Amazon adds HomeKit support to its Eero routers

News
By
last updated
eero WiFi System on a table in front of a living room setting
eero WiFi System on a table in front of a living room setting (Image credit: eero)

What you need to know

  • A new update to Amazon's Eero routers adds HomeKit support.
  • All Eero, Eero Pro, and Eero Beacon devices are included.
  • The update is rolling out today.

Amazon's Eero routers are gaining support for Apple's HomeKit today, according to a report by The Verge. Once configured users will be able to enjoy more tightly integrated HomeKit features with both their router and any devices connected to the internet.

Eero WiFi System 3 Pack
The chosen one
Eero WiFi System

HomeKit-enabled

The latest generation Eero WiFi Systems are the first routers to receive HomeKit support, giving full control over your accessories. The latest Eero system is also just so happens to be one of the best options around for coverage and affordability.

Setting up your Eero's HomeKit support is pretty simple. Just open the Eero app on your iPhone and then head to the "Discover" tab. That's where you'll find the instructions needed to get up and running and once you do, your router will appear in the Home app on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. If you already have HomeKit accessories in the Home app, they should work just fine. Apple recommends an additional step for extra security.

For even more security, remove and reset your Wi-Fi accessories then add them back to the Home app. This creates a unique passkey known only to the router and each accessory.

Setting all of this up might take a few extra minutes of your day, but it's worth it if you're looking for better control over which smart home devices have access to the wider internet. There are three levels of access that you can grant, depending on your preference and the requirements of the device in question.

HomeKit allows for three levels of security:

  • Restrict to Home: devices "can interact only with HomeKit through your Apple devices," with no access to the internet at all (meaning that some things, like firmware updates, won't work)
  • Automatic: the default option, which allows limited internet access to HomeKit and "connections recommended by its manufacturer"
  • No Restriction: devices can "interact with any device in your network or Internet-based service"

Eero is one of the first routers to get in on the HomeKit act, although hopefully, tons more will jump in, too. We'll let you know as soon as we find out more.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.