A whole subset of HomeKit device categories often goes under notice. When you think about smart home devices, you will generally think about cameras, lights, speakers, or a switch. The real genius of a smart home is when things can happen without you even thinking about them. There’s a device that I recently picked up that I think might end up being one of my favorite HomeKit devices. This week, I am looking at the Fibaro Multi-Sensor Motion Sensor for HomeKit
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
The Fibaro Multi-Sensor isn’t my first go-round with this type of device, but my previous one was tied to my abode alarm system. The Fibaro device is the first one I had that was actually native to HomeKit as a standalone device.
Creating HomeKit automations for Apple Music
My number one use case for this was streamlining how I interact with Apple Music in the mornings in my office using HomeKit automation. I have enabled this device to turn on Apple Music Country when it detects motion between 8:00 a.m and 8:05 a.m. I have it set up to where it will only see movement if I’m sitting at my desk, so I know it won’t catch someone passing by the doors. I know this doesn’t sound like a significant use case. But it’s taken the effort out of remembering to turn on my speaker. When I come into my office in the mornings, I often will come in and sit down and get right to work and realize I’ve gone the whole day without listening to music.
One of the reasons I have a HomePod mini in my office is because I want to have great background music, and I really feel like Apple Music Country provides me with that perfect balance.
Adding the Fibaro Multi Sensor to HomeKit
I’ve only ever used one other of the devices from Fibaro, and it was the water leak sensor. One thing to note for non-smart home users – if you don’t have a Fibaro Water Sensor, it’s a must-have device. If you only ever pick one category of HomeKit devices, it should be water leak sensors because it could potentially save you thousands of dollars. If you put one of these under your sink and it catches the slow drip, you will potentially protect yourself from mold, rotted floors, and rotted cabinets.
Overall, my only complaint about the hardware is the HomeKit code is not stored on the device. It’s only included on a piece of paper, so be sure to save it in either an Apple Note or an app like Homepass.app. The slip of paper also didn’t include the QR code, so you’ll need to choose “More Options” when adding a device to find it near your iPhone. If you’ve just recently unboxed it, unscrew the top so you can pull the battery tab. Once it’s added, you’ll choose a room, and it’ll be ready to go.
Summary of Fibaro Multi-Sensor
The Fibaro Multi-Sensor is fantastic as a stand-alone motion sensor, but it can do much more. It can detect temperature and light as well. Boundless HomeKit automation can be created from a single device, depending on what you’re looking to do. My simple automation right now is for music, but it could easily be paired with something like the Aqara E1 Curtain Driver to control when your curtains open and close.
