Apple HomeKit

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post by jimmyt9674 on Sep 25, 2017

Why is Rachio fighting so hard to not be compatible with Apple HomeKit?

I’m waiting for Rachio to be compatible with Apple HomeKit before I buy. I think the Rachio WiFi sprinkler controller is a great product, and probably best in market. It’s just ridiculous Rachio is connected with so many vendors, yet with all the complaints and requests on this community and others for so long, why does Rachio not work to be connected with HomeKit?

I may just have to go with another WiFi sprinkler product that connects with HomeKit. Such a shame, especially with all of the push from the community for this to happen. Listen to your customers and “would be customers”!!!

post by DLane on Sep 25, 2017

@jimmyt9674 Not sure why you think Rachio “is fighting so hard to not be compatible with Apple HomeKit”.

I’m not expecting an announcement from Rachio on HomeKit support until the capability is actually available, and my guess is the availability will depend on V3 of the software which Rachio has been working on for about a year now (if memory serves me correctly).

In previous posts it has been mentioned that Rachio Gen 1 won’t support HomeKit due to a hardware limitation and the Gen 2 current doesn’t support HomeKit (so read between the lines there). That comment along with the Rachio logo being displayed at Apple’s WWDC tells me HomeKit support with Rachio is sooner rather than later.

It is a timing and resource issue. I think Rachio is trying to get V3 of the software out and Rachio isn’t going to say anything about V3 or HomeKit until it is out, judging by the lack of “official” (I’m not) Rachio posts on the topics.

post by robnielsen on Sep 26, 2017

It’s not Rachio, it’s been Apple.

post by jimmyt9674 on Sep 26, 2017

Please explain how or why Apple is preventing or holding back Rachio from being compatible with HomeKit. That doesn’t even make sense. It benefits both organizations.

post by robnielsen on Sep 26, 2017

Until recently, HomeKit required special hardware to be included in devices. With iOS 11, this requirement was removed. Now that iOS 11 is released, I’m guessing you’ll see support at some later point in time for HomeKit. Here’s one article about it: Apple will now let hobbyists build their own HomeKit devices - The Verge

BTW, Google Home and Amazon Alexa never had this sort of restriction.

post by aristobrat on Sep 26, 2017

Sure. Let’s start with the concept that HomeKit can only support accessories that it’s been programmed to support.

Below are the accessory types (in iOS 10) that HomeKit supports:

You’ll notice that SPRINKLERS is not on that list.

HomeKit in iOS 10 (and every version before) hasn’t supported sprinklers. Nobody (Rachio, Rainbird, Toro, etc) can make a HomeKit sprinkler system before Apple adds “sprinkler” support to HomeKit.

iOS 11 (which launched literally 7 days ago) fixes that. Take a look below at the accessories it supports, and notice the far right of each row: SPRINKLERS and FAUCETS are now supported.

Hopefully this explains the reasoning behind the thought that Apple has been holding back sprinkler systems like Rachio from being compatible with HomeKit.

post by laura.bauman on Sep 25, 2018

Hey Siri®, tell everyone that the Rachio 3 now supports HomeKit™.