How To Connect Govee Lights To Homekit? – Complete Guide

You indeed are desperate about how to connect Govee Lights to Homekit once you’ve checked that both systems are not readily available.

Fortunately, there is a glimpse of hope for you because it is possible to integrate them.

Connecting Govee Lights to Homekit usually requires installing HOOBS on your Apple device. Alternatively, you can install HomeBridge on it. Finally, you can resort to a Raspberry Pi as the bridge between frameworks.

Some methods to integrate Govee Lights into Homekit will be a bit more tiresome than others.

We warn you that dealing with Raspberry Pi is something techies do mostly for fun and out of curiosity. 

As for the main solutions, you can count on them without a doubt. Check the guide below if you want to control your Govee Lights via Apple Home.

How To Connect Govee Lights To Homekit? – Is It Possible?

How to add Govee Lights to Homekit? Any Govee device can be added to Homekit with one of the ways we’re about to show you.

There is more than one way to add Govee to HomeKit. But not through official channels, which is too bad.

It seems like Apple doesn’t want to make some brands official Apple products.

Unfortunately, that happens with devices like Govee, Ring, and others.

But, as you may know, developers worldwide always try out things that brands don’t officially release.

That is true of the way Govee and HomeKit work together. We can teach different ways to connect the two systems because of this.

Since the company doesn’t support the methods, they are harder for the average consumer.

If you have tinkered with Ring before, you will know them. If you have never seen them before, you should be careful.

The Solutions To Integrate Govee And Homekit

Once you have decided on adding Govee lights to Homekit lights to your smart home, you may take a few different approaches.

When starting, HOOBS is the easiest approach to use. However, you may use Homebridge on a Mac or Raspberry Pi instead if you’d want to try something new.

Those latter choices are better suited to those with greater expertise working with technology.

Method #1: Use HOOBS

HOOBS (Homebridge Out of the Box) is a Homebridge version that has been pre-configured.

It has several popular plugins pre-installed, making it easy to start with Homebridge.

Furthermore, it is intended to be simple to set up and operate, especially for those unfamiliar with smart home automation.

You will need a MacBook to utilize HOOBS to link your Govee lights to HomeKit:

1. Go to the HOOBS site and download the app
2. Install HOOBS on your Mac
3. Go to the plugins tab
4. Search for “Govee”
5. Install the Govee plugin

Now your Mac is prepared to accept the frequency of your Govee lights and communicate it to the Apple Home system. 

Let’s setup everything next:

1. Click on the “Configure” option on the Govee plugin
2. Enter your Govee login credentials
3. go to the “Devices” tab in the HOOBS app
4. All your Govee lights should show up

Note: HOOBS has many configurations already set up for your convenience. 

It truly is the best if you are a casual user that doesn’t want to think much when setting your house automation up.

Method #2: Use HomeBridge

As the name suggests, HomeBridge is software that enables the communication between unsupported devices and Apple Home.

So it doesn’t matter what Govee light you want to connect to Homekit: HomeBridge will help you!

Plus, Homebridge is the “raw” version of HOOBS. HOOBS is made for everyone, so the Govee-Homekit integration is as smooth as possible.

On the other hand, Homebridge is a bit more complicated to handle at first but allows you to customize it later.

First off, you must head to the Homebridge site and download the compatible version for your MacBook. 

Then do the following:

1. Install Homebridge on your Mac
2. Type the following command: npm install -g homebridge-govee.
3. Enter your Govee credentials
4. Restart Homebridge
5. Open Home App
6. Add Homebridge to Home App

You can launch the Homebridge app on your Mac when everything is set up.

If you’ve done everything correctly, all your Govee lights will also appear in the Home app.

How To Integrate Siri

HomeBridge can do everything HOOBS can (and more, actually).

That means you can also integrate Siri if you choose this method. Here is how you can do it:

1. Run the command “npm install -g homebridge-siri”
2. Add a new “platform” entry in the config.json file:

"platforms": [
  {
    "platform": "Siri",
    "name": "Siri"
  }
]

Take a while to ensure the JSON file is altered correctly. Then:

1. Save the JSON file
2. Reboot your Mac
3. Open the iOS Home App

Note: When you configure Siri to work with Homebridge, it will allow Siri to control any framework included in the Homebridge protocol. 

That includes Govee lights and devices of other brands you set up in the future.

Method #3: Use Raspberry Pi

HomeBridge is not limited to merely functioning on your MacBook. You have the option of installing it on a Raspberry Pi if you so want.

If you are a tech nerd like we are, you are aware that Raspberry Pi is a playground par excellence for experimenting.

Raspberry Pi may be utilized to bridge the gap between Govee lights and the Homekit framework due to the nature of Raspberry Pi itself.

Do you want to know more about it? Then, onto the procedures:

1. Install Raspbian on your Raspberry Pi
2. Install Node.js with this command: 

sudo apt-get install nodejs.

3. Type this command to install Homebridge: 

sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm homebridge.

4. Now get the Govee plugin: 

sudo npm install -g homebridge-govee.

5. Use this command to create a settings file: 

sudo nano ~/.homebridge/config.json.

6. Now open that file and add the following code:

{
"platform": "GoveePlatform",
"email": "your-email@example.com",
 "password": "your-password"
}

7. Save everything and exit.

After everything is set up, it is time to finally use your Govee lights in conjunction with your Apple Home automation.

1. Start Homebridge with the command “homebridge”
2. Open the Home app on your iOS device 
3. Add the Homebridge accessory.

After successful installation, you must open the Apple Home on your iOS device and look for additional devices.

You must be able to add the Raspberry Pi, and then the Apple Home will automatically recognize Govee lights.

Tip: You may choose to have Homebridge automatically start up whenever the Raspberry Pi is booted up.

To activate the mode, just enter this command.:   sudo nano /etc/init.d/homebridge

Method #4: Integrate Siri On The Govee App

Perhaps you don’t want the trouble of integrating Govee into your whole Apple Home system.

After all, that requires software which, if you are a newbie, is a bit complicated.

However, a simpler method will connect Govee lights only partially with Homekit. It allows you to use Siri’s voice commands with the Govee app.

Here is what you must do to integrate Siri into the Govee app:

1. Open the “Settings” on your iPhone 
2. Go to “Siri & Search” 
3. Scroll down to the list of apps 
4. Toggle the switch next to the Govee app 

Any actions available for the app will be listed in this section.

The actions are limited, while those available when you link through Homebridge/HOOBS are wider.

Note: This method is perfect if all you are looking for are voice commands. However, ensure your Govee app is up to date before trying it!

What We Learned

How to connect Govee Lights to Homekit? Several methods exist for making your Govee Lights compatible with Homekit.

Each one is unofficial, yet they all do miracles.

Before anything else, you will have to pick software to help jump from one framework to another.