It’s December again, which means you’ll probably be getting the Christmas lights from the attic again (soon). Do you want to make things easier for yourself this year? Read how to connect the Christmas lights with HomeKit.
Tip: Link Christmas lights with HomeKit
In the dark winter days you make it extra cozy at home by hanging Christmas lights. But turning everything on and off daily can be a bit of a hassle. Fortunately, it is possible to link your Christmas lights with HomeKit, so that you can control all your lighting via your iPhone with one press of a button.
Because most Christmas lights are not made ‘smart’ by themselves, you do need a smart plug first. A good example of this is the Philips Hue Smart Plug. This is a handy and relatively cheap solution to be able to control your regular Christmas lights via your iPhone. That is how it works:
- Plug your Christmas lights into a smart plug, and then plug it into the wall socket;
- Add the smart plug to your HomeKit accessories;
You do this by tapping ‘Add accessory’ in the Home app and scanning the HomeKit barcode of the product.
- From now on you can switch on the Christmas lights via your Home app.
You can then also automate the lighting. You can do that very easily in the Home app.
- In the Home app, go to the ‘Automation’ tab and tap the plus sign;
- Choose when the automation should take place. You can choose from a location, a time or a HomeKit device that turns on or off;
- Then select the lighting that should go on at a specific time, for example in the morning when you come down. Here you can also adjust things like brightness;
- Confirm the automation by tapping ‘Done’.
Such automation is also useful for outdoor lighting. For example, set the Christmas lights that you hang outside to go out at sunrise or when you go to bed.
More about HomeKit
Would you like to know more about HomeKit and what you can do with it? Then read our handy HomeKit guide. You also read on iPhone how to create scenes in the Home app, so that you can make your home even smarter. Below you will find more articles about HomeKit:
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HomeKit: 5 tips for smarter operation of your smart home
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HomeKit vs Google Home: the best option for your smart home
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Tip: This is how you create scenes in the Home app (and this is how you automate them)
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Using the intercom: This is how you talk to roommates via Apple devices
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Apple Pay, HomeKit and more: you can do all this with the nfc chip in your iPhone