If you’re tired of expensive home security system fees and searching for a HomePod in your home, you’ll be happy to know that you can DIY HomeKit automation.
Whether it’s the HomePod mini or the full-sized HomePod, Apple’s smart speaker can alert you when motion is detected. This is great for alerting you to potentially suspicious activity, such as a door opening in the middle of the night.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to create an alarm scene in the Home app on iOS and turn it into an automation to help secure your home.
what you need to get started
Along with discovering the HomePod or HomePod mini you already have setup in your home, before you can put Apple HomeKit devices to good use with automation, you’ll need a few other things — one of which is a sensor that will act as a trigger for you. alarm.
Compatible accessory types include door and window sensors, motion sensors, and cameras. HomeKit-enabled door and window sensors (sometimes referred to as contact sensors) are excellent for monitoring entry doors into your home because they attach directly to the entry point, usually via peel-and-stick adhesive.
HomeKit motion sensors provide coverage of large open areas, such as the living room or kitchen, by detecting movement in or around your home. There are plenty of HomeKit motion sensor options on the market, but if you’re up for a challenge, you can make a DIY motion sensor for Apple HomeKit that will work for an alarm.
HomeKit cameras, like motion sensors, can spot anyone lurking around your home and are best suited for outdoors. Most HomeKit cameras expose the motion sensor accessory to the Home app, which you can use for your alarm automation.
Lastly, you’ll also need an active subscription to Apple Music. It may initially sound a bit strange, but Apple’s subscription service unlocks the ability to play tracks through your Find HomePod via Home app automation. Thankfully, Apple’s streaming library is home to tons of different alarm sounds and sirens, which work great for a DIY security system.
Create a view to play the alarm
While you can skip straight to creating the alarm automation, you’ll want to create two views in the Home app to make the whole process easier. The first scene you create will play your alarm sound of choice through your Find HomePod.
After launching the Home app on your iOS device, tap the + near the top-right corner of your screen. Next, tap Add View, then tap Custom. Provide a name for your scene, then tap Add Accessories. Now tap on Find your HomePod (or Search HomePods if you have multiple), then Done.
HomeKit cameras, like motion sensors, can spot anyone lurking around your home and are best suited for outdoors. Most HomeKit cameras expose the motion sensor accessory to the Home app, which you can use for your alarm automation.
Lastly, you’ll also need an active subscription to Apple Music. It may initially sound a bit strange, but Apple’s subscription service unlocks the ability to play tracks through your Find HomePod via Home app automation. Thankfully, Apple’s streaming library is home to tons of different alarm sounds and sirens, which work great for a DIY security system.
On the next screen, tap Play Audio, then choose Audio. Now tap Apple Music, then use the search field to search for an alarm sound. If you need help tracking down a sound, try searching for sirens, alarms, and horns.
When you find a suitable sound, tap the + icon to add it to your scene. From here, you can fine-tune your automation by toggling the Repeat option, which will play your alarm sound indefinitely, and you can tap Set Custom Volume to have it play at your desired level. To save your scene, tap the back arrow and then Done.
Create a view to turn off the alarm
In case your alarm goes off, you’ll want an easy way for everyone in the house to turn it off (if you allow others to control your Apple HomeKit accessories.) While you can always turn off Siri on your Find HomePod. can ask to do. new alarm with your voice, you can even create a HomeKit scene that will turn it off with a single tap in the Home app.
Just like we did to create the alarm scene, start by tapping the + button in the Home app followed by Custom. Give your alarm off scene a name, then tap Add Accessories.
Build your alarm automation
Now it’s time to build your alarm automation in the Home app. Start by tapping + , then tap Add Automation. Now tap on A Sensor Detects Something followed by the sensor that you want to trigger your alarm.