How To Connect Simplisafe To Homekit? – Complete Guide

How To Connect Simplisafe To Homekit? Simplisafe is a great security solution.

Many people employ this brand of cameras because they genuinely deliver invaluable features you can’t find anywhere else.

Connecting Simplisafe to Homekit requires software that can connect both systems. The easiest solution is using HOOBS. Further, if you want to write your code, you can rely on Scrypt. An even more professional approach involves Homebridge, HOOBS’ raw version.

Alright, you are interested in adding Simplisafe to Homekit so you can control your cameras from the Apple Home app.

In that case, you must have a MacBook. It is a bit hard to install the required software without a MacBook.

How To Connect Simplisafe To Homekit

If you are looking for how to connect Simplisafe to Apple Homekit, you must look no longer.

You have found the perfect article that will teach you all the feasible methods you can employ. You probably know that it is impossible to connect Simplisafe directly to Homekit.

After all, SimpliSafe is not designed to be readily compatible with Apple products.

Unfortunately, that is not very great, and the fact that Apple doesn’t intend to make that happen is worse.

However, you can use some software to build a bridge between the two systems.

The most common are Scrypted and Homebridge. Scrypted works solely for cameras, meaning you can integrate cameras of any brand into your Homekit.

It is a great solution that caters to casual and more advanced users who like to write code.

Homebridge, on the other end, has two versions: HOOBS and the original Homebridge. HOOBS is for starters that don’t want trouble dealing with code lines.

Homebridge, on the other hand, is not very polished visually but is a complete toolbox that allows you to do anything possible.

Solution #1: Install HOOBS

HOOBS is Homebridge Out of the Box. Homebridge is a popular software specially designed to connect Apple with non-officially supported devices.

However, the difference between Homebridge and HOOBS is that HOOBS is aimed at people who don’t want the trouble of handling code. 

In that sense, HOOBS is pretty polished as it is visually attractive and intuitive.

So if you are the type of person that doesn’t care much about customization as long as your devices work, HOOBS is for you.

Here is how you can install HOOBS and use it as a bridge between SimpliSafe and 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 “Simplisafe”
5. Install the SimpliSafe plugin

Your Mac is now prepared to accept the frequency from your SimpliSafe devices and relay it to the Apple Home system.

Now onto the steps to integrate your devices:

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

Note: HOOBS does not automatically give you access to voice controls. If you are looking for that, it is better to use Homebridge in its raw version.

Solution #2: Install Scrypted

Scrypted is a different software designed to help Apple users integrate all their smart devices easily.

In that sense, it is similar to HOOBS/Homebridge. However, its difference is that it integrates great-looking design with customization via coding.

In Scrypted, you can write your code if you want to integrate a new device that is not yet ready for the platform.

Plus, its design is intuitive enough to make that a breeze (as long as you know how to code). 

For SimpliSafe, however, there is no need to write any code. The plugin is ready for you to use.

So here is how adding Simplisafe to Homekit via Scrypted works:

1. Install the Scrypted app on your iPhone or MacBook;
2. Click on “add account.”
3. Enter your SimpliSafe credentials
4. Open the Home app 
5. Tap the “Add Accessory” button.
6. Scan the HomeKit code in the Scrypted app or enter the code manually.

Next, you should have a list of devices available for you to check. Sometimes all devices will be automatically uploaded.

Other times, you have to click on “add device” and add each of your SimpliSafe cameras manually. 

Alert: If you want voice commands, Scrypted doesn’t support them as of yet! The only software that can connect to Siri too is Homebridge.

Solution #3: Install HomeBridge

HomeBridge, as the name indicates, is software that bridges the gap between Ring devices and Apple Home.

So, HomeBridge will assist you in connecting any SimpliSafe device to Homekit! In addition, Homebridge is the unpolished HOOBS implementation.

To ensure a trouble-free setup of your SimpliSafe-Homekit, HOOBS was designed to work with any iOS device.

Homebridge, in contrast, may seem intimidating at first, but its flexibility makes it worthwhile.

Your first step should be to visit the Homebridge site and get the Mac-friendly version.

Then do the following:

1. Install Homebridge on your Mac
2. Type the following command: npm install -g homebridge-simplisafe.
3. Find the config.json file located in “/usr/local/lib/node_modules/homebridge/”
4. Add the SimpliSafe platform to the platforms array.
5. Add your SimpliSafe credentials to the config.json file
6. Finally, start Homebridge using the command “homebridge“

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

If you’ve done everything correctly, all your SimpliSafe devices that have been set up will also show up in the Home app.

How To Integrate Siri

What HOOBS does, HomeBridge can do better. If you go with this approach, you can also include Siri.

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

Tip: HomeBridge requires more effort to operate, but it's incredibly lightweight. Thus, it offers superior performance. 

Changes to its coding can make it do just about anything you can imagine.

Since the community is so dynamic, you can probably find a plugin for anything you need.

Solution #4: Install Homebridge On A Raspberry Pi

Suppose you do not have a macOS but only a few Apple devices. Furthermore, you like to handle technology and experiment with new things.

In that case, you can turn your Raspberry Pi into a bridge between SimpliSafe cameras and Homekit.

1. Open a terminal window on your Raspberry Pi 
2. Enter the following command to install Node.js:

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_14.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

3. Then type this command to install HomeBridge:

sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm homebridge

4. Start Homebridge by typing “homebridge”
5. Add the line below and replace “USERNAME” with your actual user name:

#!/bin/bash su -l USERNAME -c 'homebridge'

6. Save the startup script and exit the editor
7. Make the script executable with this code:

sudo chmod 755 /etc/init.d/homebridge sudo update-rc.d homebridge defaults

Install The SimpliSafe Plugin

After installing Homebridge, it is time to install the SimpliSafe plugin.

1. Run the command: sudo npm install -g homebridge-simplisafe
2. Open the config.json file located in the /var/lib/homebridge/ folder 
3. Add the SimpliSafe platform to the platforms array.
4. Add your SimpliSafe credentials to the config.json file 
5. Start Homebridge using the command “homebridge“

Once Homebridge is running, you should be able to see and control your SimpliSafe system from the Home app on your iOS device.

Running Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi can be more complex than on a Mac or Windows PC.

You must check the Homebridge site for immediate support if anything goes wrong.

Note: Depending on the version of your Raspberry Pi, the performance may not be as smooth as on a more powerful computer. 

What We Learned

How To Connect Simplisafe To Homekit? The procedure can be very simple if you opt for Scrypted or HOOBS.

Even though there is no official integration between the two systems, that must not stop you from integrating SimpliSafe on your automated house!

After reading this article, we hope you can control all your devices with Siri.