So What’s the Deal With HomeKit? A Primer on Apple’s Smart Appliance Ecosystem

“Siri, let’s party.” (Via Thinkstock)

The invite for this year’s fall Apple event reads, “Hey Siri, give us a hint” — implying that, whatever products are actually revealed on September 9, they’ll be heavily integrated with the company’s voice-activated personal assistant.

Does that mean you’ll be able to control a newly updated Apple TV by voice from the comfort of your couch? Probably, though no one knows for sure. But based on a recent briefing with Apple, we do know that HomeKit — the company’s smart-appliance control system — will revolve around Siri and some of the updated capabilities she’ll be getting in the upcoming iOS 9.

Since this time next week you’ll probably still be frothing at the mouth about the new iPhone 6s and whatever else Apple introduces, here’s a quick primer on everything you need to know about HomeKit’s new features, its integration with Siri, and how together they might make your life a smidgen easier.

What is HomeKit, anyway? Is that, like, an app or something?

Well, no, not really. It’s actually just the name for a framework that Apple will be using to connect smart accessories like plugs, light bulbs, and locks in your home. Unlike HealthKit — which is basically a database to store all your health information from various devices — HomeKit does not exist in app form. Of course, that doesn’t mean the company won’t make one eventually.

Why should I care about HomeKit, then?

Apple has been slowly working with a set of third-party hardware companies to make some legitimately helpful smart appliances. The whole shebang has taken a while since Apple first announced HomeKit at its World Wide Developers Conference in 2014. It’s only now, after these developers have spent months developing new hardware that will work with iOS 9, that Apple’s grand plan for a connected home is actually materializing. The delay is in large part due to the notoriously control-freaky company’s strict requirements for products that will get the HomeKit stamp of approval.

Oh, really? Do go on…

For example, every piece of HomeKit hardware will be required to have an LED light that blinks in “discovery mode” the moment you try to connect your phone to it. And the setup process for every device is completely uniform, no matter which company makes it.

Also, to quell all the terrifying stories about hacked smart home appliances, Apple has required all companies to use end-to-end encryption when transferring data between the gadget and your phone. When you set up your new gadget, you’ll be required to photograph a unique serial number that’s assigned to that device and that device only. Your phone will store that number away to enable a digital handshake between iOS and, say, your front door’s smart lock every time those two devices communicate. None of the data from your smart gadgets will be associated with your Apple ID.

OK, so HomeKit stuff will be hard to hack. But what kind of stuff will that be?

Right now, you can get smart light bulbs, plugs, room and weather sensors, and thermostats from a handful of different companies. This fall, that list will expand to include smoke detectors, door locks, and alarm systems, plus an army of motorized windows, doors, and awnings. Yes, that’s right folks: If you work hard and believe in yourself, even your patio awning can be a robot.

OK, let’s say I’m a renter. In a very small prewar apartment. Should I stop reading now?

Unfortunately, the coolest HomeKit stuff requires that your dwelling be somewhat modern and also wholly yours. If, for instance, you draw warmth from a clanky metal heater in the winter, you most likely won’t be able to take advantage of Honeywell’s latest HomeKit-enabled thermostat. (And you can forget about those motorized garage doors right now.)

Even if you’re in a newer place, it’s doubtful you’ll want to install smart appliances unless you know you’ll be there for a long time and are authorized to mess with stuff.

But even if your apartment is small and ancient, you can still use accessories like iDevices’ smart plugs or Phillips Hue light bulbs. Those products are actually the best way to dip your toe into this whole smart home thing without dropping a bunch of cash.

So where does Siri come into this?

Though each of these smart products will come with its own iOS app, with which you can control the product manually, Apple has programmed Siri to help out too.

She’s able to recognize seminatural commands, so you don’t have to be too specific about what you want to happen. You’ll be able to say, “Siri, turn off the lights,” and she’ll connect to whatever smart light bulb app you have on your phone and shut them off.

You don’t always have to give a direct command, either. For instance, if you wake up and say, “Good morning, Siri,” she’ll pull up your shades, turn on your lights, and adjust your thermostat before you even get out of bed. Every device and its app will be preprogrammed with “scenes” to support such natural-ish Siri commands. The others are: “I’m leaving,” “good evening,” and “good night.”

What if I’m hung-over? Can I just say, “I’m hung-over?” I’m often hung-over.

Sorry to hear that. In iOS 9, you’ll be able to use the apps from any HomeKit-enabled device to create your own custom scenes. So if you want to adjust all your smart gadgets to accommodate your sensitive condition, you can tweak their settings accordingly in their apps and save those settings as a “hung-over” scene. That way, when you wake up after a long night of drinking and say the magic word, she’ll close the shades, dim the lights, maybe turn on a fan — whatever you like.

You can also organize your gadgets into zones. That way you don’t have to remember what you named a gadget to get it to bend to your will. You can simply say, “Turn off the bedroom,” and all the connected appliances in that room will go dark.

That’s cool, but it’s not really my first instinct to ask Siri to turn off the lights. Can’t she just know what I want?

Sorry, she can’t read your mind, at least not yet. (I am personally happy about that.) But iOS 9 will have a feature — triggers — that will use your location, the time of day, and the actions of other accessories to control your home without your guidance.

For instance, you could create a geo-fence in and around your dwelling so when you pull up to your driveway at 6:00, your presence will trigger a small welcome-home parade among your appliances: Your door unlocks, a hallway light turns on, maybe your thermostat adjusts.

You could also instruct your smart devices to enact such a welcome-home setting at 6:00 every day. That way, even if you get home 10 minutes later than usual, your apartment will be nice and cozy for you. (If you’re held up at work, you can always adjust these settings remotely to avoid wasting energy).

Finally, you can teach some appliances to react to the actions of others. Yes, this feature could get annoying or confusing. But if you keep things simple, it could be helpful. I’m sure there would be some small satisfaction in teaching your lights to go on every time the front door unlocks.

Yeah, that would probably stop me from always stepping on my cat in the dark.

If nothing else, HomeKit will be a savior for the stepped-upon cats of our nation.

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