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Home automation: control your smart gadgets in iOS

If you have any HomeKit-enabled smart devices such as lights or thermostats, you can control them from the iOS Home app.

To add a new device, open Home, press the + in the top right and choose Add Accessory. Depending on the device, you can quickly pair the device with the Home app by either scanning a printed QR code on the packaging or simply holding your iPhone near the accessory.

Scenes are used to group multiple devices together. To create a new one, press the + in the top right and choose Add Scene. Choose one of the default scenes, or tap Custom to create one from scratch. You can then Add Accessories and tweak the settings to your liking. Hit Done when you’re finished.

Tap the Rooms tab to view your devices organized by the physical room they’re in. This view only shows one room at a time. You can swipe left or right to move between rooms, or tap the menu button in the top left to select one directly. Press Edit and then tap the > next to the name of the room to change its configuration.

Automation

The Automation tab in Home includes some very powerful workflows. Depending on your exact setup and the devices you own, you can create special events that are automatically triggered.

This could be as simple as automatically turning all the lights off when you leave the house, or fading them on when you wake up in the morning. You can also set one accessory to trigger others, or have something occur when motion or smoke is detected. There’s a lot to experiment with here!