Hi everyone. I’m going to purchase lightbulbs and want to use it on my Apple HomeKit. I noticed some light bulb packages state it works with Siri shortcut. What is the difference between the Apple HomeKit and the Siri Shortcut, please? Thank you.
iPhone 13 Pro Max
With the Linkind and Sylvania bulbs, and also with the Linkind Matter Smart Plug power switch, add the accessory into the Home app by scanning the associated QR code with your iPhone or iPad.
None have needed a vendor app.
Home app gets the Apple hub updated entirely in the background; without any steps needed.
Ask the bulb vendors about that. AFAIK, there isn’t a difference.
You’ll best want bulbs that support Matter, which is the newer cross-platform standard.
I’ve had success with the Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulbs (which show up as Leedarson), and (older, pre-Matter) Sylvania LEDVANCE, among other products. This with Apple Matter-capable HomePod hubs.
Thank you for the response. You mentioned Linkind Matter, which I never heard of. I’ve only seen Philips Hue. I’m looking at these in the Home Depot or on Apple website. I would be using my Apple TV 4K as my hub.
Linkind is the brand name, Matter Smart Light Bulb is their device name.
Philips Hue wouldn’t be near the top of my list, due to their dependence on their own hub, and their own app.
Local preference is Apple hubs and no third-party apps.
Oh, okay, thank you for teaching me that. So, to clarify, I should purchase the Matter Smart lightbulb and use it with my Apple TV 4K as my hub. If I plug it into my lamp, will should work. I would just add it to my HomeKit on my iPhone. I don’t need to download another app for the lightbulb. Did I get this correctly, please? Thank you for your help on this by the way. 🙂
So if I buy the light bulb, I would have to buy the light switch too?
I understand the Apple hub and the HomeKit being connected. I just didn’t know I needed a light switch now in addition to the lightbulb. Please correct me if I am wrong. thank you for your time.
CraneJay wrote:
So if I buy the light bulb, I would have to buy the light switch too?
No.
I understand the Apple hub and the HomeKit being connected.
The hubs are boxes that maintain state as other devices — iPad and iPhone, for instance — come and go from a particular location.
HomeKit is how these devices can be programmed.
I just didn’t know I needed a light switch now in addition to the lightbulb. Please correct me if I am wrong.
The switch is useful for controlling devices not otherwise networked, and not remotely managed.
The switch is not necessary for the bulbs mentioned above.
You could use a switch to control decorations such as chains of electrical lights, or a grow light for your plants, or the lighting in a fish tank.
I have some boxes that occasionally lose the plot, and the switch is useful for resetting and restarting those boxes remotely.
Wrinkles:
The bulbs do need to be installed in sockets in fixtures that are physically switched on and powered on at all times, as otherwise the bulbs won’t have power for communications and control. This means that a desk lamp must be switched in at all times when remote control (on, dim, off, colors) is needed. The remote control via Home or via automations can turn off the light, but the physical switch in the light fixture needs to remain on.
The bulbs will usually turn on when first powered up, too. This means things can get quite bright during the power restoration after a local power grid power failure.
Lightbulbs for Apple HomeKit versus Siri Shortcut
