Q: Apple's Home app has issues communicating
Any tips for getting the Home app to see other Homekit devices better? It feels very beta-like and buggy to me on iOS10.0.1.
The most annoying bug seems to be that it claims to get 'No Response' from various lights. As in, when you open the App it might be one to three or more devices that claim have 'No Response'. Sometimes pressing the device button a number of times restores it --but not always. In those cases I have to go to one of the other Apps from Philips or iDevices, etc. and toggle the light off and on. Then Home will show it and it will be usable. Unfortunately, after a while, I open Home and find other lights stuck in a 'No Response' state. It's like it doesn't try again if it has an issue. All I know is the other 3rd party Homekit apps I have don't have this communications issue.
The other thing annoying is my First Alert devices which claim to be HomeKit compatible and have the logo apparently aren't as far as Home goes. They work with the manufacturer's App and the 3rd party Apps but not with Home. It tells me it isn't compatible and that I need to update the firmware. The firmware is at the latest version on the First Alert devices. Sigh.
I get the feeling I'm going to be waiting for an iOS update before Apple's own Homekit App works smoothly.
Posted on Sep 15, 2016 2:02 AM