The Apple Watch is the best home automation gadget to control everything from smart lights to security locks, white goods and even your connected security cameras. You can manage it all with a tap of the screen, voice commands or by using the new Home app that makes your wrist your ultimate command centre.
There are many different apps that support the HomeKit platform, which provides a single interface to control a wide range of smart devices. Some are available in the App Store and some are built into the watchOS itself, but they all provide a simple way to configure and automate your home. This article will take a look at five of the most popular Apple Watch apps that enable home automation.
Apple’s Home app is the most familiar of these, offering direct control for a variety of HomeKit accessories, including lights, locks, thermostats, window shades and screens, home assistants like the Siri digital assistant, and even cameras. It’s possible to set up scenes, trigger them by a tap or voice, and see alert notifications from all of your Apple products. The app works with any iPhone or iPad running iOS 10.0 or later, and can be accessed from the Watch itself with either a quick glance at the wrist or the Home app widget.
The app’s main screen displays a list of your HomeKit-enabled devices with their current status, followed by your rooms and favourites. You can also use the app to create custom complications for the Watch’s face, or even the entire home screen to quickly access and control your most important settings.
Creating and activating a scene is easy and simple, with up to 12 buttons visible on the watchOS app’s interface. It’s possible to change the name of a scene from the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, and you can activate a specific scene by tapping on it or requesting it via Siri. The app also supports custom grids and complications for the Apple Watch, which can be useful for displaying a particular action at a certain time of day.
You can also run automations based on time of day, your location, the activation of sensors, and more. For example, you can choose to activate your “I’m here” scene when you arrive at a home or exit a specified location, and choose to turn on all of your lights and play your favourite music.
Do Button is a new Apple Watch app that allows you to create all sorts of home automation recipes on your iPhone, then run them on your wrist. It’s compatible with a wide variety of apps and devices, such as LIFX, WeMo, Nest, and Philips Hue. You can also integrate the app with Siri, Reminders and Health to automate more aspects of your life. The app offers an intuitive, no-code user interface for connecting your home and business services and has a huge library of pre-built automations.