{"id":1173,"date":"2015-06-28T10:26:21","date_gmt":"2015-06-28T14:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalmediaphile.com\/?p=1173"},"modified":"2015-06-28T14:15:20","modified_gmt":"2015-06-28T18:15:20","slug":"siri-homekit-commands-with-onoff-switches-and-lights-in-rooms-or-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalmediaphile.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/28\/siri-homekit-commands-with-onoff-switches-and-lights-in-rooms-or-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"Siri HomeKit Commands with On\/Off Switches and Lights in Rooms or Zones"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Apple\u2019s HomeKit powered hubs and devices are very new and the platform is fragile, but definitely is a promise of things to come. Early adopters are struggling with device control and finding precious little documentation to assist them. I\u2019ve had mostly good experiences, but I like over the bleeding edge technology and I like rolling up my sleeves to see what makes things tick or stop ticking. I want this platform to work. And I\u2019ve been digging in.<\/p>\n

Apple recently published a list of Siri HomeKit commands at https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT204893<\/a>. When looking at their list (below), I found myself scratching my head. Look at the number of times the word LIGHTS appear in the sample commands. I have 8 lights controlled by HomeKit compatible accessories, but many of the commands that use the word LIGHTS just are not working. Commands like \u201cTurn on the Living Room Lights\u201d or \u201cTurn on the Downstairs Lights\u201d resulted in failure.<\/p>\n

\"apple<\/p>\n

I did some thinking and realized that my downstairs lights are connected to Insteon On\/Off switches and NOT to Dimmers. And I began to suspect that this made a difference, since On\/Off switches could be connected to non lamp devices like Table Fans, etc.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, my hunch was correct. Omitting the word \u201cLights\u201d from the Siri commands made a huge difference. I have Rooms and Zones, and have been struggling for a few days to understand why Siri commands weren\u2019t working. I now have the answer. Here\u2019s a video that demo\u2019s what works and what doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n