Source: Christopher Close / iMore
Source: Christopher Close / iMore
Just because Independence Day is celebrated primarily in the open air, doesn't mean the party has to stop once you retire for that day. HomeKit lighting can simulate the pops and flashes of those fireworks that hit fireworks inside your home through automation and scenes, each of which is incredibly easy to set up.
All you need is the right accessories, a few minutes of your time and a few taps and you will celebrate in style. So let's use the power of applications, automation and scenes to make your Independence Day smarter.
Source: iMore
Before we dive into our construction, you may already have access to some of the best themed scenes from Independence Day. Nowadays, most color lighting accessories and applications include pre-configured scenes that can launch your holiday with just a tap or two. Nanoleaf, in particular, offers some really great scenes, so if you have the equipment, here's how to use them.
Get an iPhone SE with Mint Mobile service for $ 30 / month
Touch the button Paint palette icon.
Source: iMore
Touch the box next to it Name of your light panel.
Source: iMore
touch O.K to save the scene.
Source: iMore
The scene of fireworks and firecrackers should illuminate your panels with brightly colored windows. You can make adjustments to the speed and delay of the scene by editing the scene on the Dashboard tab of the application. With faster speeds, you can really make the house come alive.
Do you have Philips Hue lighting in your home? There are several third-party applications that can make your lighting look just as good without creating automation. One of our favorites is OnSwitch for Philips Hue, which has a few different variants of specific fireworks to choose from.
The Philips Hue team also offers a more subtle solution to putting red, white and blue on your lighting through the Living Hue Labs Scene Formula, if you’re willing to take a little care. The Philips Hue line also includes exterior lighting, so you can put star colors and stripes on the screen all night.
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance starter set
Live scenes
The Philips Hue lighting line can add a little color everywhere, inside and out, with bulbs, lamps and lighting fixtures. Custom scenes and Hue Labs formulas like Living Scenes make the transition between red, white and blue easy.
Source: Christopher Close / iMore
If your HomeKit lighting app doesn't include Independence Day scenes or you can't find one that speaks to you, don't worry, you can still do magic with automation. By creating your own automation, you can set your favorite shades of red, white and blue, as well as how bright your stars will shine.
Creating custom automation in the Home app also allows you to pair it with other HomeKit accessories, such as door sensors or locks. With the right mix, you can set the festive lighting in spring to life as soon as you return from the outdoor holidays. Let's create an automation that will do just that!
Click on Add button in the upper right corner of the screen (looks like an extra sign).
Source: iMore
touch Next →.
Source: iMore
Choose which Accessory or scenes you would like to control with this automation. I will choose my Aurora, Canvas and Nanoleaf Hexagons.
Source: iMore
touch Done.
Source: iMore
Now that your automation has been created, the next time the door is unlocked, it will automatically set all the lighting assigned to the exact colors and brightness. Just remember to turn off the automation or adjust the lighting to normal shades once you're done with the fourth holiday!
Source: Christopher Close / iMore
Once the holidays are over, it may be necessary to cool off from the summer heat. Instead of running on the thermostat or wall switch, let Siri take care of your stuff. All you need is a HomeKit compatible thermostat and either an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or HomePod to do it all. .
Let's create a scene that turns on the air conditioner in the house with just a shout. Don't worry, it's not that hard to do!
touch Add scene.
Source: iMore
Choose Accessory you want to add to your scene by tapping on them. I will choose ecobee SmartThermostat.
Source: iMore
touch Done when you have adjusted the accessory settings to your satisfaction.
Source: iMore
Once your stage is built, you can start cooling your house on demand, with your custom order. So for this example, all I have to do is say "Hey Siri, Cool Down." Whether you shout at Siri on the HomePod when you enter or call the virtual assistant on your iPhone to start cooling down a few minutes before you head inside, you won't be sweating too long.
This scene doesn't just have to be once a year, because you can link it to time-based automations, which will automatically cool your home at a set time. You can even use the GPS location of your iPhone to activate it when you arrive at the office after a long day.
Source: Christopher Close / iMore
If you just can't get enough exterior images and the interior lighting just won't cut it, then put the HomeKit camera outside. The quickest and easiest way is to feed the camera stream through the Home app, but you can take things further by bringing it to the big screen if you have an Apple TV. AirPlay is a great way to stream TV, here's how.
Touch your name Apple TV.
Source: iMore
Swipe left or right to locate camera then press Thumbnail image to start viewing.
Source: iMore
For those times when you still want to browse your phone, you can use a third-party HomeKit app on your Apple TV to view your cameras. Our favorite is HomeCam, which can display all your streams in a grid or full screen view, and you can even set it to automatically switch between rooms.
Do you have some important HomeKit plans for this year's festivities? What accessories and automations do you use to celebrate Independence Day? Tell us in the comments below!
We may earn a purchase commission using our links. Find out more.
HomeKit.Blog is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Apple related subsidiaries.
All images, videos and logos are the copyright of the respective rights holders, and this website does not claim ownership or copyright of the aforementioned.
All information about products mentioned on this site has been collected in good faith. However, the information relating to them, may not be 100% accurate, as we only rely on the information we are able to gather from the companies themselves or the resellers who stock these products, and therefore cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies arising from the aforementioned sources, or any subsequent changes that are made that we have not been made aware of.
HomeKit.Blog Is A Participant In The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An Affiliate Advertising Program Designed To Provide A Means For Sites To Earn Advertising Fees By Advertising And Linking To Amazon Store (Amazon.com, Or Endless.com, MYHABIT.com, SmallParts.com, Or AmazonWireless.com).
The opinions expressed on this website by our contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the website owners.