Master mojave for smart home control

The new Home app in macOS Mojave puts almost everything in reach

Every smart home has to provide a control method, and Apple’s way of managing HomeKit–compatible devices is its Home app. Through this, you can turn accessories on or off, monitor their output, and tweak very specific settings.

Up until the release of macOS Mojave, control of HomeKit accessories was entirely the domain of the iOS version of the app. However, Mojave’s release brings the Home app to your computer, giving you control of those same accessories from your Mac as well.

There are caveats to watch out for, though. Certain automations and remote access continue to demand the use of a central device as a home hub, be it an iPad, a HomePod or an Apple TV (4th generation or later) — see bit.ly/mfhmhub.

Additionally, adding new HomeKit accessories to the Home app still requires the use of an iPhone or iPad — it can’t be done directly on your Mac. That means you’ll need to be signed in to the same iCloud account on both operating systems. Sadly, if you don’t already have an iOS device, you’re out of luck when it comes to making use of the Home app on macOS.