< HomeKat Help

Getting Started

Home Kat Bridge is a software bridge that makes supported devices available to Apple HomeKit. The app must remain running on a device in your home and connected to the same local network as the equipment it controls.

Choose where to run the bridge

Home Kat Bridge can run on a Mac with macOS 15 or later, or on an iPhone or iPad with iOS or iPadOS 18 or later.

  • A Mac can run the app in the background, but it must remain switched on, logged in and awake.
  • An iPhone or iPad must be dedicated to Home Kat Bridge, plugged into power, connected to Wi-Fi and left with the app frontmost by using Guided Access while the bridge is running.

Home Kat Bridge synchronises its settings through iCloud, so use the same iCloud account on any devices from which you want to view the configuration. If another active Home Kat Bridge is detected running on the local network, the second app can display its status and Event Log as a remote monitor.

First launch and permissions

When first asked, allow Home Kat Bridge to access the Local Network. Device discovery and control cannot work without this permission.

Some features also request access to your HomeKit data. Allow this if you want Home Kat Bridge to read existing accessories for Buttons & Sensors. If you have more than one HomeKit home, open Settings > HomeKit and select the home that Home Kat Bridge should use.

Set up devices

Set up physical devices in their manufacturer's app and connect them to the local network before trying to add them in Home Kat Bridge.

Configure your devices in settings. Open Settings > General to see the available device categories. Switch on the categories you want and select Unlock to begin the subscription or one-week trial. Each device category has its own Settings page to discover devices, and configure, add or remove the accessories exposed to HomeKit:

Start the server

On a Mac, press the large power button on the Home page. Leave the Mac awake and keep Home Kat Bridge running. In Settings > General, Hide app in background can hide the window and Dock icon when you switch away from the app; use the cat menu-bar icon to show the app again. Press to power button to stop the bridge.

On an iPhone or iPad, first configure Guided Access as described in iOS Tips. Return to Home Kat Bridge and start Guided Access with the accessibility shortcut (three clicks on the power button or optionally two or three taps on the back of the phone). The bridge and device discovery start automatically after Guided Access begins. Repeat the shortcut to end the guided access session and stop the bridge.

The Home page shows the bridge state and its running time. Red or grey indicates that the local server has stopped; green indicates that it is running and paired. The Event Log records startup, network and device activity.

Add Home Kat Bridge to HomeKit

When the server is running but not paired, the Home page displays a QR code and an eight-digit HomeKit setup code.

  1. On your iPhone used to manage your Home, open Apple's Home app.
  2. Select +, then Add Accessory.
  3. Scan the QR code displayed by Home Kat Bridge, or select the option to enter the setup code manually.
  4. HomeKit warns that this is an uncertified accessory, select Add Anyway and complete the setup.

Home Kat Bridge is a software bridge rather than certified HomeKit hardware, which is why the warning appears.

After pairing, Home Kay automatically shares the accessories you have set up. Logitech Harmony televisions are an exception: each Harmony Hub displays its own QR code and must be paired separately individually.

Note if you Unpair the bridge, all accessories are removed from HomeKit. If the mac or iPhone Home Kat Bridge is running on sleeps or shuts down, the accessories added to HomeKit are marked "Unavailable" in the Home app.

Finish in the Home app

In Apple's Home app, give each new accessory a distinct name and assign it to the correct room. This improves Siri requests and makes scenes and automations easier to understand. Use the manufacturer's app for initial setup or model-specific features that HomeKit does not expose. Changes to the device name in the manufacturers app or Home Kay Bridge will not be recognised by HomeKit.

Finally, test each accessory from both the Home Kat Bridge tile view and the Home app. If a device is missing or unreachable, see the troubleshooting guide.

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