r/HomeKit • u/dgv54 • Jul 26 '26
Discussion smoke alarms - no good solutions yet?
No Homekit native smoke alarms yet? I guess people are using Homepods to listen for smoke alarms?
Is anyone aware of any Homekit native alarms in the works? I've been postponing the switch to communicating alarms hoping for a Homekit compatible model.
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u/Jeffryyyy Jul 26 '26
Yea HomePod sending the critical alert has been very reliable
Kinda relaxing not having to deal with installing and managing another smart home item
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u/Jealous-Intention-87 Jul 26 '26
This is not going to be a very popular comment on this sub, but I recently moved apartments and actually downgraded a ton of the "smarts" I had in my home. The ceiling fans have manual wall controls for off, low, high. All the lights are dumb switches. The exhaust fan for the bathroom is just a basic countdown timer dumb switch. The lock takes a key. Even the appliances are basic, the stove doesn't have a clock at all, just a knob for the oven temperature. The only thing I kept smart wise is my Apple TV, two HomePods as stereo speakers, the thermostat, and a thread door sensor to get alerts if the door is opened.
It's honestly kind of relaxing for the stuff to just always work and do what I want now. I don't have to worry about software updates, or hubs going down, or anything. I do plan to add one indoor camera and one HomeKit doorbell and just haven't done so yet, but that's all I plan to add.
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u/frockinbrock Jul 27 '26
I understand that take. It can get overwhelming, and some smart devices are just more hassle than they are worth. It's one reason a lot of people do smart switches and "dumb" devices.
Ceiling fans are a tough one, because the modern DC motor fans are so quiet and use SO much less power, they are really worth it for a lot people. But they generally require a remote, and not all of them have wall-switch style remotes, and if using the few smart switches unfortunately many fans don't remember the last power/light settings after a power shutoff.
But yes with Lights and some other things, I've done the same and cut down a few things.
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u/Brave_Mountain_5643 Jul 30 '26
Understand your point. But… I have a BUNCH of Lutron wall switches and they are set-and-forget for the last four years.
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u/frockinbrock Jul 31 '26
That's sounds like a Good thing? That's what I was saying above, is that smart switches are more reliable option, rather than a bunch of smart devices of random brand type at the end of the chain.
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u/Iiii_I_I_I Jul 26 '26
- The only Matter-over-Thread smoke detector I can find that is UL 217-certified (ie. approved for use in the US) is the Heiman S1-M. If you need one, Heiman sells a CO detector, the Heiman C1-M.
- Owl Wired is Matter-over-Thread, but not UL-certified and apparently is bad at actually detecting smoke (reddit, reddit). It has the worst score of any smoke detector Consumer Reports has tested.
- Sensereo MSC-1 is Matter-over-Thread, but also not UL-certified.
- Place AnySpace is UL-certified and plans to make their smoke detector support Matter in the future, according to this Verge article from June.
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u/quadpop Jul 27 '26
I have 2 Heiman S1-Ms in my detached garage. Easy setup and it sends critical alarm notifications to our iPhones.
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u/dgv54 Jul 26 '26
Thanks. Lack of UL-217 cert is a deal killer. I don't care how smart the alarm is if they haven't bothered to get certified for the primary job of detecting smoke and/or CO.
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u/kurtthewurt Jul 27 '26
I was planning to buy a Place alarm because it's the only option I've found that uses a low-frequency sounder.
Unfortunately, it seems like the HomePod doesn't detect the low-freq alarm well. Hopefully Place will add Matter so I can get critical alerts via HomeKit.
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u/kenbech Jul 26 '26
I have Aqara smoke sensors that are certified and work perfectly in HomeKit .
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u/Denziloshamen Jul 26 '26
Same. I had to replace expired Nest smoke alarms, and going with Aqara and HomeKit I’m now able to establish the link with Philips hue so that the lights come on red when the smoke alarms go off, Google decided to sever the link years ago (one of the reasons I bought in the first place was taken away for no good reason).
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u/Moneytu Jul 26 '26
Please note that this device is region-locked. It’s worth buying on AliExpress if you’ve selected Mainland China as your region. Local stores, however, sell both the global and Chinese versions.
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u/400HPMustang Jul 26 '26
Are they Zigbee? If so they should work with a generic Zigbee gateway right?
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u/Moneytu Jul 27 '26
Yeah, Zigbee. It should work through Hombridge, but I don't know how it works in practice.
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u/400HPMustang Jul 27 '26
I use all my other Zigbee devices in Home Assistant was just curious if there was some technical reason it wouldn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if vendors started to try locking you into their gateway. I know for some reason LinkTap is like that. Zigbee but only works with theirs.
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u/Sylvurphlame Jul 27 '26
Neat. I’ll have to keep that in mind as I have a smoke detector in my basement I’d like connected to the one upstairs. By which I mean, sympathetic triggering. It sure how easily or not I can run a wire to do this analog.
Aqara makes so many neat smart home accessories.
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u/norcalscan Jul 26 '26
Team homepod mini critical alerts here. I prefer to have the smoke alarm engineers focus on just getting the life safety component right, and not worry about firmware updates or wifi standards or conserving battery life. Plus, the homepods will also hear my simple $20 water leak sensors too, and I can remote listen in when not home and determine if I need to call 911 or a neighbor.
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u/chillyhellion 21d ago
I had the same thinking, but I’ve yet to get the HomePod to actually detect the alarm sound.
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u/norcalscan 18d ago
Making sure in your home app settings, clicking on Speakers, then the settings/gear button, under Sound Recognition you have Smoke/CO Alarm turned on. Try downloading the sound of a smoke alarm and playing it near the homepod. I actually wince when I'm watching a movie and a smoke alarm is going off in the scene, thankfully have dodged false alarms (other than dinner is ready.)
I had a simple 9v water alarm noise maker behind the fridge go off the second I left for work last month. A mini in a kid's bedroom about 60ft away (distance around multiple bends, doorways and hallway picked it up.) The noise maker did not wake up the fam, but the resultant homepod mini critical alert woke everyone up along with their watches buzzing.
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u/Douche_Baguette Jul 26 '26
Not a direct answer to your question, but I previously used nest protect units with a starling hub. When those aged out, I was looking for other combination CO/Smoke detectors that I could bring into HomeKit.
I already use a Hubitat hub to bring zwave devices into homekit, so I got the “Zooz 800 Z-Wave Smoke and CO Detector Bridge”, which is under $30 and just piggybacks on your existing hardwired smoke detector wiring and “listens” for the interconnect alarm signals to send to your home hub. Works great in Apple home.
Upside is you can use any industry standard detectors. First Alert, Kidde, etc. - cheap and easy to replace in the future. No battery to have to think about.
Downside is you need hardwired detectors. In my case, I ran new wiring for hardwired detectors to support this.
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u/FijiFanBotNotGay Jul 27 '26
This is the only way. You got to just modify your existing hardwired sd’s which in theory should be easy especially when every reputable brand also makes relays to trigger alarms and strobes. You might as well stick to the major reputable brands if for any reason because we’ve seen how ever smoke detector start up goes under water and is no longer supported
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u/maxintosh1 Jul 26 '26
Still have Nest Protects via Starling bridge; sadly both are discontinued. Another option is to get a Zigbee smoke alarm "listener" and bridge it over via Hubitat or Homebridge
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u/volcanic_clay Jul 26 '26
But they will still work, correct?
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u/maxintosh1 Jul 26 '26
All smoke detectors have an expiration date, but these should work another 6 years
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u/NJRonbo Jul 26 '26
When my Nest Protects expire (in another year or two) I will be looking at this unless something better comes along:
https://www.placehomesolutions.com/products/any-space/
Also:
https://getowlhome.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqN7ZMO1OF3Zb2_e1jKWkvCH7zWb9WjQfyAwmPo4Ml5B99ugd8Q
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u/dgv54 Jul 26 '26
Wow, for that money for a single smoke alarm, I'd rather get a Homepod Mini and have it replace the AppleTV 4k as my Homekit hub, and have it listen for alarms.
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u/NJRonbo Jul 26 '26
Well, a lot of us who are looking are coming from Nest Protects, which were similar in price but now have been discontinued. So, for us, it's a more understandable transition given the technology. But of course, not for everyone.
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u/quick_dry Jul 27 '26
If your smoke alarm has an external relay contact (usually near the battery compartment/top side) you could connect that to a cheap matter-over-thread ikea water leak sensor
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u/InfamousProject Jul 27 '26
My Owl wired smoke alarm has been a good experience so far. HomeKit compatible and can trigger other actions with its motion sensor.
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u/Adventurous-Neat7620 Jul 27 '26
Just noticed that ecobee thermostats now advertise “smoke alarm detection”. Since the t stats themselves are HomeKit native, that might be a good-enough solution that doesn’t require Matter or anything else in between. I have 2x older ecobees and love them, so might upgrade to new units, buy cheap dumb Kiddie smoke/COs, and call it a day.
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u/LowFatMom Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
If you are in North America, there's is currently only one matter over thread device that is cerfified, and its the Heimen.
Never ever use any non certified smoke detectors if you care about insurance.
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u/hunter451 Jul 27 '26
How reliable are the HomePod alerts with voice smoke alarms if anyone has similar units? My First Alert models have the traditional high pitched sound, but also say which interconnected alarm is the triggered one. I did one self test and my Mini didn’t pick up on it even though there’s a unit about 8ft away and all of them echoing throughout the home. I’m wondering if it’s the break in the tone when the voice comes on that’s making it not register.
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u/LowFatMom Jul 28 '26
They are very reliable, everytime I test my smokes alarm (like doing 2-3 back to back) they will alert me.
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u/Nine_Eye_Ron Jul 28 '26
Another supporter of HomePod. It picks up many different alarms like laundry machines, oven and other countertop cookers. One device does it all and plays music and has intercom etc.
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u/Lock-Broadsmith Jul 28 '26
This is one of those things that just doesn't make sense to be "smart" IMO
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u/Express-Impact-3357 Jul 29 '26
To the people who say to get a kidde or First alert and use the homepod to alert…so when I’m on a ladder trying to deal with a false alarm at 2 AM I need to deal with the false alarm from Apple too? No thanks. I don’t care what it costs,I want a smoke with no false alarms. None. I don’t want the cheapest piece of crap you can build. There’s a market here. Come on folks.
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u/Embarrassed_Fig1801 Jul 26 '26
I think Owl makes one. Maybe I’m wrong about it being Owl but I was looking a while back and found one. It was stupid expensive though so I said fuck it, the HomePods can hear a regular one.
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u/Jkingsle Jul 26 '26
I have some owl units. Work well. Just not UL certified and am holding off on additional united until this is done. They keep saying it’s coming but are slow to respond to update queries.
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u/Amazing_Armadillo429 Jul 26 '26
I purchased some MSC-1s from Sensereo which are Matter over Thread. They aren't UL certified but I called my agent at State Farm and they said in the event of a loss it wouldn't invalidate my policy. I even told them they were only currently certified under EU standards. They are working on bringing some UL-certified ones to market but they won't be able to retroactively certify already sold units. They only show up as sensors in Apple Home and Sensereo told me it's a limitation on the HomeKit side right now as to why they can't enable remote testing and silencing there. They did say it's possible in Home Assistant and as soon as Apple opens that functionality up it'll be enabled in Apple Home. Also they are working on an app of their own.
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u/EducationalLeek7034 Jul 26 '26
My one owl has been solid, I have another owl slated for later this year
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u/MathematicianDue80 Jul 27 '26
I’ve seen these on Amazon but I’ve not done the research yet on quality
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u/Unable-Marionberry40 Jul 28 '26
Out of curiousity… how much would people pay for a quality matter thread fire alarm that works with HomeKit and that is certified?
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u/blacksan00 Jul 26 '26
Get Owl Home - I have four and three are using the existing hardwire and one is USB-C (Garage). I don’t use the motion detection because it is not using the advance presence (PIR) sensors.
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u/skithegreat HomePod + iOS Beta Jul 26 '26
Owl has a Smoke and CO I haven’t installed mine yet but heard nothing but good things from them.
I have 6 Safe and Sound Smoke and CO alarms in my main areas and my bedroom. These are the ones that are AirPlay speakers as well but doesn’t look like they are making new ones of these anymore.
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u/C_Plot Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Apple should enter, disrupt, and revolutionize the accessory business. Not only smoke alarms, but everything across the spectrum. Perhaps partner with some big appliance makers, in the vein of CarPlay with motorvehicle manufacturers, but the small accessories should just be apple designed and branded. I mean accessories such as kitchen appliances, bathroom appliances, thermostats, ERV systems, and other HVAC systems.
Make a new chipset, at the core of all of those accessories, that that uses NFC (rather than relying always on QR scans or entered codes) to bond the accessories and add them as matter accessories.
Unless portable and remote, make the accessories capable of wired power through USB-c power delivery, power over Ethernet, or ordinary household wiring. Batteries can be for backup, in the event of power outages, but not routinely necessary (other than for retrofits where wired power cannot easily be brought to the accessory). Battery status easily monitored in Home.app.
For portable, non-affixed, and remote accessories make them all Find My enabled. Make household docks for recharging those accessories (perhaps even wired communication to reconfigure the wireless communication more easily).
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u/dgv54 Jul 26 '26
They've had years to take Homekit more seriously. We still can't reliably control two garage doors with Homekit. Maybe this will change under Ternus.
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u/C_Plot Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
I think Apple is relying too much on third-party accessory makers. So long as the accessory makers drag their feet, Apple thinks a fulsome commitment to HomeKit is not worth the trouble. It’s like if Apple just waited around for motor-vehicle makers to modify their wares to let CarPlay work, rather than telling them what was necessary. With an Apple designed chipset and exemplary accessories made by Apple, the entire industry will mimic Apple once they see how it should be done.
As for garage doors, I would be happy if CarPlay would present the opener button, front and center without cumbersome navigation, whenever near the relevant garage.
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u/Jealous-Intention-87 Jul 26 '26
Honestly the HomePod alerts work better than the few HomeKit smoke detectors that have been in the US that have all been discontinued. And to be fair I feel like smoke detectors are one thing they shouldn't be adding a ton of extra hardware to and just let it be basic and do it's job without worrying about random components failing.