How iTrust Home Services and Apple HomeKit can make your home work for you with easy-to-understand and use smart home technology.

Smart Home Technology Is Here to Stay

It wasn’t long ago that smart home technology was considered futuristic. Even as this type of technology has broken into the mainstream, many people are intimidated by it. Despite the fact that smart home technology seems confusing and difficult to use, nothing could be further from the truth.

Smart home technology isn’t a passing trend, it’s here to stay. At iTrust Home Services, we would like to introduce you and your home to the convenience, security, and fun that smart home technology has to offer with the Apple HomeKit.

The Not-So-Smart Home Market

The smart home technology market is saturated with products that claim to make your home easier to operate; from smart doorbells and security systems to AI (artificial intelligence) and smart thermostats. Unfortunately, if you are out shopping for smart home equipment, you have no idea which product is compatible with what.

As a result, you end up with all of these convenient smart home products, 20 different apps on your phone to control those products yet a home that isn’t working seamlessly and in unison. Fortunately, there is one solution that will cut the complication, stop the frustration and marry those single products into one, easy-to-use app; the Apple HomeKit.

Apple HomeKit

Apple HomeKit is a framework, created by Apple, that allows the user to access all of their smart home features through a single iOS app. Most importantly, this smart home solution has the ability to work with other brands of smart home products like Ring doorbells and more.

Apple HomeKit Advantages

Having iTrust Home Services install an Apple HomeKit into your home has many advantages compared to other smart home products. Some advantages of the Apple HomeKit are:

Apple HomeKit can simplify and streamline several smart home automated products into a single, easy-to-use smart home device. Apple currently has more than 100 compatible home automation brands and is adding more on a continuous basis.
Build as you go with the Apple HomeKit. Maybe you’re not ready for whole-home automation or it isn’t in your financial plan at this time. The Apple HomeKit allows you to start with one automated product and add more as you desire.
Extremely easy set up is offered by iTrust’s smart home technician. He will install your new Apple HomeKit, connect all compatible devices and walk you through how to use your new smart home features.
Even if you have 8 compatible smart home products and their corresponding phone apps, the Apple HomeKit eliminates those 8 phone apps and streamlines control into a single app.

HomeKit Features

Hands holding and touch screen of smart phone on house backgrounds — With smart home technology, you can control your home with one simple phone app.

Apple HomeKit has many exceptional features that allow your home to run more efficiently, keep your home and family safe and provide you the peace of mind every homeowner wants. Most notably, it’s a techie’s dream come true! Take a look at these fantastic features:

Whole Home Control:

Apple HomeKit can control your entire home. With smart home product compatibility and a streamlined system, you can operate your home lighting, internet, thermostat, blinds and shades, doorbell, security system and more.

Safe and Secure:

Security is one of Apple HomeKit’s top priorities. Apple HomeKit has 5 essential security mechanisms that are guaranteed against 3rd party intrusions of your network. Every device in your home can be set to communicate solely with HomeKit, eliminating any outside connections and keeping hackers at bay. The second level of security gives you the freedom to choose which home devices you allow to connect to the internet.

Comfort and Convenience:

Apple HomeKit gives you comfort and convenience by allowing you to set up “scenes” using your iOS device. For instance, you can set a morning scene (i.e. “Good Morning”) with several lights programmed to come on when you typically awake and at a specific brightness level.

With a simple push of a button or voice command, you can dim the lights, pull the blinds and play smooth jazz music. Customize your scenes for when you are coming home, leaving home, going to bed or having a movie night with the kids.

Smart Home Features, No Hub Necessary:

The Apple HomeKit can operate everything within your home, from your home. The HomeKit operates on your home’s personal Wi-Fi, allowing you to connect all of your compatible devices and control your lights, ceiling fans, thermostat and more.

An Apple HomeKit Hub is necessary to use voice commands and to have access to any of your smart home features outside of your home network. We will discuss Apple HomeKit Hubs and the HomePod in more detail below.

Communicate with Your Smart Home from Anywhere

We have discussed how Apple HomeKit can turn your home into an easy-to-use and efficient smart home. However, your HomeKit capabilities are limited to your home’s Wi-Fi network. Fortunately, the addition of an Apple Hub can add numerous features and conveniences as well as allowing you to access your smart home from anywhere.

What is a HomeKit Hub?

A HomeKit hub can be an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD with the latest version of tvOS, or an iPad with the latest version of iOS. You can also use an Apple HomePod as your hub (more on the Apple HomePod later).

Either of these choices will allow you to connect to the internet outside of your home as long as you leave that device at home and powered on. This enables you to use your Apple HomeKit phone app to communicate with all of your smart home features while you are away from home.

Voice Control with the Apple HomeKit Hub

Not only does having a HomeKit hub give you the ability to control your smart home products from anywhere, but it also gives you voice command control. Therefore, you are able to control your lights, thermostat, landscape lighting, and pre-set scenes by simply telling Siri what you want.

A great example of this feature is using your personalized scenes. Let’s say you have a scene set for when you are leaving the house. With one simple command, “Hey Siri, goodbye.” Siri’s AI technology reads your scene requirements and turns off all of the lights, closes your shades, turns down the thermostat, turns on the outdoor lighting and locks all of your doors.

Control Your Home While Away from Home

With the Apple HomeKit and Hub remote access option, you can monitor and control your home from anywhere in the world. A great example is iTrust’s home environment monitoring which will alert you to problems inside your home such as a water leak. In addition, a video doorbell will allow you to see and speak to anyone who comes to your door unannounced, giving your home that extra layer of security when you are away.

Ultimately, the Apple HomeKit and Hub bring your home into the modern world with seamless integration. With the capability to add more products and features, your home will be a place you will love spending time in and showing off. One of the best Apple products by far is the Apple HomeKit HomePod.

Add the Apple HomeKit HomePod

The Apple HomePod is a 7-inch speaker that ties in all of your Apple HomeKit smart home features allowing you to access Siri and give voice commands from anywhere in the room. Did the kids leave the lights on in the family room again? Simply tell Siri to turn off the family room lights and you won’t miss a second of your show.

HomePod Features

The Apple HomePod has 6 built-in microphones with noise and echo cancellation so your voice commands can be heard clearly, even while listening to music or if you’re in an adjoining room. Simply say, “Hey Siri.”, and she is listening, waiting for your command.
With lightning-fast real-time searching, your HomePod and Siri can give you the information you want when you need it. For example, you can ask for weather conditions, a recipe while you’re cooking or how to build a working volcano for your son’s science project.

Outrageous Sound

The Apple HomeKit HomePod delivers phenomenal sound. It has a deep bass range even when it’s set at a lower volume because of the top set woofer.
7 tweeters set directionally within the HomePod give you 360-degree, crisp, clear sound.
The HomePod also reads the room with a feature called “spatial awareness”. It measures the room from wall-to-wall and ceiling to floor then analyzes where your furniture is placed in the room. The HomePod then sends the music and voices into the center of the room while wrapping the outer portion of the room with ambient sounds for a whole-room music and audio experience.

Music for the Entire Family

With Apple Music and Siri, your HomePod gives you access to over 60 million music titles.
The Apple HomeKit HomePod learns the music you like and will make suggestions, compile playlists and introduce you to music you’ve never heard before.
Add a HomePod to the family room, kitchen and kids’ room and enjoy classic rock, country, classical or Disney tunes in each room at the same time.
You can also access live radio, podcasts, sports, talk radio and even audiobooks with AirPlay.

iTrust HomeKit Products

iTrust Home Services has a fantastic selection of Apple HomeKit accessories and compatible products to make your home the place to be! Contact us for a free, no-pressure, no-obligation smart home evaluation and our smart home technician will tell you about all of the products we offer.

Video Cameras: For the safety and security you want for your home and family, we install smart home cameras inside and outside of your home. Check out our products here.

Smart Lighting: With Apple HomeKit integration, we can provide you with lighting options for every room of your home as well as landscape lighting that offers home security and curb appeal. We offer beautiful fixtures, dimmers, under-counter lighting and so much more; all controlled by simple voice commands. For more information, visit our smart lighting options here.

Video Doorbells: iTrust Home Services offers you the increased security of video doorbells. You will always know who is there by simply looking on your Apple HomeKit app. For more information, check out our smart doorbells here.

Smart Locks: Have the convenience of locking and unlocking your doors through the Apple HomeKit app and simple, pre-set commands. With no keys to lose, you can assign codes to family members and even set times for your doors to unlock for housekeepers or other visitors. See how these convenient smart locks can upgrade your home’s security here.

Home Networking: No matter who your internet service provider is, iTrust can create an integrated system that works with your Apple HomeKit and provides you with increased security from outside threats. For super-fast downloads and smooth streaming in every room, our home networking solutions provide you with superior products. See how fast your internet can go by clicking here.

Smart Thermostats: Smart thermostats work with your Apple HomeKit so you never have to touch or adjust your heating and cooling. With smart sensors built-in that know when you are home, what rooms you are in and when you go to bed, temperatures adjust accordingly to save you money. For more information on smart thermostats, check out this page.

Smart Home Sensors: Monitor your entire home with smart home sensors that marry perfectly with the Apple HomeKit. With environmental monitoring, smart fire and smoke detectors as well as leak detection, you can head off any problems that could spell certain disaster for your home. For more information on how smart sensors can save your home, visit our smart sensors page.

Smart Lawn and Garden: With smart home irrigation, you can control how much water your lawn needs via the Apple HomeKit app, for a perfectly green lawn year-round. Additionally, you can spend less time mowing and more time enjoying your yard.

Why iTrust is Your Go-To Source for the Apple HomeKit

iTrust is your go-to home services company for high-value, premium products and services for your home. We examine your needs, prescribe a solution and offer you a personalized plan before installing everything you need for a smarter, safer and more economical home.

iTrust is built on a foundation of:

Superior Quality

Reliable Service

Guaranteed Satisfaction

Resulting in homes that are more aesthetically pleasing, efficient, comfortable and safe. Contact us today and let us make your home a smart home with the Apple HomeKit and other amazing smart products.

Apple HomeKit: Your Whole Home Smart Solution