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I'm trying to make my home a bit smarter using HomeKit without actually buying HomeKit accessories. Now I'm using python and the pyhap libary and it is working so far.

I can control my Raspberry Pi using Apple HomeKit and the Home app. But there's one thing I consider a big disadvantage of HomeKit: it cannot be controlled from outside the Network without an iPad, HomePod or Apple TV working as a home hub.

Question: Can I somehow turn my Raspberry Pi into a home hub so I can control my lights etc from outside my home?

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  • Homekit requires Apple hardware. But there are alternatives look at Homebridge although that still needs a Apple machine to act as controller and IFTTT
    – mmmmmm
    Aug 5, 2019 at 9:57
  • Homekit works for me. I have build my own accessories using python and they are working. The only thing that isn’t working is remote control from outside the home because you need an homehub for this. And my Question was if i could use my raspberry as such an homehub.
    – Julius Waldmann
    Aug 5, 2019 at 10:01
  • I have no experience with such things, so if I may wonder out loud... What if you set up a VPN so that your remote control iPhone could connect to your VPN and seem like it was inside the firewall? Could that work?
    – Steve Chambers
    Sep 21, 2020 at 23:38

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No, that's unfortunately not possible.

The official hubs (such as an iPad or AppleTV) communicates with Apple's servers that then communicate with the Home app in order to provide push notifications and "proxy" functionality.

Creating a non-official hub would require you to be able to communicate with Apple's servers. This is not really possible without violating Apple's terms of services, and it is definitely not easily technically achieving anyways, as it would require reverse engineering the protocol, being able to provide valid certificates, etc.

You can however use your Raspberry Pi to control those non-HomeKit accessories when away from home - but it would require you to make your own client. I.e. it wouldn't be via the Home app, but you would need to create your own app, or host a web app on the Raspberry Pi that is available when away from home.

In addition to the above, there's a further option that might be doable depending on your exact setup. If you setup the Raspberry Pi to provide a network bridge via VPN, you could in theory use VPN software on your iPhone to access your home network as if you were directly connected it. Then HomeKit accessories would be directly accessible. This could be done by for example setting up OpenVPN in tap-mode on the Raspberry Pi and installing the client on the iPhone.

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  • Remember that Apple is a hardware company and it provides services to make you want to buy Apple Hardware. (OK the services now make a lot of money as well) Like Google provide services to get you to read adverts
    – mmmmmm
    Sep 21, 2020 at 23:00
  • Why the down votes? Could be good to leave an explanation of why you think it is not a good answer.
    – jksoegaard
    Feb 14, 2022 at 15:23

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