HOOBS – Add any smart home device to HomeKit

If you’re passionate about smart home technology and want to connect your non-HomeKit compatible smart home devices to HomeKit? Then, this review is right for you.

Some of the biggest brands in a smart home are compatible with Apple HomeKit using third-party solutions. Now, I am going to introduce a fantastic device that can simplify the task of Homebridge. Let’s jump into HOOBS HomeKit Automation.

HOOBS Smart Home

And, it includes an SD card and the Homebridge software pre-install.  Also, HOOBS 4 is quickly stable and impressively good-looking with key UI elements. And, it packs with significant improvement to the overall experience.

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HOOBS is the smallest smart home server that I have ever seen. Smart plug of HOOBS fits in your pocket. Further, it runs locally on your WiFi router and gives you versatility and maximum connection around your home. And yeah! HOOBS is the number one solution for Homebridge. It has a web interface that simplifies installing plugins and configurations.

The Best alternative to Homebridge

HOOBS is the best alternative to open source Homebridge solution. Homebridge helps to bring non-HomeKit compatible devices into HomeKit compatible. You can control all the non HomeKit compatible smart devices within the Apple Home application such as Ring doorbell, Nest Thermostat, or Samsung SmartThings sensors using Homebridge.

Also, Athom Bridge is another best alternatives to Homebridge. However, Homebridge troubleshooting takes a long time and you need some coding experience to install Homebridge. If you are new to HomeKit or you don’t have a lot of coding experience, HOOBS is especially for you. It makes all these things easier. Also, they aim to simplify and make the Homebridge ecosystem more user-friendly.

If you like to create a HOOBS device with the downloadable HOOBS image and your own Pi, you can create it yourself easily. It allows home automation systems to communicate with each other. Also, there are over 2000 plugins for many devices that bring compatibility. So, you can add any Smart Home Devices to Apple HomeKit using HOOBS.

Technical Specs of HOOBS Box

• WiFi - BCM43438 wireless LAN
• Bluetooth – Bluetooth Low Energy
• Ethernet – 100mBlt Base Ethernet
• CPU – Quad Core 1.2GHz 64bit
• Memory – 1GB RAM, 16GB Flash Memory

Key Features of HOOBS Box

Dashboard – The Dashboard of the HOOBS allows customizing what is important to you. Also, you can add accessories, widgets to your dashboard.

Accessories- The screen of the accessories allows you to control the view and arrange your home’s accessories into your rooms.

Logs – This logs screen shows you what is going on with your HOOBS device.  The plugin and bridge labels are clickable. So, they give direct access to the plugins and bridge responsible for the log message.

Bridges- The bridge screen allows isolating plugins from each other. You can create a new bridge by default by installing a plugin. Also, HOOBS Bridge is a complete Homebridge instance with isolated configurations and plugins.

Plugins – The screen of the HOOBS plugin allows you to install, remove and update plugins from the system. It also supports Homebridge plugins.

Configuration- The Configuration screen lets you change all the plugins and the hub settings.

Why do you want HOOBS for HomeKit?

There are many more reasons to choose this smart buddy.

• Easy to use for everyone
• Set it up in minutes with a plug-and-play solution
• HOOBS community provides HOOBS customers to get free support with plugin configuration
• More than 2000 plugins to select from bringing compatibility for many smart home devices on the market.

Do You know? there are more than 300000 users all around the world including automating homes and businesses.  Also,  HOOBS in a Box starter Kit comes with everything you will need to set this up including HOOBS in a Box, Power Adapter, Ethernet Cable, and Micro USB Cable.

New HOOBS Pro is coming in March of 2023

Build on future proof technologies

• Wi-Fi - Dual band 2.4 , 5GHz 3,000+ plugins available
• Thread - Thread Border Router for your home network
• Matter - Make all your current and future devices Matter compatible
• Zigbee - Zigbee 3.0 hub 2,400+ Zigbee accessories
• Bluetooth - Bluetooth v5.0 70+ plugins available

Also, you can pair your smart home devices directly with tread and zigbee mesh networking capabilities. What other features?

• Powerfull hardware (CPU - 1.6GHz, RAM - 2GB, 16 GB Ultra Fast Embedded Storage)
• Connected locally
• Device auto-discovery
• Direct accessory pairing
• Guided configuration
• Plug and play solution
• USB-C
• 1GB ethernet
• 2 x USB 3.1 for future expansion

It is a great way to build strong foundation in 2023 with a new cloud service and automation technology. Also, it is available for pre order now.

HOOBS HomeKit Plugins

Ring HOOBS plugin

It provides a platform for Ring camera, Ring Doorbell, Ring Alarm system, Ring lighting system, and 3rd party devices that connect to the Ring Alarm System. All you need to do is install the Ring plugin and log in with the Ring login credentials on the plugin configuration page to connect to the Ring server. Once your Ring devices are linked, you can continue adding the Ring devices using the Apple Home App. They will appear in Apple Home App automatically, no manual adding is needed.

Check out How to add Ring Smart Devices to Apple HomeKit using HOOBS to know more about Ring HOOBS plugin.

Nest HOOBS plugin

It provides a platform for Nest Thermostat, Nest Protect, Temperature sensors, Nest x Yale Lock devices into your Apple Home System. Currently, this plugin supports all these devices including the EU/UK model of the thermostat. Also, you can configure this plugin from the configuration screen in the HOOBS UI. If you want advanced configuration, you can go to the Advanced configuration section further.

Other HOOBS Plugins

• myQ HOOBS Plugin
• Hue HOOBS Plugin
• Shelly HOOBS Plugin
• WeMo HOOBS Plugin
• Alexa HOOBS Plugin
• Blink HOOBS Plugin
• Vivint HOOBS Plugin

Instead, if you're more into Tuya Smart Devices, you can find How to add Tuya devices to Apple HomeKit using HOOBS.

How to set up HOOBS?

Initial setup is easy. It takes only a few minutes. You just want to plug the HOOBS box into an outlet, and then connect HOOBS to your router with the included Ethernet cable.

You can set up the box either using a WiFi connection or an Ethernet connection. After then you need to launch the HOOBS UI through a browser. It also can be done on iPhone, computer, or iPad.

After opening the browser, you want to type hoobs.local on the URL tab. You'll need to create an account first. But once you're in, you can start installing plugins. You want to get your box set up with HomeKit. Once HOOBS is up and running, you can add it to HomeKit just like any other HomeKit device. In the Home app, pick ‘Add Accessory,' scan or put in the HomeKit code.

Once you've added it to HomeKit, you'll find it listed under "bridges" in your home's settings (Home Icon > Home Settings...> Select Home > Hubs & Bridges > Bridges). When you click on the bridge, it shows you the device's settings, including the room it's in, the accessories it's connected to, the serial number, and the firmware version.

You'll also see that it informs you of the state of HomeKit certification, which is now uncertified. If you haven't figured it out yet, any devices that go through HOOB/HomeBridge aren't natively HomeKit compatible. Hence, they rely on HomeBridge to get into HomeKit in the first place, which isn't certified by Apple.

You can use the web interface for any tasks that require the use of HOOBS, and while the iPhone version is useful for a variety of tasks.

How to set up Homebridge easily with an app?

With the Homemanager App and HOOBS, you can easily Set Up and Manage Homebridge Right from Your iPhone or iPad.

Now you can able to maintain and set up Homebridge from your iPhone or iPad using the Homemanager app. It is a community-driven app down to community-determined pricing and enhancements.

• Homemanager App for Homebridge

Firstly, you want to download the Homemanager app from the app store. It supports multiple platforms. After downloading, you can open the app and also enter user credentials. After that, you can select an existing Homebridge setup.

You can select to connect HOOBS to your smart home network through WiFi or Ethernet. You have to wait for a few minutes until HOOBS installs. The app will help you to connect to the HOOBS server. After then, click search. You add your admin account once successfully connected. And then you can Add HOOBS bridge to HomeKit and Adding a Plugin to HomeKit.

Is HOOBS worth money?

You should buy this if you want to add HomeKit to non-compatible accessories or you are looking to buy devices that don’t support to HomeKit, then the HOOBS is worth considering.  You will be able to integrate major smart home devices into your smart homes like Nest, Ring, and more.  

If you don’t want to hassle with setting up Homebridge, HOOBS is right for you. Homebridge requires extra hardware like a Raspberry Pi as well as installation always-on Mac/PC. Also, the installation and configuration process may be tough with terminal commands and editing.

You can do an experiment with virtual HomeKit accessories with HOOBS. So, it is an incredibly useful tool that wants to automate every aspect of your home. Also, you can create virtual switches and a virtual alarm system using your existing sensor and speaker. When we consider its cost, it is only $255.88.

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Our pick

The HOOBS starter kit is actually worth a look. It is a tiny little box. and it does all the work for you. Also, it has thousands of accessory plugins and easy to use interface. All you need to do is a few clicks to add HomeKit accessories like Nest Thermostat and Ring doorbells to the Home App. It makes an easy recommendation for every user.

Otherwise, if you are keen to build your smart home with Homebridge, it is time to connect your all non-Homekit accessories to the Homebridge. It provides user-friendly home automation for everyone.