Homekit integration in Apple Carplay

This article of a new kind will present you a user point of view of the Homekit linked to the Apple Carplay. Mathieu will explain his opinion and his wishes regarding the link between car and home automation applications.

A PERSONAL OPINION

I recently updated my review of the Homekit iSmartGate garage door opener to reflect how often I use it now that I have the unit with CarPlay in my vehicle. I stopped using standard RF garage door openers, the garage door can finally be opened and closed easily with Apple CarPlay. This use has prompted some thought about further integration with HomeKit and CarPlay.

When you think about the day-to-day use of HomeKit, a lot of things happen when you are in and out of your home. So from turning on Philips Hue lights when we arrive to locking "Lock" when we leave, the more HomeKit and CarPlay integration we can get, the better the seamless experience. All home automation related to the Apple ecosystem is finally possible.

Homekit integrates the alarm system

At this point, I've been using the Abode iota security system for over two years, and I'm very excited about the product and its good integration with HomeKit. Since most sensors are exposed in HomeKit, automation can be created based on Adobe door sensors or motion detectors. An example of how I can use HomeKit integration is when the back door is opened at night, the garden lights come on for a few minutes. Usually we bring the dog in, so we just turn on the lights for a few minutes.

We have location-based rules configured in our Adobe app, but they are not always 100% accurate. For example, if CarPlay includes a thumbnail for the HomeKit alarm system, users can change the state of the house, leave, and leave the driveway.

Integration of the door lock

In keeping with the trend of integrating HomeKit alarm systems, I'd also like to see a sticker on CarPlay in relation to HomeKit-enabled door locks. I use these famous Danalock locks, but it's also great for locks on the same level. I've enabled the Danalock location-based lock, but like HomeKit alarms, it's not always 100% accurate. Using the CarPlay thumbnail, I can check the status of the HomeKit door lock and, if the automatic unlock fails, I can open it manually. We'll say this is especially beneficial when you leave home and can't remember if you locked the door. So, heads up!

Scene control

With HomeKit scenes, activate a room full of lights with a single click. Plus, CarPlay should add a way to display specific scenes when you're near your home, so you can turn on outdoor floodlights or driveway lights when you get home.

Home status with Siri

Finally, I wish CarPlay would provide "home status" notifications when you get home. It might look something like this:

"Welcome home, Matthew. Your alarm is off, your door is unlocked and I've turned on the hallway lights. Your Ecobee thermostat says your house is at 22 degrees and it's rising to 23 degrees."

SUMMARY

The more I use CarPlay in my dashboard, the more I think it should integrate better with HomeKit. I use HomeKit every day, but I find that I use it mostly when I get home or leave. So I hope we see more of a deeper integration between HomeKit and CarPlay probably with iOS 16 later this year.