Alexa and Apple Homekit

Alexa is a great digital assistant that can help you control and interact with your smart devices more easily. If you are an avid Apple product user, then you probably have a few smart Apple devices around your home that you would like to use voice commands for. 

Can Alexa control Apple Homekit? There is no way to connect your Homekit with the Alexa digital assistant directly. However, you can link your iPhone with Alexa through an Echo speaker or other Apple devices by installing the Alexa app on your iPhone. 

Keep reading to learn how you can set up your iPhone to interact with Alexa and control your devices, along with some ways to troubleshoot some of the common problems that might come up. 

Can Alexa control Apple Homekit? 

Apple wants its users to use the built-in digital assistant Siri, so there’s no direct way to connect other digital assistants, like Alexa, to Apple devices.

However, if you would prefer to use Alexa either because you like Alexa more or want to control all your smart devices instead of just the Apple devices, you can connect Alexa to your iPhone through the app. 

Set up Alexa on Your iPhone

As long as you have iOS 11 or later, you can download the Amazon Alexa app to your iPhone. Once you have the app and open it, you should see a prompt on the screen to set up your devices. Click on the “Begin Setup” option, and you should be able to follow the directions to connect your devices to the app. 

Alexa uses “Skills” to connect with devices, so you must locate your Homekit in skills and download it. You will then be able to enable the device and start using voice commands whenever you want. 

Talking to Alexa through the app

Talking to Alexa through the app is the same as talking to Alexa through an Echo speaker. Tap the button at the bottom of the app and give your command.

You don’t even need to say “Alexa” beforehand if you press the button because it will immediately start listening.

You will need to open the app to communicate with your Homekit since Alexa won’t connect with the devices directly

Adding the Alexa widget to your home screen

To make it quick and easy for you to give Alexa voice commands through your iPhone, you can add the Alexa widget to your home screen.

To add the Alexa widget:

  1. Go to your home screen and press and hold on any widgets until the pop-up menu appears.
  2. Click the “Edit Home Screen” option.
  3. Select the “+” icon in the top left, then click the “Amazon Alexa” option. If you can’t find Alexa, then you can use the search bar. 
  4. Click “Add Widget” and use your finger to drag the widget to wherever you want it on your Home screen.
  5. Tap “Done” when you’re finished. 

Can you connect an Echo speaker to Homekit?

Now that you have the Amazon Alexa app on your iPhone, you should be able to connect your Echo speaker to the app and use that as a connection between the speaker and your Homekit.

Using an Echo speaker opens up how you can use voice commands since you can speak to the speaker as a signal for your Homekit to process a response.

Can Alexa control HomeKit scenes?

If you want more automation in the way that you are using Alexa to interact with your Homekit, then you can use an app called “Pushcut,” which will allow you to set a Homekit scene and set up a trigger phrase so you can automate the scene with a voice command. 

What are scenes in Homekit?

Scenes for the Homekit are much like the routines for Amazon products. You will be able to set a series of actions when you use a trigger phrase or start the scene manually.

You could put a “Night Time” scene simultaneously dimes the lights, closes the drapes, and adjust the thermostat. 

Can you use Alexa for other Apple devices?

Now that you have the Alexa app on your iPhone, you can connect Alexa with your other Apple products and not just your Homekit.

If you have an Apple TV, you can set it up as a skill in the Alexa app and use the app or your connecting Echo speaker to use voice commands to control your TV. 

Connecting your Apple TV to the Alexa app

If you decide that you want to add other Apple devices like your Apple TV to your Alexa app so you can control everything in one place, you will need to connect through Bluetooth.

To connect your Apple TV:

  1. Tell Alexa to turn on Bluetooth.
  2. Go to your Apple TV and open the Settings.
  3. Click on your Bluetooth settings.
  4. Select “Connect to Alexa.”

You should now be able to control your TV through the Alexa app and use your Echo speakers with your TV if you have them.

Note that you can only turn your Apple TV on and off, play or pause, and control the volume. If you want more control over your Apple TV through Alexa, you need the Harmony Hub Remote. 

Final Thoughts

Using Alexa is a far more versatile option than Siri because Alexa is compatible with more smart devices. It’s a way for you to control all of your smart devices from one digital assistant instead of using Siri for some but not all. Using both systems can be a great way always to have a digital assistant system if one isn’t working correctly. 

However, the Amazon Alexa app opens up more options for those that want to have various smart devices but still makes it easy to control them.

It can take a few more steps to get everything set up and connecting to one place, but once you have all your devices linking to Alexa, you will be able to control and interact with them easily. 

Check this article to Connect Apple Air Tags to Your Car.

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