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I bought some wifi enabled color changing "smart" lights that work with the Google Home app and Amazon Alexa but not with Apple HomeKit. As someone who's heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, this came as a disappointment and it made me wonder if it's possible for manufacturers to make their devices compatible simply by pushing a firmware update or if there are specific hardware requirements that have to be met.

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    Yes, in general it is possible for any accessory with general firmware update capabilities to be updated with HomeKit. However, this is rare.
    – Ezekiel
    Jan 8, 2021 at 2:58

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Manufacturers can add HomeKit support through post-purchase updates but not many have as there are licensing and customer support costs associated with integrating with another smart home ecosystem.

You should look into HomeBridge. It’s a service that runs on a home server (iMac or Mac mini work great) and “bridges” the gap between non-HomeKit devices and HomeKit. For example, I have it setup and am able to control my Nest thermostat (temp and fan) from the Home app.

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    I know it’s late but just wanted to say thanks for the recommendation! I set up homebridge on my raspberry pie and was able to find a plug-in that works for the on/off function at least. Haven’t been able to figure out color and brightness control but it’s better than nothing!
    – AffableAmbler
    Jan 19, 2021 at 18:01
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    Not all features of a smart device are always supported through homebridge and sometimes they can be a challenge to figure out. But like you said, better than nothing!
    – daneb
    Jan 21, 2021 at 1:31

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