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The iOS 16.1 update fixes the Weather function bug

After updating my iPhone to iOS 16.1, the AppleTV to tvOS 16.1 and the HomePod Mini to HomePod Software version 16.1, I was able to get the Current Weather and Weather Forecast functions to work in HomeKit automation shortcuts. However, just updating the software wasn’t enough. I had to delete and recreate the automations to …

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The power of the Format Date function and how to use it for shortcuts using time of day or sunrise/sunset (part 3)

Now it’s time to finally look at how we can use what we’ve done in part 1 and part 2, and add the ability to use offsets with sunrise and sunset time. When we’re talking about offsets, we mean using for example the time of the sunrise in a conditional but shifted by a predetermined …

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Workaround for the HomeKit shortcut bug in iOS 15 / tvOs 15

UPDATE: It appears that the bug has been fixed with iOS 15.1 / tvOS 15.1 / HomePod Software Version 15.1. There is a workaround for the HomeKit shortcut bug in iOS 15 / tvOS 15. The problem occurs in shortcuts using for instance brightness percentages values (of lights) or brightness lux values (from sensors) in …

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Some HomeKit Automations (using shortcuts) are broken in iOS 15 / tvOS 15

It seems like some HomeKit Automations are still broken in the release version of iOS 15 / tvOS 15. For instance, HomeKit shortcuts using conditional if statements where the brightness off a room (with a lux meter / motion sensor), or even the brightness of a lamp is checked, these conditionals are always interpreted as …

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The power of the Format Date function and how to use it for shortcuts using time of day or sunrise/sunset (part 2)

This is part two of the power of the Format Date function, and it will build on what we looked at in part 1. We’ll look at how we can utilize the Format Date function for use with the sunrise and sunset. In part three we’ll look at using this technique with offsets (for example if …

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The power of the Format Date function and how to use it for shortcuts using time of day or sunrise/sunset (part 1)

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 …

The power of the Format Date function and how to use it for shortcuts using time of day or sunrise/sunset (part 1) Read More »

Building a shortcut using conditionals with sunrise minus one hour, time of day and room brightness

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 …

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How to use a motion sensor to turn your lights off with HomeKit (but giving you a warning first) – More advanced version

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 …

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How to use a motion sensor to turn on and off your lights with HomeKit

Using motion sensors to turn your lights on and off is both comfortable and can help you save energy. This works best for areas in the home where you pass through, or rooms where you are not perfectly still for a longer period of time. We’ve got a small kitchen that is mostly used for …

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