HomeKit reviews from a house that runs on it.
I buy the gear, run it in my own Matter/Thread/HomeKit house, and report what breaks. Some of it has been switching lights here since 2016.
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- What Is HomeKit? The Protocol Under the Apple Home App
HomeKit is Apple's accessory protocol, separate from the Home app and from Matter. What it does, what needs a hub, and what only HomeKit gives you.
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iDevices Switch Review: Two Still Running After a Decade iDevices smart plugs still running daily in Apple Home in 2026, years after the brand was absorbed and abandoned. What held up, and what to buy instead now.
- HomePod as a Home Hub: Same Job as Apple TV 4K, No Ethernet Port
What a HomePod does exactly like an Apple TV as a home hub, where it differs, and the temperature and humidity sensor Apple enabled in January 2023.
- IKEA's Matter Pairing Failures: No Fix Shipped as of August 2026
IKEA's 2026 Matter line is failing to pair for some buyers. IKEA has acknowledged the bug and says a firmware fix is coming; none has shipped yet.
- Matter 1.6 Joint Fabric: Nothing Confirmed Two Months After Launch
Matter 1.6's Joint Fabric arrived in the spec on June 17, 2026, and no platform has confirmed a working implementation two months later.
- How to Add a Matter Device to Apple Home (When It Won't Pair)
First-time Matter pairing in Apple Home: the QR code, the 11-digit fallback, multi-fabric pairing, and the fix order when setup stalls or fails.
- Apple Home Automations: How Triggers and Conditions Work
How motion, door, and time triggers combine with conditions in the Home app, shown with real IKEA sensor automations and the hub each one needs.
- Matter over Thread vs Wi-Fi vs HomeKit over Thread
Matter-over-Wi-Fi, Matter-over-Thread, HomeKit-over-Thread, and HomeKit-over-Wi-Fi — what each combination is, and which needs a border router.
- What Is Matter? Certification, Fabrics, and What Apple Home Skips
Matter is the CSA's certification standard for smart-home devices: what certification, fabrics, and multi-admin mean, and what it doesn't fix.
- What Is Thread? The Low-Power Mesh Behind Apple Home
Thread is the low-power mesh network many Apple Home accessories run on: what routers and sleepy end devices do, and how it differs from Matter.
- IKEA MYGGSPRAY Review: Occupancy and Light Level in Apple Home
IKEA's Matter over Thread sensor shows up in Apple Home as two accessories: occupancy and light level. The lux reading is what makes it worth buying.
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Aqara Camera G100 First Look: It Pairs as HomeKit, Not Matter Unboxing Aqara's G100 camera into Apple Home: HomeKit pairing confirmed by a network scan, no power supply in the box, and a setup code you should photograph.