Please help me understand how HomePod, HomeKit, and Bridge fit in with HA

I have Google Home and Echo integrated via Nabu Casa. I carry an Android phone (+WearOS) and an iPhone (and now Watch too). I’ve stayed away from Apple for a long time, but need something new to play with.

For some time, my HA has the “HomeKit Device” integration with a couple TVs and Ecobee connected to the integration. Ecobee is also separately integrated in HA. I realize some of this is redundant, but it does not bother me.

Within its walled-garden, I can understand that HomePod work similarly to Google Home or Echo, where HomeKit is the protocol(?) that supported devices can interact. But now that I just got a HomePod Mini (something else to play with), I’d like to get clear on a few things.

  1. HA discovered the HomePod Mini via the Apple TV integration. Is this correct? I thought there is a separate HomePod integration?

  2. The existing “HomeKit Devices” integration: If I understand it correctly, it does not emulate a HomePod, but it does allow HA to control devices that speak Homekit. Is that correct? If this is true, why do I need a HomePod? Is it so that an iPhone/iPad/Watch/Siri can control HomeKit devices (and leverage shortcuts) via the Apple Home app?

  3. Now that I have a HomePod Mini, I presume it would be beneficial to transfer the devices associated with the HomeKit Devices integration to the HomePod Mini integration once it is set up? If yes, what is the proper way to do that?

  4. Then there is the HomeKit Bridge. I understand that it can expose other non-HK HA devices to HomeKit to be controlled via the HK fabric. I presume a HomePod is required to use the Bridge? Is this correct? And this is why someone would want to integrate HomePod into Home Assistant?

Thanks for any information.

Nope. Just the Apple TV integration (basically, it’s a cover for the device under the media_player domain).

Correct. In your case (for this and #3), if you want to be able to control the devices in Homekit itself (and thus through the Homepod), you’ll have to remove (unpair) them from HA and then re-pair them in Homekit. Typically, aside from my Aqara FP2 sensors, I don’t buy anything that ONLY operates in Homekit as I’d rather have them native in HA and then expose them to Homekit through a bridge. HA is my one source for all devices and I allow it to share out those devices to Homekit; Not the other way around.

Actually, a HomePod (or ATV or iPad) is only required if you want to control the devices in Homekit outside of your local network. The Homepod/ATV/iPad bridge allows you to use Homekit remotely and that’s pretty much it. You can still use Homekit from an iPhone without a Homepod/ATV/iPad. IIRC, once you add the HA bridge to Homekit, it emulates the same behavior, but I’ve never tested that as I have multiple ATVs and iPads that serve as bridges.

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Thanks very much for all the explanations. I appreciate you taking the time.

Since I have HA, Nabu Casa, and no HK-only devices, I am now wondering why I thought I needed a HomePod lol. If I recall correctly, previous to the HomePod being added to my iPhone, I was not able to add a HK accessory via the iPhone’s Home app (I could be wrong about this). Also, I wonder if I could create iPhone Home app automation shortcuts without a Pod?

If the above is true, with HA and Nabu, to create home automation shortcuts using the iPhone Home app, I really just need to install the HK Bridge if I don’t intend to play music or do anything else with the HomePod?

Well, it does give you an easy way to do voice control with Siri (works most of the time lol).

Honestly? I’m not sure. The only “native” HK devices I have is an ecobee, some Aqara FP2 sensors and a few Vizio TVs. None of them are setup natively in HK. As for Home automation shortcuts… ugh, Home SUCKS when it comes to anything more than notifications and basic on/off functionality. I tried for a while to get Home to bend to my will and do things like motion lighting (I was bored) and it was so lacking that I gave up on it after about 10 minutes.

AFAIK, that’s the case, but as I said above, Home’s “automations” are so basic compared to HA. I basically use Home as a notification system when my doors lock/unlock and a few other things like location triggers and “turn on light when door opens/closes”. That’s pretty much it. There’s no if/else logic, no way to check other sensors, etc. It’s very, VERY basic compared to HA automations.

For me, the only reason I expose devices to Homekit is because of the UI and being able to quickly flip on or off a light without having to go into HA. The summary view is nice for a quick glance of temps, security, contacts, motion, etc. But, that’s pretty much all I use it for. One thing I will say that Homekit beats HA is in Scene management. The scene editing and execution is really good in Homekit (imho).

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Thanks very much @code-in-progress! I will tinker around and report back if I learn something interesting. I agree with the Shortcuts limitations. I digress: The one helpful thing is that the watch can respond to text messages or send text messages (I use my Android phone to control my iPhone. This way, I can use my Android watch to trigger DND on Android phone, then through Tasker, a message is sent to the iPhone so that it too, sets itself on DND). I know I can do this via HA but decided that SMS is more reliable.

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@code-in-progress I read this reddit post to enhance my understanding.

Am I correct to say that even without a HomePod, one can add HomeKit devices to the Apple Home fabric using an iPhone or iPad (and obviously no remote access)? What I read was that the HK ecosystem exists in the (presumably) Apple cloud, which means even if I had no HA and just an iPhone, I can add HK devices via my iPhone’s Home app and any other iPhone that is a part of my home can access these devices? If the foregoing is correct, it answers the question why a HomePod is only needed for remote access (and Siri, BT devices, etc.).

In this case, since my home automation is HA, I can use the HK controller to attach HK devices to HA, use HK bridge to expose HA-attached devices to HK (including the HK devices attached via the HK controller) so my iPhone can “see” them as HK devices. I can then use, if I needed to, any Apple Home scenes, iPhone shortcuts, etc. HomePod is not needed at all if I don’t use Siri, HK-only BT devices, etc. All true?

Thanks for indulging my questions.

Yup, exactly.

Yup! All true. HK has a couple of redeeming features when leveraged with HA, the worst being automations in HK (no, really, they just suck compared to HA automations lol). But for status and notifications, HK really shines imho.

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Thank you, @code-in-progress!!

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