so happens that when I was looking up other information recently, I saw someone sharing how Haier water heaters were connected to HA. But it is indeed like what you said, if you get involved for a while, you will understand these details more and more. 🤣Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Jerry 2025/04/10Hello Neil: After observing for 1 or 2 days, everything seems to be normal. Maybe it’s because the system was not stable during the initial setup period!? The more I play, the deeper I feel. I also find that I still have many shortcomings. I wonder if Neil can share and teach everyone how to fish? For example, recommend good websites, forums, FB groups, youtube videos, or give some guidance. In addition to the YAML language, would it be helpful to know some CSS syntax? Do I need to know other languages? I can even start a new teaching direction. When I see non-big-name products that claim to support APP (such as products from mainland China), I can teach everyone how to identify whether they can be connected to HA and how to ask customer service? Where can I see supported articles or platforms? This kind of experience sharing, I think, will be very helpful to everyone. I am currently looking to buy a heat pump water heater from Haier. Haier is a big manufacturer in the world and has its own APP. I have also found Haier's kit from HACS, but it does not seem to support heat pump water heaters. Does that mean it cannot be connected to HA? Or is there any channel to check it? There are also many flat panel lights and fan function lamps on the other side of the strait, which also claim to support APP connection, but they are all small manufacturers and it is difficult to tell whether they can be connected to HA. These are the problems I am facing now. If the home appliances I buy are different from what Neil shared, I don’t know where to start. Maybe I'm still too inexperienced. If I play for a few more months, maybe the above problems won't be a problem anymore, haha^^Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Neil 2025/04/09Hi Jerry, I tested it myself and it was fine, but please note that because it is controlled through the cloud, there is an extra layer of brand mediation, so it is not suitable for fast switching. I tested it myself and it took about 1 second to complete the synchronization after clicking. Remember to put the entity in entities, otherwise the status display may have problemsHome Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Jerry 2025/04/07Thanks Neil for clarifying this. I tested it later and found that when using the "button panel" to control the switch of the Electrolux air conditioner (the same model as Neil), the device will respond to turning on or off in about 1 second, but the "status icon" for turning on is much slower, and it takes about 30 seconds. The "status icon" for turning off is normal, and the "status icons" of other negative ion switches and the "status icons" of the monitoring light switch are also normal, which made me think there was a problem with the synchronization. I'll test it again, maybe it's caused by the wrong setting.Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Neil 2025/04/07Hi Jerry, 1. This method is through cloud integration, which is actually using HA to call Xiaomi/Electrolux to control the device. 2. It is not normal. If this happens, you may need to check whether the entity you display on the floor plan can truly represent the status of the device. If not, you may need to try other entities of the same device.Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Jerry 2025/04/07The problem is solved. Thanks again to Neil for his help^^ I have two more questions about concepts. Neil, do I have any misunderstandings? 1. I connected Xiaomi and Electrolux devices to HA through HACS. Is it still connected through WiFi? Before connecting, you need to obtain API key and Access Token from the official. This means that the communication between HA and the device still needs to go through the official. It’s just that the official APP can be replaced and all integrated into the HA APP for control? 2. After testing, when controlling the device through physical operation or the original official APP, the HA app cannot know the status of the device synchronously, but it can know the opposite. Is this normal? For example, the Xiaomi electric fan at home was turned on by someone physically before going out, but when the person is outside, he cannot know through the HA app that the device was forgotten to be turned off. He has to connect to the Xiaomi app to know!?Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
  • Jerry 2025/04/07Xiaomi Home can be used in Singapore by selecting the countryHome Assistant must-install HACS plug-in installation steps detailed explanation – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 17
  • Ghost 2025/04/07Xiaomi Home currently does not support Taiwan. For now, you can only use Xiaomi Miot Auto. As for Xiaomi Cloud Map Extractor, I currently have a 2FA problem. There seems to be no simple solution. I haven’t tried it successfully yet.Home Assistant must-install HACS plug-in installation steps detailed explanation – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 17
  • Neil 2025/04/07Jerry, it seems that the click action cannot penetrate the part where the picture changes because of the overlapping pictures. Try adding pointer-events: none to the style.Home Assistant Floor plan A new experience in smart home control with visual floor plan! – Home Assistant step-by-step tutorial EP 6
you might like

© Copyright - SpaceN (https://neiltw.com/en)