How to Control a TP-Link Smart Bulb (Or Any Smart Home Device) With Siri?.
Although TP-Link products are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, we still cannot use them with Siri. Enter Hombridge; an open source node.JS server that integrates smart devices into the Home app. It is a lightweight server that can be configured on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker and even Raspberry Pi zero. I had a Raspberry Pi 4 lying around, so I’ll use it.
- Raspberry Pi (I used Raspberry Pi 4)
- TP-Link light bulb (I used TP-Link LB100)
- Wi-Fi and Internet
- iPhone (running iOS 13)
- HomePod (optional)
- Some elbow grease
Things you will need
Step 1. Install Homebridge on your Raspberry Pi
The first step is to start the Homebridge server on your Raspberry Pi. It will act as an intermediary between the incompatible TP-Link light bulb and its own home app.
Installing Homebridge is pretty simple: visit this Github page and follow the step-by-step instructions to install it on your Raspberry Pi. Just make sure you install Homebridge with UI X support. UI X is a graphical interface for your Homebridge server that lets you control devices, install plugins, and change settings.
Step 2. Access the Homebridge interface
Once the Homebridge server is running on your Raspberry Pi, you can access it from any device on your home network. Open a Terminal on your Raspberry Pi and run the command “hostname -I” to find out your IP address. Write it down somewhere, as this is the address of the Homebridge Server interface. hostname -I
Now open a web browser on your Raspberry Pi and enter http: // YOUR IP-ADDRESS: 8080 /. You should see a web page with a login interface. The default login and password are admin and admin, respectively, which you can change later.
Replace YOUR-IP-ADDRESS with the IP address obtained in the previous step.
The third step. Install the TP-Link plugin
In order for Homebridge to detect a TP-Link device connected to your home network, we will install the TP-Link Plugin. This plugin supports most TP-Link smart home products, including the LB100, but you can visit the web page to check if your device is listed.
Open the Homebridge interface in your web browser and go to the Plugins section. Enter TP-Link and click Install.
We will now update the Config.JSON file. Click the “Configuration” tab on the web page and paste the following command into the Homebridge configuration editor as shown in the picture below and click “Save”. “platforms”: [{“platform”: “TplinkSmarthome”, “name”: “TplinkSmarthome”}]
After that, restart your Raspberry Pi and move on to the next step.
Step 4. Install the Kasa app
Now Homebridge is ready, we just need to add the TP-Link light bulb to the network. To do this, we need to configure the device using the Kasa by TP-Link app. It controls all TP-Link smart devices. Install the Kasa Smart app on your iPhone from the App Store and log in to your account. If you don’t have an account, you can easily create one by registering.
After setting up your account, add the TP-Link light bulb to the app by clicking the + button in the upper right corner. Enter the model number, tap the appropriate icon and follow the onscreen instructions to set up the lamp on your home network.
The TP-Link device should now be visible in the Homebridge interface. Open the Homebridge interface on your Raspberry Pi and click the Accessories tab.
Step 5. Add Homebridge to the Home app
We will now connect the Homebridge server running on your Raspberry Pi to the Home app on your iPhone. Open the Homebridge interface in a web browser, you should see a QR code on the server status page.
Open the iPhone Home app and tap Add Accessory. Scan the QR code pointing to the Camera app on your iPhone. A warning “Uncertified Accessory” may appear, click “Add Anyway” to continue.
Your TP-Link device should automatically appear in the Home app and you can simply tap the icon to power off and on again and press and hold to open additional settings.
You can also ask Siri to turn it on and off for you. Try it. “Hey Siri, can you turn on the lamp?”
Last words
Well, that’s all you need to do to control incompatible smart devices with Siri. If you have any problems setting up your Homebridge server or installing plugins, you can contact me on Twitter and we’ll work out a solution together. What are you going to connect to Homebridge and control with Siri, let me know in the comments below?.
How to Control a TP-Link Smart Bulb (Or Any Smart Home Device) With Siri?