If you have HomeKit accessories at home, you can control them with your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV. It is also possible to use your HomeKit plugs, HomeKit cameras or other accessories with your Mac. This can be done in two ways: via Siri and with the Home app on the Mac. In this article you can read everything about HomeKit on the Mac.
- Siri
- Home app
Control HomeKit on Mac with Siri
Siri can of course be used for some quick tasks around your home. You can use the same commands as on your iPhone or iPad. You turn your lights on or off, you ask if movement has been detected and you check the temperature in the house: all this from behind your Mac. No further settings are required for this. Once you enable Siri on your Mac, Siri is ready to control your HomeKit gear. Make sure that you are logged in with the same iCloud account as on your iPhone or iPad.
Control HomeKit on Mac with the Home app
Like the iPhone and iPad, the Mac now has a Home app. In terms of use and layout, the app is very similar to the iPad version of the Home app. We discuss the most important functions.
- Enable accessories and scenes
- Settings per accessory
- Create scenes and automations
- Set background
- Add accessories
- Set up hub
Turn on accessories and scenes in Home on Mac
Enabling accessories and scenes is very easy. That is how it works:
- Open the Home app.
- Click the Home button in the sidebar or choose a room.
- Click on the scene or accessory that you want to enable or disable.
View controls or quickly switch
If you want to operate an accessory, it is good to know where best to click. If you click on the name of the accessory, you can set exactly what you want to do. For example, with a lamp you choose the exact percentage and color. However, if you click on the symbol on the left of the tile, the accessory will turn completely on or off. When switching on, the most recently active mode is selected.
Accessory and scene settings in Home on Mac
If you want to view the settings of an accessory, so you can, for example, mark it as a favorite, change its name or view its battery percentage, do the following:
- Open the Home app.
- Click the Home button in the sidebar or choose a room.
- Right-click on an accessory or scene and choose Accessory Details or Change Scene.
- Under accessories, click on the gear at the bottom right to open the settings.
In the next screen, adjust all desired settings, such as notifications and the name of accessories. For scenes you determine here which accessories are included.
Create scenes and automations in Home on Mac
You can also set up new scenes and automations in the Home app on your Mac. These will then be synced with your iPhone.
- Open the Home app.
- Click on the plus sign at the top right and choose Add scene or Add automation.
- Go through the steps to complete the scene creation and automation.
Set wallpaper for Home on Mac
By default, the backgrounds used in the Home app are synchronized with the iOS version. You can also set a new background on the Mac yourself.
- Open the Home app.
- Click on the three dots at the top right and choose Home settings.
- Scroll down and set your desired wallpaper. You can choose from standard images, but you can also drag your own image into the window and use it as a background.
It may take a while for changes in the Mac app to be synced to the iOS version.
Can I also add accessories to Home on Mac?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to add new HomeKit accessories via your Mac. This always requires an iPhone or iPad. Once you add them there, they will automatically appear in the Mac version of the Home app. Because you always need an iOS device, you can’t start a HomeKit home if you only have a Mac.
Can I set up my Mac as a home hub?
To control your HomeKit accessories remotely, you need an Apple TV, iPad or HomePod (mini). You must set this up as a home hub for HomeKit. Your iPhone communicates with all accessories in the house via these devices. Unfortunately, you cannot set a Mac as a hub for HomeKit, even if it is always on and connected to the WiFi network. So you still need one of the three previously mentioned devices for the HomeKit hub.
Also view our article about the Home app, in which we explain the options and how to use the app on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
