It is no secret that we live in a world of smart homes today. Chances are that you have heard about smart home lights, smart thermostats, smart locks, smart doorbells, smart refrigerators, smart key chains, and so forth. Apart from this, you must have heard about popular smart home platforms such as Google Nest, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and so forth.
If you normally rely on iPhone to carry out most of your phone activities, Apple HomeKit maybe your ideal platform to work with. On the other hand, Amazon Alexa has offered incredible support when it comes to the number of smart devices it offers to all its clients.
Most people have been asking, does Alexa work with Apple HomeKit? We shall seek answers to this question and other related facets so that you can know if you can integrate Alexa with Apple HomeKit
What is Apple HomeKit
Simply put, this is basically a smart home system that allows you to control all your smart devices in one single interface. However, these smart devices have to be compatible with your iOS device.
The good news is that you can now create commands for rooms and even trigger different actions by just going to the app or talking to Siri. From adjusting the lighting settings to unlocking doors, there are a plethora of commands you can give Siri, and it will affect them on the spot.
As a result, Apple HomeKit offers the much-needed comfortable environment and helps create the right ambiance with just a tap on your iOS device. Compared to other platforms such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit is not compatible with many devices.
However, the number of devices compatible with this platform are on the rise, day-in-day-out. Since it can work well with smart lights, locks, and plugs, Apple HomeKit is a good starting point for those Apple fans who would like to automate their homes and make them smart.
What is Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa can be likened to Siri. It is generally another digital assistant that you can command and ask it to do a number of activities. From making video calls to playing different songs, there are many activities this platform can do for you. As we speak, Amazon Alexa is available as an app. However, it was initially integrated into Amazon products such as Echo and so forth.
Currently, this platform is now being used by smart home devices such as the 2018 Fire TV. Unlike other platforms, Amazon Alexa takes pride in mimicking real-life conversations. In fact, it can understand voice commands more accurately.
Is Amazon Alexa better than Apple HomeKit Siri
Well, in some aspects, Amazon Alexa has the edge over Apple HomeKit’s Siri. First of all, Amazon Alexa is more compatible with several smart devices than Apple HomeKit’s Siri. This can be attributed to the fact that Apple strictly controls the kind of smart devices that can work with the HomeKit. The good news is that this goes a long in securing your network. On the other hand, you will have limited options whenever you want to automate your home.
Does Alexa Work with Apple HomeKit
No. As we speak, there is no direct way of integrating Amazon Alexa with Apple HomeKit. This can be attributed to the fact that Apple would not like you to consider other digital assistants apart from its own Siri.
If this was allowed, most people would perhaps migrate from Apple’s ecosystem and thus would mean that Apple may soon lose a huge number of customers. However, the situation is very different when it comes to Android devices.
If you have an Android device, you now have the liberty to choose between Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Since Android users have the luxury of choice, they are deemed to be more advantaged than Apple users.
However, this does not mean that Apple completely shut its doors when it comes to other digital assistants. As we speak, Apple users can now breathe a sigh of relief as Apple has started to become more lenient when it comes to HomeKit’s compatibility with other smart home devices. However, there are several ways you can bridge these two platforms so that they can work harmoniously.
How to Integrate Alexa with Apple Homekit
Since we have established that you cannot integrate these two platforms directly, there are other ways that can help you achieve this objective seamlessly. These include:
1) Use the Harmony Hub App
You can now use the Harmony hub to allow Alexa to work with platforms such as Apple HomeKit. With this app, you will be able to control your Apple TV through the Alexa app. On its own, Alexa can only turn on your TV but cannot do anything beyond that. If you need to carry out complex tasks on your TV, you need apps such as the Harmony Hub app.
The good news is that this app will feed any task list you have to Alexa and thus enable you to control your Apple TV. All you need to do is to download the Harmony Hub app from the App Store and then install it. Once you install it, add the device you intend to control from it and then get started.
2) Use an Amazon Echo speaker to pair your iPhone with Alexa
Apart from using the Harmony Hub app, you can also pair your iPhone with Alexa with the Amazon Echo speaker. Here, you should bring your iPhone near the smart speaker and then turn on Alexa’s Bluetooth functionality.
Once you are done, pair it with your iPhone. Echo will appear on your Bluetooth devices on your iPhone, and you will be able to play the audio tracks you please. If you want to disconnect, all you need to say is ‘Alexa, disconnect my phone’, and this will be effected immediately.
3) HomeBridge App
Simply put, HomeBridge is a NodeJS server that emulates the HomeKit API. As a result, it will help bridge the devices that do not implement the Apple HomeKit’s protocol into the Apple Home ecosystem. A good example is Alexa.
Final Words
By integrating Alexa with Apple HomeKit, you will be able to enjoy a lot of seamlessness as you will be operating all your smart home devices in a single interface. From the Harmony Hub app to the HomeBridge app, there are many platforms that can help you get started. Consider this integration today, and you will have a great user experience now and in the future.