No more dead smart home devices: app monitors batteries in HomeKit accessories
Numerous HomeKit accessories such as door sensors or motion detectors use batteries. You can keep them fresh with a small app.
HomeBatteries for HomeKit: Useful for a better overview.
(Image: Adam Foot)
Wireless HomeKit accessories are useful: sensors, motion detectors or door and window contacts do not need to be constantly supplied with power and can be placed anywhere. After all, they are connected wirelessly anyway, be it via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Thread. The problem: without continuous power, the integrated rechargeable battery or the replacement battery can give up the ghost at undesirable times. Although Apple's Home app warns of this, it is not really clear. HomeBatteries for HomeKit is an app that focuses solely on this job. It monitors devices, displays them in an overview and notifies Home users when a new power supplier is needed.
Charge or swap
Another interesting feature of HomeBatteries is its statistical functions. You can record how long a battery has lasted, read off percentage values (provided they are supplied by the respective accessory) and view data via a widget.
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For technical reasons, however, this does not always work perfectly. "Not all battery-powered devices pass on their battery level to HomeKit and are therefore not displayed in HomeBatteries or the Home app," says the app's creator. Notifications and widgets are also "possibly not always up to date, as access to HomeKit may be restricted in the background".
Unfortunately with a subscription – or expensive
Version 2.2 of HomeBatteries was released on Monday. For the first time, this version includes localization in German, French, Polish, Spanish, Dutch, Czech and Italian, as well as other new features. These include the addition of free notes for each monitored device (for example, to record where the respective battery type can be obtained), an automatic update of the battery status in real time when the app is open, more details in the battery statistics, the option to delete battery trend data retrospectively and improved iCloud synchronization.
The app comes from developer Adam Foot, who also developed the HomeButtons app for quickly switching devices and scenes. HomeBatteries for HomeKit can be activated "for life" at a price of 29.99 euros, otherwise the app costs 7.99 euros per year or 1.99 euros per month as a subscription.
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