Apple HomeKit is a smart home automation platform that launched in 2014 for iPhone and iPad, then later expanded to other Apple devices. But there’s every chance you’ve never used the platform, or the Home app that controls it. Smart home control hasn’t been a central pillar of Apple’s business. In fact, it’s paled into insignificance when compared to music streaming and the App Store. Even other wireless features, like AirDrop and AirPlay, get more time in the spotlight than HomeKit. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Like Amazon Alexa , Google Home and Samsung SmartThings, Apple HomeKit is a powerful platform for creating a smart home. Along with the Home app and Siri, HomeKit can be used to control smart lighting and home climate systems. It can integrate with security cameras, video doorbells, speakers, TVs, garden irrigation, door locks, sensors, plug sockets and more.…