Revisiting a dormant but very much needed project. I want to be able to tap wife/my/mom's Apple Watches on something out side of the garage door to open/close the garage door. I have all of the internal infrastructure - HE, Zooz relay, rules, virtual switches, etc. The home app on the watch and phones work, but looking for something with no need to touch the screen. Just boop and move on.
Is there a way to tap our watch on a mounted NFC tag and send a toggle/button press/switch command to HE via HomeKit? Something else? If so, what exactly do I need to get?
I suggest you start exploring the Apple and Homekit worlds. Find an Apple Watch app that talks to to 'anything' NFC or Apple Tag and or Homekit and does it the way you want. Then you worry about Hubitat integration.
I haven't tried this since a few major iOS versions ago -- the convenience wasn't really worth it over alternative options I had, like a button device, voice control, or actual automation -- but I don't remember having any issues with it, like needing to tap on the phone to confirm -- or at least not as long as the device was unlocked (I don't remember if that was a requirement, but it seems possible).
All I did was set up an automation on the phone to hit a RM local trigger endpoint (cloud work work, too if you need it) in response to detecting the NFC tag. I did all the logic on the device, nothing programmed into the tag itself, because that way only my devices, where I set up the automation could use it, and no one could read or arbitrarily trigger a rule (and get my hub ID and access token for the app, etc.) that way.
Alas, I no longer have this automation, and I have no idea where the NFC tags themselves wandered off to, so I won't be much good for confirming that this still works this way, but I imagine things wouldn't have regressed...
I do the same thing. I have a Apple shortcut automation. All that does is do a get to HE Maker API. I use a virtual switch so I can program it to do whatever I want.
Not cheap but if you use Unifi network equipment their door access products support Apple Touch Pass where you install a reader outside the garage and can put your phone or watch near it and it can send a webhook to HE to automate something.
I had no idea this was so simple. I don't have any NFC tags as yet so tried adding an automation in Apple Shortcuts app and scanned a credit card getting it to toggle a light as a test - it worked first time. I found some useful information on the following webpage.
That covers how to automate by just scanning without programming a tag as well as how to program a tag, password protect or lock it.
Apparently it's not possible with the Apple Watch. I've just read that although it has an NFC reader, it can only be used with Wallet and Apple Pay which is a shame.
Thank you for this link. It puts nearly everything in one place. It's not the ideal because it doesn't work on the watch, but I'll take the iPhone part for now.
Make sure you get tags suitable for mounting on metal, unless you won’t have that issue. I tore my hair out trying to figure out why it didn’t work when I mounted it and it worked fine on the desk.
If you have Homekit and Hubitat connected, then the Watch's Home app can control a lot of devices. Opening doors might run afoul of security settings (or not).
The Home app already has the garage door via Hubitat and presented as a lock. Works pretty well. No foul. Works mostly reliably through Siri command, but don't like the idea that it could pick up the command from anyone, anywhere, even though voice recognition is on.
However, the watch still requires 3 clicks - Home complication -> Lock -> Garage Door, more if the watch is on the wrong face. I'm looking to make it deadly simple to use for my mom. Also easier for wife and myself if we have stuff in our hands. All of us always have the watch on our wrist. Not always the same with the phone, or it might be in our pocket.
There is the unrealistic hope that one day Apple will allow watch NFC outside of ApplePay, but not holding my breath!
