With the new iPhones come brand-new features. Starting this week Apple Home Kit users will enjoy a variety of features thanks to iOS 15 Home Pod 15, TV OS 15, and watch OS 8 software updates. Apple confirms that the updates are all available at the exact same time, on September 20th.
So, if you’ve ever been overjoyed by the possibility of an unlimited number of Home Kit Secure Video cameras, the Home Pod Mini as a speaker to connect to your Apple TV 4K, or the possibility to hear your doorbell through an Apple Watch, you’re in good company.
This is a brief overview of the latest Home Kit and Home Kit-related features coming out on Monday.
CONTROL YOUR APPLE TV SIRI on HOMEPOD MINI
In addition, you’ll be able to make use of Siri with the Home Pod Mini to turn your Apple TV on and off, begin an individual show or film or movie, or to have it playback paused or resumed for you. This feature has been available as a function in the Amazon Alexa Smart Speakers and the Google Assistant’s for quite a time (when coupled with the Fire TV device or Chrome cast) we’re thrilled to have Apple is bringing Siri’s mini speaker up to the same level.
SET YOUR HOME POD MINI AS YOUR APPLE TV SPEAKER
A pair or a single Home Pod Minis is now the Apple TV’s standard speaker. This function was previously only available for the original (now removed) Home Pod, but now it’s accessible to Apple’s smaller (and not being discontinued) Smart Speaker. Furthermore, it’s possible that the Home Pod Mini can be the output of other audio devices that use the ARC or eARC interface in the event that your TV is equipped with these inputs.
Do you have your Home Kit camera’s spot PACKAGINGS?
Security cameras that are connected with the Apple’s Home Kit Secure Video (Apple’s option to save videos from smart cameras) via the use of an Apple TV 4K as well as Home Pod Mini can now tell that they have seen the presence of a package. It’s in addition animals, people, and vehicle detection. This can increase the effectiveness of both HKSV compatible doorbells for residential use currently on the market – The Logitech View and the Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell.
You can view multiple Home Kit cameras on your Apple TV
Apple TV Apple TV can now stream multiple streams via Your Home Kit cameras rather than just one, which means you can observe your surroundings on the large screen. It also offers the control of any nearby devices like a light for your porch and porch light, so you can switch on the lights with the remote, without needing to take out your phone.
ADD FREE HOMEKIT SECURE VIDEO CAMERAS
With regard to multiple cameras, thanks to the iOS15 update to both your iPhone and iPad you are now able to add unlimited cameras in Home Kit Secure Video if you subscribe to the new I Cloud Plus 2TB service ($9.99 per month). In the past, there was a limit of 5 cameras. Limit and it’s a little limitation if you’re looking to protect the interior and exterior of your home by using cameras.
Talk to Siri in a variety of places
The voice assistant will soon be available on other speakers that are enabled for Home Kit accessories. For now, the Eco bee smart thermostat remains the one confirmed accessory to date, and this feature isn’t expected to be operational for a few weeks more as per Eco bee. However, it’s likely that more models are coming soon, allowing users to speak to Siri to manage smart home appliances such as alarms, timers, and timers and also utilize the intercom feature in additional rooms of your home. You’ll still need to connect the Home Pod Mini to the same network in order for it to transmit the commands.
SEND SIRI A COMMANDMENT IN THE FUTURE
Siri is becoming more sophisticated about home control, including the capability to instruct Siri to perform something in the future or based on an incident. This means that you’ll be able to ask Siri for commands like “Hey Siri, turn off the lights after I leave the house,” or “Hey Siri please turn off the TV when it’s six p.m.”
CONTROL YOUR HOME WITH YOUR wrist
When you upgrade to Watch OS 8, the Apple Home app receives a much-needed overhaul. If you use individual accessories, as well as Home Kit Scenes, the device will make use of context to determine the items to display to control. You can now also watch Home Kit-enabled camera feeds on the doorbell camera right from your wrist. You can also utilize the Intercom to broadcast messages to your entire home and individual rooms, as well as personal devices.
To upgrade to the latest version of your Home Pod or Home Pod Mini software, go to Home Settings within the Apple Home app (you can disable the automatic update here). In order to update the Apple TV 4K, look for the settings menu of your device. For an Apple Watch, use the Watch app on your iPhone or the settings application on the watch itself.
Update 8.26 am ET 19th September 2021:
Confirmed that the article refers to Siri on the Home Pod Mini, not the Home Pod, which has been discontinued. Home Pod which controls Siri on the Apple TV. Updated the article to include the fact about it is possible that the Home Pod Mini can also be the audio output of other devices via ARC / eArc. It was clarified that the latest feature that allows access to Scenes and accessories in Apple Watch is that the Home app provides relevant accessories and scenes using contextual.
Correction: 8:26 AM Eastern Time September 18th, 2021:
An earlier version of this story stated that the update would let you see camera feeds on your wrist and can open doors using Home Kit to access the Apple TV. While you can already access videos via Apple Watch. However, with Apple Watch, the update includes the capability to view feeds from cameras for doorbells. It is only possible to control security devices like door locks with an individual device, and not via an interface like the Apple TV interface. We apologize for the mistakes.
