In this post I want to spotlight the Format Date function, which is very useful and makes using time in shortcuts a breeze. I’ll explain how you can use it with a shortcut example. What is the Format Date function? 🤔 The Format Date function formats date values as the name implies. However, it also […]
Keith, a reader of this blog, had a rather interesting problem he was trying to solve, and as I was taking a look at it, I thought the solution could help many with how to break down a trickier problem into smaller bits. What do we want to do? Use a Hue Motion Sensor to
There have been some questions in the comments about what the longest possible duration a HomeKit can run. For what purpose would you need to use a shortcut that takes many minutes you might ask. Well, especially if you’re using motion sensors (or other sensors) for turning things (most probably lights) on and off, you
What is the maximal duration for a HomeKit shortcut? Read More »
When you get into HomeKit accessories, you’ll probably get a few smart switches or buttons to control your lights and other devices so that you don’t have to use your voice or phone every time you want to turn on a light. You also have the idea that this will make everything more spouse and
Using a label printer to customize your HomeKit compatible switches and buttons Read More »
In this post, we’ll have a look at how we can use a motion sensor to turn your lights off with HomeKit, but not before giving you a warning before doing so. I suggest that you start by looking at an earlier post about how to use a motion sensor to turn on and off
This is my prediction on where HomeKit and the smart home will be in 10 years. I admit it is quite optimistic and perhaps even borders on science fiction, but I do think a lot will have changed in 2030. I’ll start by listing the reasons for the change. The impact of artificial intelligence (AI)
Where will HomeKit / the smart home be in 10 years? Read More »
I was asked to create a HomeKit automation that turns on a certain light at 4:30AM if the sun has not already risen. This is a good exercise to play with Weather and the wealth of useful information therein. We’ll start by opening either the Home or Shortcuts app. We then choose Automation (at the
Using both time of day and sunrise as a criteria in a shortcut Read More »
If you’re using your AppleTV as a hub for HomeKit and you got bitten by the bug in tvOS 13.3 that broke HomeKit automation shortcuts, you’ll be happy to know that it has now been fixed in the tvOS 13.3.1 update. If you held off from updating to tvOS 13.3, you’re now safe to get
Fixed: tvOS 13.3.1 fixes problems with HomeKit automation shortcuts Read More »
Apple, Amazon, Google and Zigbee Alliance will develop and promote the adoption of a new, royalty-free connectivity standard to increase compatibility among smart home products, with security as a fundamental design principle. The members of the Zigbee Alliance are companieas such as IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting),
If you’re using your AppleTV as a hub for HomeKit, and you’re running shortcuts in automations, you should probably hold off on updating to tvOS 13.3. I’m not sure if the same is true for the HomePod. In my case, it broke all the shortcuts I’m triggering from Hue Dimmer Switches and Hue Motion Sensors.
Warning: tvOS 13.3 breaks HomeKit automation shortcuts Read More »