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Home App and light switches

Can the home app be set up to turn light switches in my home on and off? I have a few light switches in my home already controlled by timers built into them but setting these timers up and making changes to them is a painful experience due to their minute size and the incredibly tiny fonts of the instructions that come with them. I assume that if it were possible to use the Home app to do the switching, I would need new light switches that could be operated by Wi-Fi. I met with someone at a local Apple Store about this today, but her knowledge was limited, and all she could show me was coloured lightbulbs.

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Posted on Nov 10, 2022 11:58 AM

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Posted on Nov 10, 2022 7:26 PM

You can do this with smart switches or smart bulbs. Then the home app would be used to set automations or scenes. With a Siri enabled device you could alternatively speak out your requests.

You need an Apple Hub to start. This can be an iPad, Apple TV or HomePod: Set up your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a home hub - Apple Support

There’s lot to choose from, you just have to make sure they support HomeKit

Home app - Accessories - Apple



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6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 10, 2022 7:26 PM in response to Kenneth Cohen1

You can do this with smart switches or smart bulbs. Then the home app would be used to set automations or scenes. With a Siri enabled device you could alternatively speak out your requests.

You need an Apple Hub to start. This can be an iPad, Apple TV or HomePod: Set up your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a home hub - Apple Support

There’s lot to choose from, you just have to make sure they support HomeKit

Home app - Accessories - Apple



Nov 11, 2022 7:31 AM in response to Vancouver22

Thank you! Just what I was looking for. I now know what I have to do , and I have all the hardware, so now I can get going.


Two related questions about light switches.


(1) Am I correct to assume that I will probably need an electrician to install smart switches? It's not a problem for me as I have an electrician. I want to replace existing switches containing built-in timers so tiny that trying to set up or adjust them is a dreaded experience, so I'm happy to bring in an electrician to help with this.


(2) Are HomeKit light switches set up with software in the Home app of Apple devices (Mac, iPad, Apple TV etc)?


(3) Are HomeKit light switches operated via wi-fi?



Nov 11, 2022 7:33 PM in response to Kenneth Cohen1

I can’t answer about switches needing an electrician because I don’t have switches. some people can do it themselves and there are loads of YouTube videos showing you how.


I just use the smart bulbs and operate them via the Philips Hue App or the home app. I prefer using the Hue App. I also set up Apple shortcut widgets on my iPad for my favourite light scenes.


Lights or bulbs can be assigned to rooms; livingroom, kitchen etc and those can be merged into groups to control in one action, etc.


Yes you can use the + to Add accessories into the home app on any device that supports the home app and is running software that also supports being able to find said accessories. you can also use the manufacturers Apps to set up the accessories and they will be added to the home app. This is my preference. My bulbs have a serial number on them I needed to add into the Hue App. Some things use QR video you need to scan. Using Apple TV might be limited on what it can set up or edit but it can still be a Hub and you can just use your other devices to set things up. You can still use the ATV Siri Remote to control things.


Everything syncs using the same Apple ID. If you add something to the home app on an iPad for example, it will show up in every home app. The same way iCloud syncs.


Most of HomeKit requires a home wifi network but there are some things that don’t need this. you need it to control it.


it’s all a bit daunting to figure it out but with trial & error you will learn it. It’s best to do your research on which accessories you’re going to use for your needs. Also buy the latest generation on these products. Read reviews. BestBuy is a great place to read honest reviews. Reddit is good as well and there are lots of people helping on there too. As well as YouTube.


I hope that helps a bit.

Nov 11, 2022 7:56 PM in response to Kenneth Cohen1

Buy some add-on plug-in HomeKit switches, or add-in HomeKit bulbs, and try out this.


Or try this with Matter-compliant gear, if you want to work with the latest.


Sylvania LEDVANCE A19 bulbs needs no apps or add-ons, for instance. I’m testing a few add-on power switches (switched plugs), but haven’t yet gained enough experience with them,


1: Wired-in re-wiring usually means an electrician, yes.


2: Some devices will use entirely HomeKit, some can use or need a vendor app for setup or some operations.


3: HomeKit uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Home App and light switches

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