HomeKit 101: this is how you make smart use of scenes in your smart home

For Apple users, HomeKit is the go-to platform to control your entire smart home. Once you’ve added all your smart devices to the Home app, it’s time to make smart use of scenes.

With a scene you can have multiple smart devices switched on or off at the same time. This can be done manually with the tap of a button, but also through automations. That saves you a lot of searching as the number of smart devices in your home increases. In this HomeKit article, we tell you exactly how to add a scene to the Home app.

Add scenes to Apple HomeKit

Open the Home app and tap the plus sign in the top right corner. Choose New scene. HomeKit will give you some suggestions for your scene, but you can also pre Amended to elect. In the latter case, give the scene a name and choose an icon by tapping on the house. You then add the desired smart devices via Add accessories.

Then you indicate what exactly should be done with these accessories. Tap the individual buttons to, for example, switch a specific lamp on or off or change the volume of a media device. Through Test this scene you can test live whether you have set everything up correctly. Make any necessary adjustments and tap when you’re done Ready.

Using scenes in practice

Every created scene appears in your overview. With one tap on the button you can switch the desired scene on or off, although you can of course also enlist the help of Siri. In addition to the Home app, HomeKit can also be operated via your Control Panel. It’s so easy to control multiple lights in your home or to get your mancave ready for a movie night.

You can also (de)activate the scenes by means of automations. Then a certain scene is applied, for example, based on a certain time, if movement is detected by a motion sensor or when you come home. To use automations, you must have a HomePod (mini) or Apple TV set up as a home hub.