Apple's HomeKit Requires Apple TV to Use Siri Remotely

Well, that's one way to push adoption of the Apple TV.

If you've been reading all sorts of interesting things about Apple's HomeKit platform, and have caught yourself dreaming about having your little not-quite-an-A.I. friend Siri control the various devices around your home on your behalf, you might want to set aside a little extra money for an Apple TV. Yes, an Apple TV. It's not going to be a required element for you to access your HomeKit devices most of the time, but it will be required if you want to be able to tell Siri what to do when you're away from your home.

We realize that's a pretty specific use case, so it might be a bit overkill to condemn early versions of HomeKit just yet for the requirement. However, numerous reports from those who spoke with HomeKit partners and device manufacturers at this year's Consumer Electronics Show all said the same thing: If you want to use Siri to control your home devices when you aren't at home, you'll need an Apple TV (of all things) to do it.

However, that's the only instance right now where you'll need extra Apple hardware to do things with your HomeKit-enabled devices. Otherwise, if you're at the airport, you can still access your HomeKit devices using a related app. And you can use Siri to control your HomeKit devices when you're inside your home. So long as you're on your home's Wi-Fi network, which your various other smart devices are likely also connected to in some capacity, Siri will work just fine sans Apple TV.

And, no, you can't run an oldschool Apple TV, either. The device has to be at least Apple's most recent, third-generation Apple TV in order for the remote-Siri bit to work out. And, of course, the Apple TV has to be running at least version 7.0 of its software—the update that officially added support for HomeKit to the device.

As you might expect, Apple hasn't offered up any comment regarding the HomeKit, Siri, and Apple TV connection. And few Homekit partners or manufacturers seemed willing to talk about it either, when asked. Expect to see the first HomeKit devices launch during the first quarter of this year—perhaps Apple will figure out a new way to tackle remote Siri commands if enough users complain about the extra Apple TV add-on.