Back in March I took possession of an Aqara UWB Smart Lock, which allowed me to live out my Star Trek dreams by using Ultra Wideband technology to sense my arrival and unlock the door without any interaction from me. Now a second UWB lock has arrived on the scene, Schlage’s Sense Pro UWB smart lock. I’ve spent the last month locking and unlocking my front door with it, and it’s got some definite strengths over the Aqara lock—as well as some definite weaknesses.
Let’s start with the prices. The Aqara is $269, and the Schlage lock is $400. While it can be hard to justify a smart lock at any price, it’s extremely difficult to recommend one lock with much the same feature set over another when there’s this kind of price disparity.
And yes, these locks are very much playing by the same playbook: Both use UWB and Apple’s HomeKey technology to detect when your iPhone (11 or newer) or Apple Watch (Series 6 or newer) approaches your door, unlocking without having to wait or tap your device against the keypad. You can read my previous review for more about how this works, but it’s a huge improvement on both NFC tap-to-unlock and Bluetooth proximity detection, because it can wirelessly detect if you’re inside or outside the door—and only unlocks when you’re approaching from the outside.
The Schlage Sense Pro trades versatility for compactness and attractiveness. The Aqara lock is a big black slab, compared to a relatively squat keypad that comes in either black or satin nickel (a perfect match for my front door hardware). Schlage’s lock is undeniably better looking. It also has a light-up keypad so you can unlock it with a code, and you can program additional codes via the Schlage app or directly via the Apple Home app. And it supports NFC unlock, so if someone in your house doesn’t have a UWB device, they still have an avenue to electronically unlock the door via a tap.
Past Schlage smart locks—I used one for several years before buying the Aqara UWB model—offered a little 9-volt battery nubbin at the bottom of the outside to provide emergency power if the device’s batteries died and you needed to get into the house. This model has a USB-C port to do the same thing, and I don’t know about you, but I’m far more likely to source a USB-C cable (and an iPhone to provide power) than I am to find a 9-volt battery laying around outside my house.
Unlike the Aqara lock, the Schlage Sense Pro doesn’t have a thumbprint scanner or a physical key. The Aqara’s thumbprint scanner works but always seemed a bit pointless to me; the key, on the other hand, might have value if you like the idea of using a hide-a-key or giving a physical spare key to a friend. Alternately, it might seem unnecessary or even a security flaw. Trade-offs.
The Schlage Sense Pro is powered by four AA batteries that slide into the lock in a plastic sled; I found that if I was too forceful sliding the sled in, a battery occasionally popped out. I strongly prefer Aqara’s battery solution—a power-bank-style rechargeable battery pack that offers long life and a relatively easy USB charging path—to swapping AA batteries every so often.
My front door is not quite perfectly aligned, so automatic locks sometimes fail to lock it properly. The Schlage’s lock motor is forceful enough to do the job, but a lot less forceful than the Aqara’s, which would often have enough oomph to get the door closed even if it had to push really hard. In truth, though, both locks were equal in their ability to lock my weird door, though Aqara is much more aggressive in making a noise when it fails to lock the door, which I appreciated more than Schlage’s somewhat muted alert.
I also appreciated Aqara’s gesture to lock the door when leaving the house—you basically tap the pad anywhere—to be a lot easier to use than the Schlage lock, which requires you tap the top portion of the touch pad twice. I got used to the double-tap, but Aqara’s was faster and less fussy.
When testing the Schlage Sense Pro, I also ran into a very odd quirk where the lock became completely unresponsive until I pulled the battery sled out and put it back in—essentially, power cycling the lock. According to Schlage, this was likely due to a faulty lock and the company supplied me with a replacement that hasn’t shown any signs of the same issue.
Both locks do a great job of unlocking automatically. This is what the whole show is really about: If I walk up to a door with my watch on my wrist or my phone in my pocket, does the door unlock by the time I put my hand on the latch? Yes, almost all the time. Very occasionally there would be a slight pause when I reached the door, but almost never. It really is a magical feeling to have your door know that it’s you and unlock as you approach, and if you connect it to other HomeKit automations, you can have that unlock trigger other devices, like turning on your entryway lights.
In the end, the Schlage Sense Pro is a very nice lock, with a restrained look that I prefer to the Aqara’s industrial black block. Aqara’s extra locking methods (fingerprint, traditional key) are not really ones I feel are necessary. Yes, Aqara’s battery approach is better than Schlage’s, but I’ve been using AA-powered locks for ages, and it was fine, if a little annoying.
All in all, these locks are pretty close to even, with Schlage having the advantage in aesthetics. The problem is that the Schlage lock costs $130 more than the Aqara. If you don’t mind the extra charge for a more attractive lock, I won’t fault you, but for most people a smart lock is a bit of a splurge purchase as it is. It’s not the kind of product that can be snuck by household members who are less enthusiastic about technology, and sometimes the price tag is all it takes for the household to decide that it’s not worth doing.
The Schlage Sense Pro is a great product that brings that Star Trek feeling to my front door—but at a price that makes me wince. The first UWB lock that arrived on the scene, Aqara’s U400, is equally capable—and a lot cheaper.
HomePod room temperature automations turn Apple’s smart speaker into more than a source of music and Siri responses. Its built-in climate sensor can trigger fans, thermostats, smart plugs, shades and other compatible accessories when a room becomes warmer or cooler than a selected temperature.
The automation runs through Apple’s Home app. Once configured, it does not require someone to ask Siri for the current reading or leave an iPhone inside the room. HomePod measures the local conditions while the home hub evaluates the rule and controls the selected accessories.
A bedroom fan could start when the room rises above 24°C, for example. A compatible thermostat could activate heating when an office falls below 18°C, while motorized shades could close before afternoon heat makes a living room uncomfortable.
The same system works with humidity. HomePod can trigger a compatible humidifier, dehumidifier or ventilation accessory when relative humidity crosses a chosen level.
Temperature and humidity sensing is available on HomePod mini and HomePod (2nd generation).
The original full-size HomePod does not contain the supported climate sensor. It can act as a home hub and participate in scenes, but it cannot supply the temperature reading used to start this type of automation.
HomePod mini is sometimes overlooked because Apple did not activate its temperature and humidity sensor when the speaker originally launched in 2020. A later software update enabled the component, allowing existing HomePod mini units to report climate information without a hardware upgrade.
Both supported models should run the latest available HomePod software. The iPhone or iPad used to configure the home should also be updated because older software may not display every sensor or automation option correctly.
HomePod normally updates automatically. Its version can be checked in the Home app by opening the HomePod, selecting its settings and scrolling to the software information.
The room assigned to HomePod determines how its readings appear in the Home app and how Siri interprets questions about local conditions.
A HomePod physically located in the bedroom but assigned to Living Room will report its sensor as part of the living-room climate group. This becomes especially confusing when several HomePods are installed throughout the home.
To verify the room, open the Home app, touch and hold the HomePod tile, open Accessory Settings and check the Room field. Assign a descriptive name to the HomePod as well, particularly when two supported speakers occupy nearby spaces.
The sensor does not measure an entire home. It reports conditions near the HomePod, so the assigned room should correspond to its physical location.
The current reading is available through Siri or the Home app.
A person can ask Siri, “What is the temperature in here?” when speaking to the HomePod inside that room. Questions can also identify a different room, such as “What is the temperature in the bedroom?” or “What is the humidity in the basement?”
In the Home app, open the Home tab and select Climate near the top of the screen. Choose Temperature to see readings from available climate sensors. Opening an individual room can make it easier to identify the relevant HomePod when several sensors are installed.
The Home app may display a range rather than one number when multiple temperature sensors belong to the same room or home. Opening the temperature category reveals the individual readings behind that range.
A newly restarted or updated HomePod may not show a result immediately. Apple says the sensor requires time to calibrate after startup.
The temperature sensor appears as an automation trigger rather than an accessory that can be turned on or off. The user defines a threshold and then selects what another compatible accessory should do when the reading crosses it.
The selected action could turn on a fan, change a compatible thermostat, close shades or activate an existing scene containing several accessories.
HomePod does not produce cool or warm air itself. It supplies the measurement and functions as a home hub, while the automation controls other equipment connected to Apple Home.
The direction of the trigger is important.
Rises Above starts the automation when the measured temperature moves from below the selected value to above it. This is the usual option for starting a fan, lowering compatible shades or changing a thermostat to a cooler setting.
Drops Below works in the opposite direction. It can start heating, turn off a fan or activate another accessory when the room becomes colder than the selected level.
These are threshold-crossing events, not continuous questions asking whether the room is currently above or below a value. If the room is already warmer than 24°C when a new Rises Above 24°C automation is saved, the rule may not run immediately. The reading generally needs to fall below the threshold and then rise across it again.
This behavior also explains why an automation may not repeatedly react while the room remains on the same side of the threshold. Another transition must occur before the trigger fires again.
The Home app can restrict a temperature automation to particular times or household conditions.
A bedroom fan may only need to run overnight. Heating in a home office could remain inactive on weekends. A cooling automation might operate only when someone is home, while another rule protects temperature-sensitive equipment regardless of occupancy.
The People condition can limit an automation to when somebody is home, when nobody is home or when selected household members are present or absent. These conditions depend on location access and the devices associated with members of the Apple Home.
Time restrictions should match the behavior of the controlled accessory. Closing shades during the hottest afternoon hours may be useful, but the same action would provide little benefit after sunset.
An automation can also activate a scene instead of controlling one product. A Hot Afternoon scene could close the west-facing shades, start a fan and turn off heat-producing decorative lights with one sensor trigger.
A smart fan is one of the simplest accessories to control. When the temperature rises above a comfortable level, the Home app can turn on a HomeKit or Matter-compatible fan. A second automation can stop it after the room cools.
A thermostat offers more direct climate control, but the available actions depend on the thermostat manufacturer. Apple Home may expose power, heating, cooling and target-temperature controls, while more advanced scheduling remains inside the manufacturer’s app.
Motorized shades can reduce solar heating before an air conditioner needs to work harder. A temperature trigger can close selected shades when a sun-facing room becomes warm, particularly when the automation is limited to daytime hours.
A ceiling fan or portable fan connected through a smart switch or smart plug can also respond to the HomePod sensor. The connected controller must be rated for the appliance, and the appliance must safely resume operation when power is restored. Products with electronic controls may remain off after a smart plug turns them back on.
Portable heaters and air conditioners require greater caution. Many smart plugs are not designed for their electrical load, and some appliance manufacturers prohibit external switching. A compatible thermostat or manufacturer-supported controller is safer than treating high-power climate equipment like a lamp.
HomePod exposes temperature and relative humidity as separate sensors.
A bathroom or laundry-room HomePod could trigger ventilation when humidity rises above a chosen level. A dehumidifier with a compatible control could operate in a damp basement, while a humidifier could respond when heated winter air becomes too dry.
The setup process is almost identical to a temperature automation. Select A Sensor Detects Something, choose the HomePod’s humidity sensor, set Rises Above or Drops Below and assign the action.
Humidity automations also benefit from separate starting and stopping thresholds. Turning a dehumidifier on above 65 percent and off below 55 percent creates a useful operating range instead of responding repeatedly around one value.
HomePod measures the conditions around the speaker, not at the center of the room or inside an air-conditioning return.
Placing it beside a sunny window, heater, fireplace, kitchen appliance or air vent can produce readings that do not represent the space where people spend time. An enclosed shelf may also trap warmer air around the device.
The speaker needs airflow and a stable surface. It should not be covered or placed where condensation, cooking steam or direct moisture can reach it.
Extended audio playback at high volume can reduce sensor accuracy because heat generated by the speaker may influence the local reading. This matters when an automation uses a narrow threshold and the HomePod frequently plays loud music.
Apple says temperature sensing is optimized for indoor domestic environments between approximately 15°C and 30°C. Humidity sensing is optimized between about 30 and 70 percent relative humidity. Readings outside those ranges may be less accurate.
HomePod is therefore useful for comfort-oriented home automation, but it should not replace specialized monitoring required for medicine, food storage, animals, greenhouses or other temperature-sensitive environments.
Begin by confirming that the temperature reading itself appears in the Home app. If it is missing, verify the HomePod model, install current software and allow time for calibration after restarting.
Check that the correct temperature sensor was selected. Homes containing multiple HomePods may present several sensors with similar names, particularly when the speakers were never given descriptive room assignments.
Open the automation and confirm that it is enabled. Review its time and People conditions, because a functioning temperature trigger will still do nothing when an additional condition is not satisfied.
Use the Test This Automation control to confirm that the destination accessory responds. If the test fails, the problem is more likely to involve the accessory, its network connection or the selected action than the HomePod sensor.
If the test succeeds but the rule does not run naturally, remember that the temperature must cross the threshold in the selected direction. Temporarily choosing a value closer to the current room temperature can make testing easier.
Home hubs and accessories should remain connected to the same Apple Home. Thread-based accessories also need a supported Thread-enabled home hub or border router, such as HomePod mini, HomePod (2nd generation) or a compatible Apple TV 4K.
A single automation can start a device but may not provide the best way to stop it.
Using the same threshold in opposite directions can cause frequent switching when the measured temperature fluctuates around that value. A room hovering near 24°C, for example, could repeatedly move just above and below the boundary.
A more stable arrangement uses two thresholds. One automation turns the fan on when the temperature rises above 24°C. A separate automation turns it off when the temperature drops below 22°C.
The gap creates a controlled operating range. Once the fan starts, it can continue working until the room has cooled meaningfully rather than stopping after a minor change.
Heating can follow the reverse pattern. One automation activates heat below 18°C, while another stops it above 20°C. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can use the same paired-rule structure.
This separation also makes troubleshooting easier because every automation performs one clear action in response to one specific sensor transition. Instead of asking one complicated rule to manage the complete climate cycle, HomePod supplies the measurements while two predictable Home app automations define when the connected equipment starts and stops.
The post HomePod Room Temperature Automations in the Home App appeared first on AppleMagazine.
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