In this video I walk you through exactly how I bring HomeKit devices into Home Assistant, and then bridge them back into Apple Home so I can keep using Siri and the Home app while getting way deeper (and, in my experience, more reliable) automations in Home Assistant. This is Part 2 of the series, and I’m assuming you already have both a Home Assistant instance and an Apple Home set up—today is purely about the “HomeKit via Home Assistant” workflow. I start with an Aqara Hub M2 in my studio and show the counterintuitive part: you have to remove the bridge/accessory from Apple Home first, which also removes any automations tied to it. Before you do that, you need the pairing code—so I show how I use the HomePass app to store and copy codes quickly. Then in Home Assistant, I add the hub via the HomeKit Device integration, organize devices by area, and confirm everything is pulled in. Next I set up the HomeKit Bridge integration in Home Assistant, choose which device domains to expose, and use the exclude list to keep junk (or duplicate stuff) out of Apple Home. Finally, I pair the bridge back to Apple Home using the QR code in Home Assistant notifications, place accessories into rooms, and even change a smart plug to display as a light—so “turn the lights off” works the way I want.