How do I keep track of a HomeKit only device inside of Home Assistant?

Configuration
1

I know this topic has been talked through a lot of times. I’ve searched through other questions, and can’t quite find a good answer as to if it’s truly possible, and how to do it.

I just got a Level Lock+ - the one that supports Apple Home Key. It is a BLE device with no gateway.
I have added it to HomeKit, and through my Apple TV and the Home app, I can get some status from it.

I do have the HomeKit integration in my HA. So I send status of some devices from HA to HomeKit.

Now I am trying to go the other way, using the HomeKit Controller integration to provide HA status of the Level Lock+. This is the first instance of the HomeKit Controller integration I have tried to use.
When I go to add the integration in HA, I do not see the Lock in the Device Selection list. Weirdly, I see the devices that I’m already sending to HomeKit via the HomeKit integration. The Level Lock+ is my only device that is actually setup in HomeKit only.

So this has two questions in it - first, I gather that there is something about this device that is causing HA to not “see” it in the HomeKit Controller list. Is that expected?

The second question is - fine, I can’t see it natively. But couldn’t I create a virtual device, expose that to HomeKit. Then use an automation in HomeKit to update that device’s status, and therefore have the status in HA? I tried an input_boolean first, but I can’t actually send that to HomeKit. Then I stumbled across templates, and I’m having a hard time figuring them out.

I suspect I can create a light template (I think it has to be a light for it to go to HomeKit). Then within HomeKit, turn the light on when the door is unlocked, and then turn the light off when the door is locked.
There is a state issue, if HA restarts, I don’t have a way of checking the state of the lock. But, I think I’m OK with that. As long as, the next time the lock is actuated, it reports it’s state to the light.

Am I on the right track here? Should I be seeing the lock in the HomeKit Controller and potentially keep troubleshooting that? OR is the template light the way to go?

I tried a few different templates and none seemed to work - is there a simple example that someone can share?

2

Maybe I gave too much information… I’ll have to find a way to condense my question.

3

I had to replace the lock today - for a moment, as I was setting up the new one, it appeared in the devices section of HA as Discovered and under the HomeKit Controller integration. Unfortunately, when I tried to click configure it told me the device was paired to something else already.

4

Did you get this working? My lock is otw and from reading the HomeKit integration page it seems that you should add it to HomeKit and then remove it. Then it will be on the network and available to pair to HA.

5

I have a HomeKit-only lock that is set up in HomeKit and not directly available to Home Assistant, so I built out a neat way to control it and get status updates into Home Assistant with some fake sensors.

The details and code are in this package: https://github.com/corbanmailloux/home-assistant-configuration/blob/3189ff3b4a64895d8737f7135c6b45c33a22703b/packages/lock_homekit_fake.yaml

6

I am in the same situation with my homekit lock. Where does your yaml need to be placed? in the config.yaml?

7

I believe the device needs to be removed from Apple HomeKit first.
Then it should be discovered automatically by home assistant through the HomeKit integration.
I have 4 Homekit devices in Home Assistant. I don’t have any apple products, so I have never had homekit. They just show up in Home Assistant and then you have to configure them.