Follow the Sun for HomeKit

Press Kit

What started as a blog post almost 2 years ago has finally come around to a product that I’m really excited about. Follow the Sun for HomeKit is made possible because the HomeKit API has come to developers as part of Big Sur - it can be simulated using standard HomeKit automations, configured in iOS, but to do it the way I really want requires a minimum of 2 apps, and several automations per light. I set this up for three lights in my bedroom, and it’s not worth the effort :)

Follow the Sun for HomeKit is the first HomeKit app that truly takes advantage of the flexibility offered by the Mac. It goes beyond the standard controls, and truly makes your HomeKit Smart Home work for you. I’m hoping that it’s the first of many, as the advanced capabilities that are now possible can reinvigorate the ecosystem, and add even more value, without needing to buy all new bulbs, switches, or other devices! (and while they’re at it, I hope Apple can find their way to adjust the HomeKit restrictions for tvOS apps — their other always-plugged-in device, and one that nearly 100% of HomeKit homes already have)

Requirements (a.k.a. — why only on the Mac?)

Follow the Sun for HomeKit requires a Mac running Big Sur. It can adjust the brightness of your lights automatically throughout the day, and listens for updates on your lights’ power and brightness settings, so that it can adjust the color temperature automatically. As such, it works best with a Mac that’s always on, and always plugged in. But why not iOS?

Third party HomeKit apps on iOS simply don’t work while the app is in the background - they don’t receive updates on devices, and they’re not allowed to communicate with devices at all. This is for both privacy and energy efficiency reasons, as constantly receiving updates on the state of devices, or issuing commands to your lights would help to quickly drain the battery.

As for privacy, Follow the Sun strives to be as responsible as possible - we only register for updates to HomeKit devices and characteristics that are necessary for the app to function. We don’t capture your location (this may change in a future build, to schedule against sunrise/sunset, but will be optional). We don’t gather any personally identifiable information, and we don’t access the device identifier. We do capture some metrics, but these can’t be tied back to you, and are focused around ensuring that we’re building a quality product.

While we’re here, I’ll put in another plug for tvOS to have its’ restrictions adjusted - I believe the Apple TV would be an outstanding platform for Follow the Sun, and would love to build it there!

Features

Without further ado - on to the feature list!

You need different types of light at different times of the day, and it’s different for every bulb. In your bedroom, you’ll want to start the day at moderate brightness, ramping up quickly to help you wake up — in the evening, though, ramping down the brightness can help you prepare for sleep. That same profile simply won’t work in the kitchen, though, as you typically want bright light that you can work to, switching to a night-light style light overnight. Follow the Sun can give you all of this