Twinkly smart holiday lights get HomeKit support

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Thanks to a firmware update, Twinkly smart holiday lights now have HomeKit support.
Thanks to a firmware update, Twinkly smart holiday lights now have HomeKit support.
Photo: Ledworks S.R.L.

Your winter festivities just got a little brighter if you’re looking for smart holiday lights to use with HomeKit. Thanks to a firmware update, Twinkly smart holiday lights have gained HomeKit support, allowing control with Apple’s smart-home system for the first time.

Twinkly’s new update — firmware version 2.8.3 — brings long-awaited HomeKit support to select models of smart holiday lights. The update is available through the Twinkly iOS app.

Manage Twinkly using the Home app via HomeKit

Once you have the update, you can control your Twinkly lights remotely via the Home app, if you have it installed on your device. You can connect the lights to Home via HomeKit and then manage Twinkly using your iPhone or iPad, or via Apple TV and Apple HomePod.

Twinkly said HomeKit support is available for Gen II and Plus models. That includes classic string lights, curtains, clusters and icicles in sets with various numbers of LEDs. After updating to the firmware, you will see a new HomeKit option in the device menu for compatible Twinkly models. Then, with a few quick selections, you can get start managing your festive lighting.

Colors, automations and scenes

After you add Twinkly lights to HomeKit, they work a lot like other smart lights in the Home app. You can set color controls, automations and scenes. You also have the ability to control the lights via Siri voice commands.

When you turn on a dynamic scene or custom colors, you can revert to a previous state by toggling Twinkly lights on through Siri or the Home app. But you’ll need the Twinkly app to switch between built-in effects because they’re not currently available through the Home app.

You can purchase Twinkly lights from retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. Prices start as low as $70 for a 100 LED string light set. Firmware version 2.8.3 with HomeKit support is rolling out now for free through the Twinkly iOS app.

Where to buy: Amazon

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