New to Hubitat

My C8 Pro will be delivered in a few days and would like to set it up correctly based on your experiences.

I am an Apple homekit user since Apple introduced it. I also have Homebridge installed on an RPI4 for hubs or devices not supported by Homekit (like Yeelight lamps/bulb, Xiaomi sensors/fans/air purifiers, Ring doorbells/sensors, EZVIZ cameras, Tuya bulbs, Wemo power outlets,

I also have Blink and Reolink cameras that are not integrated in Homekit or Homebridge.

My question is: Should I use the Hubitat Homekit app or the Homebridge Hubitat plugin? I understand that device recognition is one-way only (Homekit will recognize devices integrated with Hubitat BUT Hubitat will not reconize devices already integrated with Homekit-- am I correct?

Thanks and hoping to enjoy the ride.

Somewhat correct. However, if you send a virtual device from Hubitat to Homekit, then that device can be manipulated by Apple's Automation.

The most common use of this is for Apple's Presence. You create a virtual device in Hubitat, assign a "Presence + Switch" driver to it and add it to Homekit. Then, you create two Automations: one for "became present" and another for "not present" Those two automations change the Switch state of the Hubitat device.

On the Hubitat side, that specific driver (Presence + Switch) will be seen to follow Apple's presence. The switch will be on/off while at the same time the presence will be present/not present. You can use either in Hubitat rules.

The same basic logic applies to as many things as you can create Apple Automations to perform.

Presence is a sensor, meaning it tells you something. Door / Window sensors are the same. You cannot expect to command a door sensor to close the door. It is there only to tell you if the door is open or closed. For that reason, in an Apple Automation, you cannot set Presence. Instead, by using a specific driver that sync's a Switch to Presence, then Apple can set a switch easily. On the Hubitat side, you would usually use the Presence portion.

It gets complicated when you realize the Presence portion on the Apple side will reflect the state in Apple's Home App. In my case, I try to 'bury' the Switch portion so I don't accidentally tap it. Instead, Apple's Home App displays the Presence and I can easily see who's home, since I have one hubitat device for each person in my home.

Ignore those previous two paragraphs if it's too much to swallow in one sitting, when you don't even have your Hub yet. :smiley:

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