
HomeKit Over Thread With HomePod mini and Eve
A smart home without any limitations: discover how HomePod mini, Eve and Thread bring your smart home to the next level.
HomePod mini is Apple’s new powerful smart speaker and most affordable home hub yet, with built-in Siri intelligence that provides quick and easy access to smart home accessories. That's not only great news for conveniently controlling your connected home, but also for reliability: HomePod mini adds mesh networking functionality to HomeKit, built on Thread. This cutting-edge technology was developed specifically for a responsive, robust, and secure smart home. A Bluetooth-equipped HomeKit accessory can now optionally offer Thread connectivity, making it even more powerful.
Eve is All Systems Go.
Many Eve accessories on sale today are equipped with the latest generation Eve Core chipsets, which can support Thread. Thread-enabled firmware updates will become available this month for current Eve Door & Window and European Eve Energy models. We expect to be able to offer free firmware updates for the current generation of Eve Aqua and Eve Thermo soon and we’re working on bringing Thread technology to more Eve accessories going forward.
Discover here if your Eve accessory supports Thread
Bluetooth Remains. Thread Enhances.
Bluetooth is required for HomeKit over Thread, so Bluetooth remains available and your accessories continue to work as they always have. Now, as soon as you add HomePod mini to your home, your Thread-enabled Eve accessories will also be able to communicate over Thread. This happens automatically without you needing to configure anything, and it brings some immediate benefits:
Thread is based on the universally deployed Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) standard, making it extremely robust. A Thread network does not rely on a central hub, such as a bridge, so there’s no single point of failure. And Thread has the ability to self-heal – if one node (or accessory in your Thread network) becomes unavailable, the data packets will select an alternate route automatically and the network simply continues to work. And while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks tend to become somewhat unreliable and challenging to manage with a large number of accessories connected, a Thread network will scale up easily and actually become more robust with every new accessoy.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coverage of your home can be extended by adding repeaters and additional dedicated hardware such as home hubs or Eve Extend to increase the range of HomeKit-enabled Bluetooth accessories. A Thread network expands pretty much automatically as you add more accessories. As an example, if your Eve Aqua is beyond the reach of your HomePod mini, an Eve Energy somewhere in the middle could connect the Eve Aqua to the Thread network. This is the power of Thread´s mesh networking: it is completely automatic, fully interoperable, and involves zero configuration.
Thread also paves the way for many future improvements. Among them: HomeKit-enabled accessories will be able to talk to each other over IPv6, thereby opening up a host of new applications especially for battery powered accessories. Thread has extremely low power consumption, so we’re expecting to see a considerable increase in battery life over the next years. On top of all this, Thread – alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – is a pillar of the upcoming Matter standard, which is another reason why you’re future-proof with Eve.
The Future Is HomePod Mini – Not Bridges.
HomePod mini is your key to enable your HomeKit accessories to communicate over Thread. Apart from that, you don’t need anything else: no proprietary bridges or gateways, and no starter kits. With HomePod mini and Thread-equipped Eve accessories, enjoy the smart home of the future – today.
Posts you might also be interested in.
Schedules & location control: Smart heating with Eve Thermo
Enjoy a cozy home when you’re there, and save energy when you’re not – that's smart heating, courtesy of Eve Thermo. Now it’s easier than ever to combine the sheer convenience of schedules with location-based heating. Read on to learn how to enjoy all these great benefits.
The home hub: An essential device for HomeKit-enabled accessories
Whether you connect to your HomeKit accessories via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Thread, your connected home is simply incomplete without a home hub – an Apple TV, HomePod or HomePod mini. Your home hub gives you both secure access to your accessories while you’re on the go and enables you to set up automations.
Eve – Welcome to a smart home that’s 100% private
Home is your most private space. The only place where you can do as you please, on your terms. However, if you live in a smart home, you will also produce loads of data that others will be only too keen to get their hands on. That’s why we...
- Reply
Hallo Maik! Wir bitten nur noch um etwas Geduld, es ist bald soweit. Viele Grüße, Volker- Reply
Hallo,wirkt sich Thread auch auf die Reaktionszeit der Eve Geräte aus? Reagieren diese dadurch merklich schneller?
Lg
- Reply
Hallo Dustin!Das sollte auf jeden Fall so sein, die Verbindung ist schneller verglichen mit der Verbindung über Bluetooth. Viele Grüße, Volker
- Reply
Werden die Lichtschalter Light Switch auch in neuer Thread Variante erscheinen oder lässt sich das bei den bestehenden per Update nachrüsten?- Reply
Hallo Mike! Bei aktuell verkauften Eve Light Switch (EU) ist das neue, für Thread-Kompatibilität nicht verbaut, es lässt sich also nicht per Firmware-Update nachrüsten. Zu künftigen Produktentwicklungen, darf ich leider nichts sagen. Ein schönes Wochenende, Volker- Reply
It's a big disappointment that Elgato does not provide Thread support for products that have been released only little time ago, like Eve Door & Window 2nd generation oder Eve Thermo 2nd generation.If the "old" chips are not compatible, Elgato should at least provide massive discounts for switching to the newest generation of these products. I think it's not sustainable und customer-friendly that these products become unusable in a few years when Thread becomes the new and only thing and pure Bluetooth isn't supported by HomeKit any more.
- Reply
Hello Robert! The Eve accessories not using the chipset that can be updated by firmware to support Thread can be used further on as advertised. On range problems the Eve Extend is a working solution for all HomeKit enabled Eve accessories with Bluetooth - having Tread available or not. This applies even the ones now marked as Thread supporting are using Bluetooth. Not everyone wants/needs a HomePod mini/Thread support and an fallback is needed as well. The communication Thread uses is an addition not a replacement. And by the way it is Eve Systems sine 2 1/2 years when the two companies split. Best regards, Volker- Reply
My HomePod mini arrives this week. It looks like I should plan to update my HomeKit hub from my current 'headless' AppleTV HD to the new HomePod mini. Any idea how long before the firmware updates are available for the USA products?- Reply
Hello Allan! Both my HomePod mini arrived yesterday, I love them. It makes a perfect add to the Apple TV 4 you have, just let both act as home hubs this will bring even more coverage. I am not allowed to talk about future product plans, sorry. Best regards, Volker- Reply
This looks fantastic! Is there any plans to bring this to the UK version of the Energy Plug?- Reply
Hello Fantastic Diamond! Sorry but I am not allowed to talk about future product plans. Best regards, Volker- Reply
Great news Volker!I am curious does the Water Guard released in 2020 have chip support for thread?
- Reply
Hello Freddy! Sorry but I am not allowed to talk about future product plans. Best regards, Volker- Reply
Will the existing water guard have an software update to support thread?- Reply
Hello Freddie! The chipset used in Eve Water Guard will nor allow the needed firmware update, sorry. Best regards, Volker- Reply
Will there come a upgraded Water Guard with Tread? and is there a release time?- Reply
Hello Brian! The current generation of Eve WaterGuard is not ready for Thread. We will be releasing new hardware generations of many Eve devices with Thread support later this year, but unfortunately can't give any further details on when this will be the case for Eve Water Guard at this time.Here's a list of all the currently available Thread-enabled Eve accessories:
https://www.evehome.com/de/identify-your-eve-accessory
- Reply
Ich habe zuhause ein thread border router und experimentiere gerade viel mit thread. Gibt es eine API womit ich die geräte ansprechen kann? Oder lässt sich das wirklich NUR mit homepod mini ansprechen? Ich würde gerne selbst ein controller dafür programmieren.Und kann man schon wann das update ungefähr ankommen wird? Noch dieses jahr? Oder müssen wir noch bis nächstes jahr warten? Danke im voraus. Ich find's echt cool dass jetzt viele neue thread produkte rauskommen.
- Reply
Hallo Dongha! Wie in der Pressemitteilung gesagt, sollen das Firmware-Update für Eve Door & Window und Eve Energy noch im November kommen, Eve Thermo und Eve Aqua zeitnah folgen. Eine API gibt es nicht, sorry. Der HomePod mini ist auf jeden Fall geeignet, momentan als einziges Gerät. Viele Grüße, Volker- Reply
Will (or can) the Eve Degree be upgraded to support Apple HomeKit Thread?- Reply
Hello Paul! Eve Degree does not use the latest chipset that is mandatory for thread, so this can't be updated, sorry. Best regards, Volker- Reply
Will there be an Eve Degree with an updated chipset?- Reply
Hello Paul! Sorry but I am not allowed to talk about future product plans. Best regards, Volker- Reply
What battery life do you expect from the Door&Window Sensor after it's updated to Thread? Now with Bluetooth it's stated as "up to 1,5 years".- Reply
Hello Barti!I don't have information on this yet. Will be probably published once it is out. But it should be arounde the values you get now. Best regards, Volker
- Reply
Könntet ihr bitte präzisieren, welche Geräte genau das Update bekommen? Nur die, die auf der Seite (https://www.evehome.com/de/identify-your-eve-accessory) bereits mit Thread gelistet werden, oder alle auf dieser Seite, jedoch etwas verspätet? Eure Antworten dazu sind bisher alle sehr zweideutig! Auch andere Newsportale schreiben das unterschiedlich.- Reply
Hallo Peter!Genau die, die auf der Seite gelistet sind. Nur die verfügen über das benötigte Chipset. Die nicht als Thread-fähig gelistet sind nicht, auch nicht in Zukunft, sorry. Neue, kommende Geräte werden sicherlich auch das neue Chipset nutzen und dann Thread-fähig sein, ebenso möglich, kommen bestehende Geräte mit einem Hardware-Update. Wie gesagt, aktuell die angezeigten. Viele Grüße, Volker
- Reply
Was ist mit dem Water Guard? Bekommt der auch Thread?- Reply
Hallo Frank! Die aktuelle Version des Eve Water Guard hat leider nicht das benötigte Chipset, also mein. Viele Grüße, Volker- Reply
Hi Volker,This is great stuff 👍🏻
Very happy to see Eve is going to support this.
Question: for devices that dont support thread.
Will the homepod mini still act like a Bluetooth extender for the Apple TV?
Br henkjan
- Reply
Hello Henkjan!HomePod mini will do the same job as the HomePod here, so yes. Best regards, Volker
- Reply
Hi Volker,Right, that is clear thanks.
One more:
When some eve devices support thread and some do not in a setup, will the ones that do support thread forward messages to devices that do not? Of course, assuming there is a homepod mini
Br henkjan
- Reply
Hello Henkjan! Thread meshing only happens with accessories that support Thread. Best regards, Volker- Reply
Hi Volker,Clear, thanks
Br
- Reply
Welcher Sinn hat nun Eve Extend wenn man Homepod Mini mit Thread im Einsatz hat?Kann man die in Kombination nutzen?
- Reply
Hallo Hans!Die beiden arbeiten prima zusammen. Eve Extend ist weiter sinnvoll für entfernte Eve-Geräte, die Thread nicht unterstützen. Das tun ja nur die mit dem neuen Chipset, siehe Liste der unterstützen Geräte. Viele Grüße, Volker
- Reply
Und mit den alten HomePods wird das nicht gehen?- Reply
Hallo Stefan! Nur der neue HomePod mini kann als HomeKit Thread Border Router fungieren, der alte HomePod nicht. Viele Grüße, Volker- Reply
Hi Volker, lässt sich das umgehen, wenn man einen großen HomePod sowie HomeKit und Thread-fähige Router wie z.B. eero Pro hat? Vielen Dank, Felix- Reply
Hallo Felix! Der eero Pro bietet zwar Thread, aber leider nicht die Funktion Thread Border Router für HomeKit. Es ginge, wenn der Eero-Hersteller die Funktion 'aufbohrt', da müsstest Du aber die betreffenden Zuständigen fragen. Viele Grüße, Volker- Reply
Amazing news! Very happy to hear that.Which other accessories are you planning to update - only the newest revisions of the Bluetooth ones stated on the "identify your accessory" page as having a Thread radio? Or are you also working to update the other ones (older BT and wi-fi)?
- Reply
Hello Barti!It depends on the chip in the accessory. Only the ones stated in the page https://www.evehome.com/de/identify-your-eve-accessory can get a firmware update for Thread. Best regards, Volker
- Reply
So if I understand correctly, the US Eve Light Switches will eventually receive an update to support Thread?- Reply
Hello Jonathan! The current generation of Eve Light Switch (US) is not ready for Thread. We will be releasing new hardware generations of many Eve devices with Thread support within the next months, but unfortunately can't give any further details on when this will be the case for Eve Light Switch (US) at this time.Here's a list of all the currently available Thread-enabled Eve accessories:
https://www.evehome.com/de/identify-your-eve-accessory
Best regards, Volker
- Reply
Will this only work with HomePod Mini, will it not work with the original HomePod?- Reply
Hello Tom!Only the new HomePod mini can act as a HomeKit Thread Border Router, the HomePod can't. Best regards, Volker.
- Reply
Wird Thread auch mit eero Routern funktionieren? Diese unterstützen HomeKit for Routers und Thread kann aktiviert werden.- Reply
Hallo Serge!Leider unterstützt Eero diese spezielle Version von HomeKit und Thread nicht. Sie arbeiten aber daran.
Die offizielle Bezeichnung für HomeKit und Thread ist HAP over Thread. Wobei HAP Homekit Accessory Protocol bedeutet. Viele Grüße, Volker
- Reply
Gibt es einen ungefähren Zeithorizont?- Reply
Hallo Serge! Die Frage müssen Sie bitte Eero stellen, wir wissen natürlich nur um unsere Geräte. Viele Grüße, Volker