If you want a bit more customisation, the premium Home+ app is similar to the Home app but with more options for creating a personal dashboard.

There is a subscription required for cloud storage and AI features, although if you have an Arlo smart hub, this will allow you to store clips locally instead.This one requires a more advanced shortcut and a third-party app to provide custom, dynamic notifications. Both Controller and Puschut can do this depending on what other features you want to use. This level of complexity was something completely absent from HomeKit for a while, but we are starting to get the tools to build these more complex automation rules, although again, it’s not obvious at first glance. If you don't want to spend a small fortune on new HomeKit smart devices, one workaround is to buy one of the best smart plugs for HomeKit. This is a good option for smart home beginners and allows you to try smart features with regular, "dumb" devices. Is Apple Home the same as HomeKit?

Apple TV can also act as a HomeKit hub and you can use the Apple TV to trigger scenes. However, you can’t create new scenes or add accessories as there’s no Home app for the Apple TV just yet. My favourite device for making your curtains smart is the Switchbot curtain. This retrofits to your existing curtains and can be installed in minutes. Now that the inside of your home has had a Siri upgrade, now I want to share some smart devices for the garden, starting with some lighting. Meross have two smart plugs, one of them has the Apple-certified chip inside that allows it to connect to HomeKit, make sure you choose the correct plug when purchasing. If you want to see notifications for your HomeKit and Matter accessories on more than one device, turn on notifications on each device.The Thread support on this device means that it’s going to work incredibly well with HomeKit, ensuring that you get instant alerts when doors or windows are opened. Plus, with up to one year of standby time, you won’t have to worry about constantly replacing batteries or monitoring the device.