Getting Started Quickstart
This page was designed to get you up and running as quickly as possible using HomeKit with Indigo. For additional information not covered here make sure you visit the Server Device page which goes into more detail than this guide.
Table Of Contents
- Before you begin
- Installing HomeKit Bridge
- Migrating from Homebridge Buddy
- Creating a HomeKit Accessory Server
- Publishing your devices and action groups to HomeKit
- Adding your new accessory to your HomeKit app
As of the current release, if you have been using Homebridge Buddy then please disable that for the installation. To disable the plugin go to your Plugins menu, select EPS - Homebridge Buddy and click Disable.
Homebridge Buddy will work just fine next to HomeKit Bridge but there have been some reports from users that when Homebridge Buddy is enabled during the initial installation that the configuration window for HomeKit Bridge doesn't appear just after the installation. Once you install HomeKit Bridge you can re-enable Homebridge Buddy.
If, for some reason, you didn't do this then simply open the plugin preferences for HomeKit Bridge and save them, this will ensure that your settings are intact.
Start by going to the Releases on Git and download the latest release. Particularly during the beta stages of this plugin you will want to make sure you are using the latest version.
Click on the Source code (zip) link to download the full Git source to your computer. On many Mac systems when this file is downloaded it will automatically extract the contents, if it doesn't simply double click the downloaded file to find the EPS HomeKit Bridge.indigoPlugin file.
On the computer running Indigo server double click the EPS HomeKit Bridge.indigoPlugin file and Indigo will prompt you to install HomeKit Bridge. You should then immediately see the plugin configuration window:
You can simply click Save to complete this step.
If you do not have Homebridge Buddy installed you can skip this step.
If you previously disabled Homebridge Buddy for the installation, you can re-enable it by going to your Plugins menu, select EPS - Homebridge Buddy and click Enable.
The migration feature is located in the Advanced Plugin Actions. To get to here click on your Plugins menu, select HomeKit Bridge and click Advanced Plugin Actions:
You'll see this window:
Drop down the field labeled Plugin Action at the bottom and select Migrate From Homebridge Buddy, then click the Execute button below it.
This will take a moment to read in your Homebridge Buddy configuration and import it into HomeKit Bridge. During this time it is possible, depending on how many devices you shared with Homebridge Buddy, that you'll get a timeout error in Indigo and this is normal behavior and will not impact your import.
Once completed you'll have a series of entries in your log file regarding the import and will have a new folder in your devices called HomeKit Bridge that will contain your converted servers.
This plugin is relatively simple in that the only thing you need in order to start using HomeKit is to create a device under this plugin. To do that you go to your devices and click New at the top of the list, on the window that appears you will select the Type as HomeKit Bridge and the Model as HomeKit Accessory Server:
The first screen you'll be brought to is the Server Options window (as indicated at the top of the window for the field Option Screen):
The only thing you need to change in this area is the field labeled HomeKit thermostats are. This represents if you want your HomeKit thermostats to be shown in Celsius or Fahrenheit. This will not do any conversions between Indigo and HomeKit, it's for the HomeKit user interface (UI).
You may now proceed to the next step.
From the server configuration window change Option Screen at the top of this window to Manage Devices and Action Groups and your screen will change to the following:
There is a lot going on here but it's pretty simple to figure out. Since this is a quick start we won't be going over every possible option, instead we are trying to get your first device added to HomeKit. In that light, this window is all ready to accept your first device.
Go to the bottom of the window and change the Device field to select a device you want to send to HomeKit. You can send up to 99 for each of these HomeKit Accessory Server devices you create and you can create as many servers as you need. Once you select your device you can leave the name as-is or you can change it so that it appears in HomeKit as a different name.
A Note About Naming: Bear in mind that you are not simply creating control pages here, you want your names to be something you'll remember and will be easy for Siri to understand. Calling something "Front Porch" might be easier than "Outside Front Porch Sconce Light". Also avoid using names that you know mean something else to Siri, such as "iTunes" or "Message".
Now that you have chosen a device and an alias, you are given the option to tell HomeKit what kind of device this is. In many, if not most, cases this is automatically detected for you but your circumstances may be different so you can change the type to be any supported type:
A Note About HomeKit Types: You'll notice that some devices say "3rd Party Only" or "Experimental". The 3rd party devices are devices that are not supported in Apple's Home app but are supported in other apps such as Eve. Experimental devices are devices that do not yet work at all and are still being developed.
Once you have made your selections, click Add To HomeKit to add the device, and you will then see it in the list above:
You can now click Save and your server is ready. It should automatically start as soon as it's been saved.
Adding to HomeKit is relatively simple. Start by opening your HomeKit app, such as Apple's Home app. You'll see a screen similar to the following:
Click on the Add Accessory button to add your new server. When you do you'll see this screen:
Select the option at the bottom labeled Don't Have a Code or Can't Scan, you'll then be shown a list of accessories that have not yet been attached to HomeKit:
Tap on the accessory that you want to add, in this case whatever you named your new server. The app will warn you that it is an uncertified accessory, just Add Anyway to proceed. It will now ask you to enter the HomeKit setup code:
All HomeKit Bridge servers will default to the same setup code: 031-45-154. As soon as you type that it will accept the code and add your server:
And you will now be asked to configure the devices attached to your new server:
Simply click next through each device you add until complete. In the future you won't see this window unless you add a new server as new devices will just appear inside of HomeKit. When complete your devices should show up in your HomeKit app:
Now you can either tap, tap-and-hold or dictate your commands. "Hey Siri, turn on the bedroom".
That's all there is to it!