IKEA light bulbs are a great option for getting started with smart lighting. They're affordable and integrate seamlessly with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. If you prefer to use Apple's assistant and control them with a HomePod, we'll show you step-by-step how to add IKEA bulbs to HomeKit.
Ikea Tradfri and HomeKit
When IKEA launched its smart bulbs, there was no initial support for HomeKit . It arrived later, but once it did, it significantly improved the user experience. And not only because Apple's assistant could finally be used with voice commands to control them, but especially because the Home app is more comprehensive than the IKEA Smart Home app.
And it is that the IKEA solution does not allow control from outside the home and this means that it loses one of the most attractive functions: checking if you left a light on and turning it off without having to return. Although then the most advantageous on a day-to-day basis are the options to create scenes, automations, etc., which are still fewer than with the Home app.
Therefore, if you decide to opt for IKEA bulbs or any other Tradfri product, ideally you should add them to HomeKit to have total control from the app itself as well as through Siri , Apple's voice assistant that is in products like the HomePod mini.
So we are going to show you how to connect these IKEA bulbs to the Apple HomeKit platform.
How to connect IKEA light bulbs to HomeKit
When discussing IKEA bulbs' HomeKit compatibility, some aspects are often overlooked, though not intentionally. These points can still frustrate users who buy them without doing much research. So let's take a look.
First and foremost is that while IKEA bulbs can be added to the Philips bridge thanks (both solutions use the Zigbee standard), when you later try to view those devices through the Home app they don't show up.
Because of IKEA's implementation of this technology, the Tradfri bridge (now called DIRIGERA) is essential to be able to control each and every device in this series through Siri and the native iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and macOS application.
However, when those same bulbs are added to the Philips bridge, they can be controlled without problems with Alexa or Google Assistant. So maybe it's not so much the fault of IKEA's use of the Zigbee standard and Apple's. But hey, this is not about looking for guilty but solutions.
The problem with needing the IKEA bridge is that it can be a bit annoying if you already have others like the aforementioned Philips one. So either you ditch Siri and HomeKit, something you probably don't care about if you're reading this, or you agree to have multiple bridges.
The second point is that you can't just buy the bulbs and the bridge thinking everything will work perfectly. You need at least an IKEA control button or remote to add the lights to the bridge . This decision seems somewhat absurd, because Philips bulbs add to the bridge without any problem and without needing such a button, but for some reason, IKEA has decided otherwise with their solution.
Therefore, along with the bulbs and the bridge, you will also need that remote control. Once you have it, the first step is to connect the IKEA bridge to your router. Then, download the IKEA Smart Home app and follow the steps to add the different light bulbs and other possible IKEA Tradfri products that you want to use.
Once everything is set up, the next step is to add all those products to HomeKit , and that's done as follows:
- Open the Home app and tap the icon + to add accessory
- If you do it with an iPhone or iPad you can use your camera to read the code that will appear on a sticker that has the bridge at its base
- If you don't have that sticker or camera, you need the HomeKit numeric code corresponding to the IKEA bridge. If you don't have it, open the IKEA Smart Home app and navigate to Settings > Integrations > Apple HomeKit
- Copy the code and enter it in the Home app to add the bridge
- Once the bridge is recognized, you will see how all the devices connected to it appear. Although it is important that they are up to date latest firmware version for this HomeKit support
- Rename them, assign the room they are in and whether or not you want it to be in your Favorites view
Ready. You already have the IKEA light bulbs added to HomeKit and you will be able to manage them like any other smart device you may have. What's more, you can now forget about the IKEA app unless it's to apply a firmware update. Because everything related to turning on and off control, brightness, color, automation, scenes, etc., you can do it from the native iOS and macOS app.
Control IKEA light bulbs from outside the home
If you want to control IKEA bulbs or other Tradfri devices remotely from outside your home, all you need is an Apple TV or a HomePod acting as a HomeKit hub . Apple's Home app requires one of these devices to accept requests from external networks (the internet), so you'll need to purchase one if you want to control your home automation system remotely (provided you intend to use Home as your management app).
To use these devices as a HomeKit hub, you just need to be signed in to those devices with the same Apple ID you use on, say, your iPhone. Then in the iPad settings or from the Home app settings, select to use the device as an accessory center.
What differences are there between a Tradfri bridge and a Homekit Accessories Central?
The Tradfri bridge is the mandatory accessory that will allow you to control your IKEA light bulbs with voice assistants and from outside the house, but always using the official application. This bridge allows you to create groups of lights and control them at the same time to more comfortably and effectively manage all your home automation with IKEA accessories. As long as you are connected to the WiFi network at home, you can control the bulbs from the Home application without problems, but when you go outside and disconnect from your WiFi, you can only regain control from the Home application if you have a HomeKit accessory hub, such as an Apple TV or HomePod.
What differences are there between a Tradfri bridge and a DIRIGERA bridge?
The DIRIGERA bridge is the most current version of the IKEA connection bridge. The Tradfri has already been discontinued, and the advantages of the new one are that it offers better connections, is faster and more effective, and is prepared for the new Matter connection protocol. Currently you can only buy the latter, but if for some reason you find a unit of the former, our recommendation is to choose DIRIGERA for all the advantages it offers. It has a USB-C port and an Ethernet port to be able to connect it directly to our router.
What Tradfri devices are compatible with HomeKit?
Tradfri's ecosystem is not as varied as Philips', but it has been growing over the months, offering itself as a fairly affordable alternative to other brands. Within the Ikea Tradfri range you can find the following devices:
- e27 bulbs: there are models of white and colored light. The colored models do not offer as much variety of tones as other brands such as LIFX or Philips, but they can be useful to give a touch of color to your rooms. Compared to the white light models, they allow you to change the hue to create warmer or colder environments.
- e14 bulbs: the same, but with a thin pin, ideal for lamps and old ceiling supports. Both these and the e27 can be bought with different powers and consumption levels depending on the product we need. There are also purely decorative models to give a touch of personality to our living room without leaving us a lot of money.
- GU10 bulbs: these models are the ones used in ceilings and bathrooms. Ikea models are quite affordable, although they only have 400 lumens.
- color/intensity slider: It is a small switch that we can place on the wall or near our lamps to change the color and regulate the brightness of the light. They are quite cheap and there are several kits that combine bulbs with these devices. If you use your HomePod to give commands, you probably won't need this device, but remember that you'll need one—or the old remote—to set up your bulbs for the first time. As a tip, if you are not going to use the regulator, you can look for the old remote in the store, which is circular in shape. It is quite normal to find it on sale.
- Smart plug: works exactly like any other smart wall plug, but connected directly to the Ikea bridge.
- Blinds: If you are looking to turn off the sunlight intelligently with Siri, you can also do it with voice commands with the Ikea blind. The Tredansen model connects to the Tradfri bridge and can receive HomeKit commands.
- light strips: although the installation is somewhat complex, there are several models of light strips for kitchens and bathrooms that Ikea sells in its stores under different names and that work within the Tradfri ecosystem, so they can also be associated with HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant. This is the case of the Silverglans bars, for example.
- Motion sensors: We can configure them in multiple ways so that they trigger actions after detecting our presence. These shortcuts can be configured from the Ikea Home Smart app or directly from the Home app.
- Driver for wireless control: It is an adapter in which to connect the LED cabinet lights and that allows to offer control by WiFi.