Design

It’s a white, rounded unit with a bracket on the back for mounting or angling. In the box you get a magnetic plate, so you can stick it up or screw it in, whichever suits the wall. There’s no getting around one thing, though: this is a powered device, not a battery one, so you’re running a cable to it. If you care about a clean, cable-free install, that’s worth knowing before you buy rather than after.

Specification

Connectivity

No batteries here, just USB-C. You can run the FP400 over Matter via Thread or over Zigbee, which means it’ll work with Apple Home, Home Assistant, SmartThings, Alexa and Google Home. You’ll still want the Aqara app installed too, since that’s where the deeper settings and configuration options live.

Zigbee mode needs an Aqara Hub, something like the Aqara Hub M3. Add the FP400 to a Matter over Thread platform instead and you only get a single presence sensor exposed, with none of the zone data. Realistically, you get far more out of this device running Zigbee through an Aqara Hub, and since those hubs start at around £30, I’d just budget for one.

Sensing

Inside is a 60GHz mmWave radar that Aqara says can track up to 10 people in real time, using AI processing to work out where everyone is. Aqara rates it for rooms up to 10m by 8m. That real-time position data is what lets you build zones and trigger automations based on where people actually are in a room, not just whether someone is present.

There’s also a built-in light sensor that reports the lux level in the room, which turns out to be more useful than it sounds.

Mounting and coverage

You can mount it on a wall or a ceiling, and it covers 120 degrees horizontally and 100 degrees vertically. That’s a decent spread, but it does mean you need to think about placement rather than just sticking it wherever’s convenient.

Zones and detection settings

In the Aqara app you can draw boundaries, mark interference zones, and set entrances and exits. There’s also AI enhanced person detection, which is Aqara’s way of telling a human apart from a pet, and in my testing it’s been reliably good at ignoring the cat.

The missing feature

If you followed the FP400 since it was first announced, there’s something to flag. Aqara originally talked about posture detection, the ability to tell if you’re lying down. I actually set this unit up in my bedroom specifically to test that. It isn’t in the shipping product. Aqara told me they pulled it to focus on making the core presence detection as solid as possible. If you saw the early previews and were expecting it, it’s not there.

Installation and setup

Pair it in the Aqara app before you mount it, since the app walks you through the physical install too. One practical tip: check your USB-C cable is actually long enough before you commit to a spot. If your plug socket isn’t directly under where you want to mount it, you’ll need a longer cable than the one in the box. I did.

1. Open the Aqara app, hit the plus button, and let it find the FP400.
2. Choose between Zigbee and Matter. I’d go Zigbee through an Aqara Hub if you have one, since it unlocks zones in third party apps like Apple Home and Home Assistant.
3. Let the app talk you through configuration, which includes scanning your empty room and setting boundaries.
4. Build your zones. The FP400 supports up to 8, and it’ll count total people in the room, though not per zone.
5. To connect to Apple Home or Home Assistant, use the Matter option in settings, or if your Aqara Hub is already linked to that platform, it’ll be added automatically.

Pairing itself is straightforward. The bit worth planning ahead for is the cable.

Using it day to day

I’ve had it running in the bedroom with two zones set up, added into both Home Assistant and Apple Home. One tip if you’re doing the same: name the main sensor in your third party apps before you start adding zones, because zones get exposed automatically and it gets confusing fast if you haven’t labelled things first. There’s also a setting to sync zone names across to Apple Home, which saves you doing it twice.

The main use case is automating lighting or fans based on where people are and whether they’re actually present. You can tune the absence confirmation period and the sensitivity in the app, so there’s real scope to tighten this up rather than living with false triggers.

The Aqara app has by far the widest range of automation triggers: number of people in a room, someone approaching, someone staying still for a long time, and a handful of others. Third party apps are more limited, generally offering presence started, presence ended, and a “presence ended for X time” option in Home Assistant.

Aqara also supports something called Signals for Home Assistant, which lets you turn a virtual switch on or off based on sensor status. You could, for example, have a switch that’s on whenever two people are in the room. It’s a neat bit of flexibility and it’s held up reliably in my testing.

The light sensor pulls its weight too. Motion detected plus the room being dark is a simple combination to set up in the Aqara app or Home Assistant. Apple Home is more roundabout: you set your automation trigger as presence detected, then convert the action to a Siri Shortcut so you can add the extra light level check.

After a few weeks of daily use, accuracy has been solid, and the person versus pet detection genuinely works. The stillness detection, useful for knowing if someone’s asleep or just sat reading, has also held up well. Between that reliability, which is a step up from the FP2, and the new automation options around stillness and headcount, this feels like a proper upgrade rather than a refresh with a new number on the box.

Downsides

Two things stand out. It’s a pricier device, though the RRP does match the FP2, which is now regularly discounted to around £63. And the bigger issue is simply that it’s wired. You need a power source nearby, and if you want the cable out of sight you’re looking at trunking, ideally painted to match the wall.

Verdict

The features, the reliability and the accuracy are genuinely good, and I haven’t had a single issue with it. It takes what the FP2 did with zones and improves on it, while adding more automation options on top.

Should you get one over a battery powered sensor instead? That depends on what you need. I’ve had Aqara’s battery powered FP300 sensors running downstairs since January and they’re excellent for straightforward presence and light automations. If zones matter to you, though, the FP400 is the better fit. Honestly, if my living and dining room didn’t have dead zones, one FP400 using zones would probably do the job of the two FP300s I’m currently running there.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Aqara FP400 need a hub?

Not strictly. It works over Matter via Thread without one. But you only get a single presence sensor exposed that way, with none of the zone data. To get zones into Apple Home or Home Assistant, you need an Aqara Hub running Zigbee.

Does the FP400 detect posture, like whether you’re lying down?

No. This was announced early on but Aqara removed it before launch, saying it wanted to focus on core presence detection instead.

How many zones can I set up?

Up to 8 zones. The sensor can also count the total number of people in the room, but not broken down by zone.

Does it run on batteries?

No, it’s USB-C powered only. You’ll need to route a cable to wherever you mount it.

Can it tell the difference between a person and a pet?

Yes, using its AI enhanced detection. In my testing it’s consistently ignored the cat.

Aqara FP400 vs Aqara FP2: what’s the difference?

The FP400 improves accuracy, adds more granular automation triggers around stillness and headcount, and supports more zones. It launches at the same £80 RRP as the FP2, which is now commonly found for around £63.

Should I get the FP400 or the Aqara FP300?

If you mainly need simple presence and light based automations, the battery powered FP300 works well and avoids the cable. If you need zones within a single room, the FP400 is the better choice.

The post Aqara FP400 review: the FP2 upgrade, minus one feature nobody expected to lose appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Quick bit of housekeeping first. SwitchBot sent me this unit as a beta tester, so I haven’t paid for it. They also have no idea I’m writing this, so as with everything else on the channel, you’re getting my honest take. There are affiliate links below, which cost you nothing extra.

Price

RRP is £130. In practice it drops regularly, and I’ve seen it as low as £90. That’s not cheap for something that moves air around a room, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Once you account for the battery, the Matter support and the app control, the maths starts to look better. A dumb fan at half the price does one job. This one does several.

Design and build

The review unit I was sent is the white and brown version, and I like it a lot more than I expected to. The whole thing is mostly rounded, with an accent colour across the front, and it looks modern without shouting about it. Whichever colour you go for, it doesn’t look like a gadget.

The fan sits low on the front, with a light strip underneath it and a row of touch controls below that: light, modes, power, speed, vertical oscillation and horizontal oscillation. Round the back there’s a port that takes either a USB-C cable or the supplied mains cable. Both charge it, and you can leave it plugged in and run it off the mains permanently if you’d rather.

One detail I appreciate more than I probably should: the base has a circular section that stays put while the body rotates above it. Plug it in, set the horizontal oscillation going, and the cable doesn’t wind itself into a knot. Someone actually thought about that.

There’s a small remote in the box too, for anyone who prefers a physical click to a touch panel.

Specifications

Matter and smart home support

Wi-Fi and Matter are built in. No hub, no bridge, no extra purchase. It drops straight into Apple Home, Home Assistant and anything else that speaks Matter.

What sold me is how much it exposes. You don’t just get on and off. You get the fan, the battery level and the onboard light, all as separate controls. That’s more than a lot of Matter devices manage.

It also works with Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings. I haven’t tested those, since this channel lives in Apple Home and Home Assistant, so I can’t tell you how well they behave.

Speeds, modes and noise

There are nine preset speeds you can cycle through using the buttons on the fan itself. In the SwitchBot app, or through a third party app, you get proper granular control from 1 to 100%.

There are four modes built in:

• Normal, which is what it sounds like
• Baby, which keeps the airflow quiet and gentle
• Natural, which alternates between stronger and weaker gusts
• Sleep, which gradually eases the speed down over time

At its lowest setting it measures 24dB. That is quiet enough to sleep next to, and quiet enough that nobody on a video call has commented on it.

Oscillation

Ninety degrees horizontally and ninety degrees vertically, and you can set the range of both in the app rather than being stuck with the full sweep.

Battery

The 3600mAh battery is rated for up to 12 hours of continuous use on a full charge. SwitchBot don’t say which speed that figure assumes, which is a bit annoying, so I tested it. You’ll hit roughly that on a middling speed. You will not get anywhere near it flat out.

In practice that means charging it during the day and running it overnight on something quiet, which is exactly how I’ve been using it.

Filter

There’s a filter in the box that fits into the rear of the unit if you want it.

Setting it up

The box contains the fan, a mains cable and the filter. Setup runs like this:

1. If you want the filter fitted, unscrew the back panel and slot it in. It’s fiddly for about a minute and then it’s done.
2. Charge the fan up.
3. Open the SwitchBot app, hit the plus button and let it find the device. The app walks you through pairing.
4. To get it into Apple Home or Home Assistant, put it into Matter pairing mode by holding the power button for 15 seconds.
5. Copy the Matter code out of the SwitchBot app and paste it into whichever platform you’re using.

The Matter instructions live in the device settings in the app if you get stuck. The whole process took me a few minutes and nothing went wrong, which is not something I get to say about every Matter device.

Living with it

Worth stating the obvious: this is a fan, not an air conditioner. It moves air, it doesn’t chill it. Within that limit it’s very good.

Control is easy however you want to do it, whether that’s the touch panel, the remote, the app, a third party app or a voice assistant. Being able to fine tune the speed and the oscillation range makes a real difference.

The oscillation is genuinely fun to watch, which is a strange thing to write about a fan. The full vertical sweep is too much for my room, though, so I went into the app and pulled the range in. Ten seconds of work and it was much better.

The night light has quietly become my favourite feature. It turns this into something you’d keep on a bedside table all year rather than dragging out of a cupboard every July. If you do put it in a bedroom, you can switch off the indicator lights in the app so it isn’t glowing at you.

The SwitchBot app has some useful quick actions, timers included. Beyond that you can drop it into automations, so it’ll kick in when a presence sensor spots you and the room temperature is above whatever you decide.

The reason I ended up reviewing this at all is that I’ve been quietly impressed. It’s very quiet, it takes the edge off a hot day, and it’s the only thing I’ve found that keeps me comfortable during work calls when a portable air conditioner would be far too loud. The battery life surprised me. And because it’s portable I can carry it from room to room, or wedge it in a window and run the reverse fan trick to pull cooler air in at night.

What I don’t like

Two things. The price is high next to a basic fan, though I think the smart features earn it. And the touch buttons on the front want you to hold your finger in place before they respond. It’s a small thing that I notice every time.

Verdict

It’s expensive, and I’m not going to talk you out of noticing that. What you get for the money is a good looking fan with proper Matter support, a sensible set of modes, adjustable oscillation and a battery that makes it genuinely portable.

I like it, and it’s still on my desk in September, which tells you most of what you need to know. If you want a smart fan that works with Apple Home or Home Assistant without another hub in the cupboard, the SwitchBot Battery Circulator Fan 2 Pro is an easy recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the SwitchBot Battery Circulator Fan 2 Pro need a hub?

No. Wi-Fi and Matter are built into the fan, so it connects directly to Apple Home, Home Assistant and other Matter platforms with nothing else in between.

Does it work with Apple Home?

Yes, over Matter. You get the fan, the light and the battery level as separate controls rather than a single on and off switch.

How long does the battery last?

Up to 12 hours from the 3600mAh battery. In my testing that holds up at a mid speed. At full power you’ll get far less.

How loud is it?

As low as 24dB on the quietest setting, which is fine for sleeping or for work calls.

Can you use it while it’s plugged in?

Yes. Run it off the mains cable or over USB-C and ignore the battery entirely if you want to.

Does it come with a filter?

Yes, there’s one in the box. You unscrew the back panel to fit it, and you can buy a replacement fan filter when it needs changing.

Does it work with Alexa and Google Home?

SwitchBot list support for Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings. I test on Apple Home and Home Assistant, so I can’t speak to how well those integrations hold up day to day.

The post SwitchBot Battery Circulator Fan 2 Pro review: the smart fan I didn’t expect to like appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

What Makes This Plug Different

The headline feature is that the Aqara H2 UK Power Plug is dual protocol. You can run it in either Matter over Thread or Zigbee mode, and you switch between the two right inside the Aqara app. That sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t.

If you go with Zigbee, you’ll need an Aqara Hub, but you unlock a few extra features along the way. If you stick with Matter, you can skip the hub entirely and pair it straight to whatever Matter controller you already own, whether that’s an Apple HomePod, Home Assistant, SmartThings, Alexa or Google Home. That flexibility is the whole pitch, and it works.

It’s also a proper 13A plug rated for devices up to 3250W, so this isn’t just for lamps and diffusers. I’ve had it running my washing machine without a second thought. It’ll operate anywhere between -20°C and 50°C too, which means a garage or shed is fair game if you wanted to smarten up something out there.

The Small Stuff That Actually Matters

• A child lock on the physical button, so little hands can’t switch it off mid-cycle
• Power-off memory, so it remembers its last state after a power cut
• Custom max power settings, so it trips if a device pulls more than you’ve set
• A charging protection mode that cuts power automatically if consumption drops below 3W for half an hour, handy for anything that trickle-charges

None of these are the sort of thing you’ll use daily, but they’re the difference between a plug that just switches power and one that’s actually thought through.

Design

It’s not the slimmest plug on the market, but the rounded shape does a good job of hiding its bulk. The width is narrow enough that it won’t block the socket next to it, which is more of an issue than it sounds like with some competitors. Overall it feels solid and looks the part rather than like a cheap import.

Setting It Up

Setup was about as painless as this stuff gets. Plug it in, open the Aqara app, and mine popped up with a prompt straight away. If that doesn’t happen for you, hit the plus icon and search for the product, or scan the Matter QR code printed on the side.

You’ll be asked early on whether you want Matter or Zigbee mode, with Matter set as the default. If you’re happy staying in Matter, you don’t even need the Aqara app at all, just add it directly through Apple Home or whichever platform you use.

I switched mine over to Zigbee so I could test everything on offer, paired it to my Aqara M3 Hub, and it connected without a hitch. Since that hub was already linked into both Home Assistant and Apple Home, all I had to do was rename the plug and drop it into a room.

Living With It Day to Day

I’ve had this running for a month now across Apple Home and Home Assistant. In Apple Home it currently behaves like a basic on/off plug, though Apple’s bringing energy monitoring to the platform with iOS 27 later this year, at which point this plug should show its full hand there too.

In Home Assistant, when it’s running in Zigbee mode through the hub, you get the switch itself plus energy, power and active current sensors. Toggling it on and off through any of the apps is quick and reliable. I’ve also had it responding to Siri through a HomePod mini without any lag worth mentioning.

Where it really earns its price is in automations. I’ve got mine wired up to my kitchen extractor hood, of all things. My automation watches the power draw and flips on my wall extractor once it crosses a certain threshold, then switches it off again once it drops. It keeps the kitchen properly ventilated while I’m cooking, and honestly it’s been rock solid since I set it up. The power readings update fast in both the Aqara app and Home Assistant, so there’s no lag between something drawing power and the automation reacting.

The Aqara app also lets you track usage over time, which is a nice touch if you’re the sort of person who likes to know exactly what’s eating your electricity bill.

Any Downsides?

Honestly, the only real knock against it is the price. At £33 it’s one of the more expensive smart plugs you can buy in the UK. Whether that bothers you depends entirely on how many of the features above you’ll actually use. If you just want something to turn a lamp on and off, you can spend a lot less elsewhere.

Final Verdict

With support for devices up to 3250W, a genuinely useful set of safety features, and the option to switch between Zigbee and Matter depending on your setup, the Aqara H2 UK Power Plug is one of the most capable smart plugs I’ve used. It’s not cheap, but it’s not trying to be the budget option either. If you want a plug that’ll still be useful once your smart home setup gets more ambitious, this is worth the extra money.

Affiliate Link Phrases

Use these exact phrases consistently throughout the post for your find-and-replace link automation:

• Aqara H2 UK Power Plug
• Aqara M3 Hub

The post Aqara H2 UK Power Plug Review: Is It Worth £33? appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

This video shows you how to set up an automation in Apple Home to send your HomePod mini data. We’ll use a switch as a trigger, which activates every five minutes, to streamline your Apple automations. The actions include selecting ‘Convert’ and then choosing ‘Temperature’ for seamless data transmission within your smart home setup.

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The post New Video – This HomeKit Trick Saves Hours #smarthome #homekit #automation appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Fortunately, there is a workaround that allows Home Assistant to receive temperature and humidity readings from your HomePods, making them available for automations, dashboards and heating controls.

I’ve been running this setup successfully for several months and it’s proven to be a reliable way to bring HomePod sensor data into Home Assistant.

Why Use HomePod Sensors in Home Assistant?

Many smart heating setups rely on temperature readings from thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). While convenient, these sensors often sit close to a radiator, which can result in inaccurate room temperature measurements.

HomePods are usually placed in more representative locations around the home, making them surprisingly useful as room temperature and humidity sensors. By bringing these readings into Home Assistant, you can create more accurate heating automations and climate controls.

How the Integration Works

Because Apple doesn’t currently expose HomePod sensor data directly to Home Assistant, we need to use a small workaround.

The process works by:

• Creating template sensors in Home Assistant.
• Creating a helper switch that is exposed to Apple Home.
• Triggering an Apple Home automation every few minutes.
• Reading the HomePod temperature and humidity values.
• Sending those values back to Home Assistant using its REST API.
• Updating Home Assistant sensors using custom events.

While it sounds complicated, once configured it runs automatically in the background.

What You’ll Need

• Home Assistant
• At least one HomePod or HomePod mini with temperature and humidity sensors enabled
• Apple Home
• HomeKit Bridge configured in Home Assistant
• A Home Assistant Long-Lived Access Token

Setting Up Home Assistant

The first step is creating an Input Boolean helper in Home Assistant. This helper acts as a trigger that Apple Home can see.

Once created, expose the helper through HomeKit Bridge so that it appears in Apple Home as a simple switch.

Next, create a Long-Lived Access Token in Home Assistant. This token allows Apple Home Shortcuts to securely send data back into Home Assistant using API calls.

You’ll also need to create template sensors that listen for custom events. These sensors will store the temperature and humidity values received from Apple Home.

Creating the Automation

In Home Assistant, create an automation that turns the helper switch on every five minutes, waits a few seconds and then turns it back off again.

This creates a predictable trigger that Apple Home can respond to.

Inside Apple Home, create a new automation that runs whenever the helper switch turns on. Convert the automation into a Shortcut and use it to:

• Read the HomePod temperature value.
• Read the HomePod humidity value.
• Store the values in variables.
• Send the data to Home Assistant using HTTP POST requests.

Each POST request fires a custom event inside Home Assistant which updates the corresponding template sensor.

Using the Data

Once configured, your HomePod sensors behave like native Home Assistant sensors.

You can use them in:

• Heating automations
• Climate dashboards
• Notifications
• Energy-saving routines
• Humidity monitoring
• Room occupancy and comfort calculations

The data updates automatically every five minutes and can be used anywhere within Home Assistant.

Complete Setup Guide and Files

Rather than duplicating all of the YAML, API examples and configuration steps in this article, I’ve published the complete setup guide and example files on GitHub.

You can find everything you need here:

HomePod Data to Home Assistant Setup Guide

The repository includes:

• Example YAML templates
• Home Assistant configuration examples
• Apple Home Shortcut setup guidance
• Troubleshooting information
• Example event names and API calls

Final Thoughts

Apple’s HomePods contain surprisingly capable environmental sensors, but they’re currently underutilised outside the Apple ecosystem. By combining Home Assistant, HomeKit Bridge and Apple Home Shortcuts, you can make use of those sensors throughout your smart home.

If you’re already using HomePods around the house, this is a simple way to gain additional room sensors without purchasing any extra hardware.

The post How to Get HomePod Temperature and Humidity Sensors into Home Assistant appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

In this video, I explain how to integrate temperature and relative humidity data from your Apple HomePod into Home Assistant. Since iOS 16.3, Apple Home users can access these built-in sensors, enhancing their smart home setup. This guide helps you leverage these smart home devices for more comprehensive home automation.

Instructions and Yaml: https://github.com/marktiddy/HomePod-Data-to-Home-Assistant

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The post New Video – Syncing HomePod Temperature and Humidity into Home Assistant appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

After using the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni daily for over a month, including vacuuming every day and mopping twice a week, here’s my in-depth review covering design, specifications, setup, performance, maintenance, smart home integration, and whether it’s actually worth buying.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Design

The Tapo RV50 Pro Omni consists of two main components: the robot vacuum itself and the multifunction docking station. Both feature a modern black finish that looks premium and unobtrusive in most homes.

The docking station houses:

• Clean water tank
• Dirty water tank
• Dust collection bag compartment
• Detergent storage
• Mop pad cleaning and drying system
• Mop pad storage area

The robot vacuum itself features multiple obstacle detection sensors, an extending mop pad system for edge cleaning, and an anti-tangle brush design. Compared to some competitors such as the SwitchBot S10, the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni is slightly smaller and shorter, helping it navigate more easily around furniture and thresholds.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Specifications

The Tapo RV50 Pro Omni offers genuinely flagship-level specifications:

• Dimensions: 350mm x 350mm x 100mm
• Maximum suction power: 15,000Pa
• Battery capacity: 5,200mAh
• Maximum runtime: Up to 250 minutes
• Maximum threshold climbing: 20mm
• Mop pressure: 8N
• Mop speed: 180RPM
• Clean water tank: 5L
• Dirty water tank: 5L
• Obstacle avoidance: Dual laser precision system
• Connectivity: Tapo App, Alexa, Google Home, Matter, Apple Home, Home Assistant

The vacuum includes a self-cleaning anti-tangle brush system that actively cuts hair during docking, making it particularly attractive for pet owners.

The mop pads can automatically attach and detach depending on the floor type, preventing carpets from becoming wet. One mop pad also extends outward for improved edge cleaning performance.

Docking Station Features

The docking station is one of the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni’s strongest features.

• Automatic dust emptying
• Automatic clean water refill
• Automatic dirty water collection
• Automatic mop washing at 60°C
• Automatic mop drying with 50°C warm air
• Automatic hair cutting from the brush roller
• Integrated detergent dispensing
• Anti-odour module in the dirty water tank

According to Tapo, the 5L clean water tank should provide approximately 2.3 cleaning cycles in a 100m² home or around 4 cycles in a 50m² home. In practice, using mopping twice per week, I typically refill the water every 10 days.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Spare Parts and Running Costs

One of the biggest advantages of the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni is its relatively low ongoing maintenance cost.

• Tapo RV50 Replacement Filter Pack: Approximately £30 for four filters
• Tapo Floor Cleaning Solution: Approximately £30
• Tapo RV50 Dust Bags: Around £10 for five compatible bags
• Tapo RV50 Replacement Mop Pads: Around £30 for six official pads
• Tapo RV50 Replacement Brush Kit: Available as a replacement kit

Replacement parts are readily available, and the companion app includes maintenance reminders and direct links to replacement components.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Price and Value

The official retail price of the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni is around £750. However, it is frequently discounted to approximately £400.

At £750, the value proposition becomes more difficult to justify. At around £400, however, it becomes one of the best-value premium robot vacuum and mop systems currently available.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Setup Experience

Initial setup is straightforward. The box includes setup instructions printed directly on the packaging, guiding you through:

• Installing the docking ramp
• Installing the detergent cartridge
• Installing the anti-odour module
• Filling the clean water tank
• Removing shipping protection materials
• Connecting the vacuum to the Tapo app

Pairing through the Tapo app was mostly straightforward, although I did experience a couple of connection issues during initial setup that required resetting the vacuum.

Once connected, Matter pairing with Apple Home and Home Assistant worked without issue.

Smart Home Integration: Matter, Apple Home and Home Assistant

For smart home enthusiasts, Matter support is arguably the biggest selling point of the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni.

The vacuum supports:

• Apple Home
• Home Assistant
• Amazon Alexa
• Google Home
• Matter

Within Apple Home and Home Assistant, you can control:

• Vacuum only mode
• Mop only mode
• Combined vacuum and mop mode
• Quick cleaning
• Automatic cleaning
• Deep cleaning

I’ve been running scheduled cleaning routines through Home Assistant for over a month, and reliability has been excellent.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Vacuum Performance

My home consists primarily of laminate flooring, with several thresholds, rugs, door mats, and two cats regularly creating fur and litter mess.

After a month of daily use, vacuuming performance has been excellent.

The 15,000Pa suction power is more than sufficient for:

• Pet hair
• Cat litter
• Dust
• General household debris

The anti-tangle brush system has proven particularly impressive, with virtually no hair becoming wrapped around the brush roller.

Object avoidance is also among the best I’ve tested. During testing, the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni successfully avoided cat toys without touching or moving them.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Mopping Performance

The biggest improvement over previous robot vacuums I’ve used is the mopping system.

The dual spinning mop pads deliver noticeably better cleaning performance than roller-based systems, and the extending mop arm helps clean close to walls and furniture edges.

Available mopping settings include:

• Multiple water flow levels
• Standard cleaning routes
• Fast cleaning routes
• Thorough cleaning routes
• Single or multiple cleaning passes

I found the medium water setting provided the best balance between cleaning performance and water consumption.

The automatic mop removal system also works extremely well, preventing wet mop pads from being dragged across carpets.

Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance

The dual laser navigation system performs exceptionally well.

Benefits include:

• Excellent obstacle avoidance
• Reliable carpet detection
• Strong threshold climbing ability
• Accurate room mapping
• Support for virtual walls and no-go zones

Unlike some competing robot vacuums, the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni rarely gets itself stuck.

Tapo App Features

The Tapo app offers a huge range of customisation options, including:

• Room editing
• Cleaning schedules
• No-go zones
• Virtual walls
• Cleaning order preferences
• Multi-floor mapping
• Cleaning reports
• Remote control mode
• Maintenance tracking
• Siri Shortcuts
• Smart Actions
• Device sharing
• Matter setup tools

The only real downside is that the app occasionally takes a few seconds to reconnect to the vacuum when opening it.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Maintenance

Maintenance requirements are refreshingly low.

Regular tasks include:

• Refilling the clean water tank
• Emptying and rinsing the dirty water tank
• Replacing dust bags
• Replacing filters
• Cleaning charging contacts
• Replacing brushes and mop pads when required

The app tracks component wear and provides maintenance reminders, making ownership largely hassle-free.

Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Downsides

No product is perfect, and there are a few minor issues worth mentioning.

• The app can occasionally take a few seconds to connect.
• A mop pad detached once after catching on a door mat.
• The vacuum still cannot fit under some higher furniture due to its top-mounted sensor.
• The official detergent occasionally goes out of stock.

However, none of these issues significantly impacted day-to-day usage.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni?

After testing multiple robot vacuum systems over several years, the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni is currently my favourite robot vacuum and mop combination.

Its strengths include:

• Excellent vacuuming performance
• Outstanding mopping quality
• Reliable object avoidance
• Very low maintenance requirements
• Excellent Matter support
• Strong Home Assistant and Apple Home integration
• Competitive running costs
• Excellent value when discounted

While I wouldn’t recommend paying the full £750 retail price, at the frequently discounted price of around £400, the Tapo RV50 Pro Omni is arguably one of the best robot vacuum and mop systems currently available for smart home users.

Purchase Links

• Tapo RV50 Pro Omni
• Tapo RV50 Replacement Filter Pack
• Tapo Floor Cleaning Solution
• Tapo RV50 Dust Bags
• Tapo RV50 Replacement Mop Pads
• Tapo RV50 Replacement Brush Kit
• SwitchBot S10
• SwitchBot K10+

The post Tapo RV50 Pro Omni Review: The Best Matter-Compatible Robot Vacuum for Apple Home Users? appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

After experimenting with integrating non-Apple devices into my Apple Home using Home Assistant, I’m excited to share this game-changing experience. If you’re managing multiple devices, this method is a must-try.

My Experience: Seamless Integration

Setting up non-Apple devices like the Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug and Sonoff S26 with Apple Home via Home Assistant was surprisingly smooth. Within minutes, I had my new devices appearing in the Apple Home app alongside my existing iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV.

Key Steps: A Walkthrough

The process involves installing the necessary plugins for each device type on your Home Assistant instance (e.g., Xiaomi MiIO and Sonoff). Then, it’s simply a matter of discovering your devices through the respective plugins.

Benefits: Unifying Your Smart Home Experience

With this setup, you gain control over your non-Apple devices directly from the Apple Home app. This includes creating scenes and automations involving both Apple and third-party devices. Plus, updates to both Home Assistant and Apple Home ensure ongoing compatibility.

The post New Video – Home Assistant Adds Non-Apple Devices to Apple Home Easily appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

I’ve been experimenting with Home Assistant, alongside my usual focus on Apple Home, for a few months now. Here’s what I found when setting up automations and integrating new devices:

Setting Up Automations

Home Assistant offers a different approach to smart home automation compared to Apple’s offering. It’s more powerful and flexible, allowing for complex scenarios that aren’t possible with HomeKit alone.

I’ve created detailed tutorials on Home Assistant Green, including:

• Multi-factor authentication setup
• Refresh tokens for seamless automation

Integrating New Devices

Home Assistant supports a wide range of devices. I’ve successfully integrated:

• ZBT-2 Device
• Zigbee Dongle for expanded connectivity
• Raspberry Pi Starter Kit as the platform’s core

While Apple HomeKit is great, combining it with Home Assistant has significantly improved my smart home experience. It’s like getting the best of both worlds – Apple’s simplicity and Home Assistant’s power.

The post New Video – Apple HomeKit + Home Assistant: The perfect smart home? appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

The Homey self-hosted software presents distinct limitations regarding its current feature set, specifically including a lack of an Apple HomeKit experiment which prevents device integration via standard protocols used in most ecosystems globally today by users expecting seamless automation without technical barriers present within the platform code currently available for public download or access online through various channels.

Device Compatibility and Functionality

This means that devices like Tua can’t be added as a bridge, which is considered a major selling point specifically for physical hardware integration in smart homes generally by users looking to control their lighting fixtures and switches using wireless signals directly from mobile applications installed on phones or tablets connected regularly via standard networking infrastructure protocols often encountered daily.

Pricing and Usability

While there’s currently an optional free trial period initially offered before purchase commitment, the ongoing monthly cost of £5 may not be justified if you need to use it all of the time rather than occasionally depending upon specific scenarios or needs for troubleshooting processes involving bugs and connectivity issues which make operating these systems frustratingly tedious often unexpectedly when managing complex tasks within automated environments regularly.

The post New Video – Homey Matter Device Setup Fails Due to Lack of Apple HomeKit Experiment appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.