How to set up Apple TV as a HomeKit Hub

Level up your home experience into smart automated by turning your Apple TV into a HomeKit hub. Your Apple TV can easily connect and control all your HomeKit-enabled devices to facilitate the next-level experience. In this article walk through the simplest methods in this guide to turn your living area into a smart one.

Let’s find out how to set up your home kit hub to the next level.......

Set Up Apple TV as a HomeKit Hub

When it comes to the Apple HomeKit system allows you to control all your smart home technology in a single place like locking or unlocking the doors, turning on/off the lights, as well as adjusting the thermostat.

A shortcut on your iPhone with Apple TV that functions as a home hub after you add it to HomeKit. Follow the set-up guidelines,

Open Settings on Apple TV.
Select Users and Accounts.
You must Make sure that you have signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID as your iOS device.
Then go back to Apple TV Settings and select Airplay also HomeKit.
Select Room, then you can select a room or else add a new room.

Way to add Apple TV to the Home App

Following mentioned the steps to add Apple TV to the Home App integration,

Go to My Home.
Tap the plus (+) icon (You can add HomeKit-compatible devices to the home app.) and select Add Accessory.
Then scan a QR code on the device you else can scan your local network for any devices that are compatible with HomeKit.
After the device is discovered, add the device to your home app.
Provide your device name and assign it to a specific room. It allows you to display every device for every room of your home within the application. If there's a room in your home that isn't already listed, then tapping the plus icon (+) you can create a new room and then select Add Room.

Apple TV Version Compatibility

Make sure Apple TV is the compatible version if you want to use it as your HomeKit home hub. All Apple TV 4K models are compatible, but if you're using a standard Apple TV, you'll need a third-generation fourth-generation model.

It should be noted that the third-generation model has two restrictions: It does not support camera video streams as well granting other users outside access to your HomeKit equipment.

If you're interested in Apple HomeKit-compatible devices, you can find out more about them.

How to edit devices in the Apple Home App?

After devices are added to your home app, you can change things up as you choose. If you choose that smart plug needs more use in the dining area than the living area, then you can change the location.

To change the device,

Tap the controls, then tap the settings.
Change the device name, its room, and whether it is included in the Preferences My Home page.
It allows to hide the device in the home view as an option. Navigate devices that you do not utilize frequently by blocking up the My Home page, but you still can be able to view the device by clicking the name of the room that it's located in.

Set Up Automation in the Home App

Automation allows you to perform device actions and group actions, or else whole scenes based on specific activities. You'll need a home hub for the automation.

To create an automation,

Tap the plus (+) icon and choose Add Automation. You can then select a trigger. Set up the specific trigger according to your choices.
Tap Next to add the devices.
Choose the settings that you want for those devices, then tap Done. Now your automation is ready for the next level.

Customization and Group Devices

Tap on the Home app.
Tap the Settings icon, in this part, you can customize the device by changing its name, the room it's related to, and which automation or scenes it's part of.
Also, you can add the device to a group.

This enables you to connect various smart devices and control them as if they were a single device. As an example, if you have a smart bulb in your ceiling light, although have another lamp in the same location, you may need to combine them into one group instead of seeing to it that both lights on My Home page, you'll just see the group. Turning the group on or off can turn both the ceiling light and lamp on or off simultaneously as per your requirements.

Why isn’t the Home Hub working?

Verify the firmware on your iPad, Apple TV, Home Pod, and Home Pod mini. ensure that you signed in to iCloud on your own iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Turn on iCloud Keychain (password management system) also two-factor authentication Apple ID. Check the device you set up as a home hub in your home.

Control devices with Siri or the Home App

Enable devices through the home app once they have been configured. My Home page will show all your device lists. By tapping the device icon on its tile, you can turn devices on or off.

To access the device controls, tap the tile's name. This enables you to have more control. For lights, as an example, you can select a color from the color wheel, adjust the brightness using a slider, or select a pre-set color.

You can easily manage your gadgets while you're not at home. If you forget to turn off the lights, simply tap the home app, and it will send the request to the home hub via the internet. Your light will then turn off when the hub sends the command to your device.

Conclusion

Home Pod The simplicity of setting up your Apple TV as a HomeKit hub improves the features and automation potential of your smart home appliances. You can create advanced automation scenarios, receive notifications, and remotely control your HomeKit devices by designating your Apple TV as a hub.

Make sure your Apple TV meets the required prerequisites for a HomeKit hub, such as model or latest, and running the most recent version of IOS, to smooth function.

FAQs about How to set up Apple TV as a HomeKit Hub

1) Can I use HomeKit without apple tv?

To operate a smart home, HomeKit doesn't require a hub or central device. To access some amazing features, you can add a hub such as an Apple TV or a Home Pod Mini, but all you really need is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2) Does Apple HomeKit require a hub?

Home Pod, Apple TV, and iPad are the hubs you'll need in your home if you want to use the Apple Home app for remote access controls, even though many HomeKit devices operate with standalone apps. Only devices within Bluetooth range or connected to the same Wi-Fi network can use the Apple Home app without a hub. You can also arrange and automate your HomeKit products with an Apple Home hub.

3) Is it necessary to Home Pod for HomeKit?

4) What is the generation of Apple TV to support the HomeKit hub?

Fourth generation and latest Apple TVs can perform HomeKit devices using Siri voice commands.

5) Is HomeKit free?

The Apple Home app is free, but you'll have to pay for the smart devices you'll set up if you don't already own them.