<\/p>\n","post_title":"Home Assistant Notifications That Run Apple Shortcuts (Yes, Really)","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"home-assistant-notifications-that-run-apple-shortcuts-yes-really","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-06-12 13:23:48","post_modified_gmt":"2026-06-12 20:23:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/?p=23421","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":23045,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2026-05-16 17:11:23","post_date_gmt":"2026-05-17 00:11:23","post_content":"
In early 2026 Aqara introduced the U400 smart lock. It was the first smart lock to support UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology. The day it was released I jumped on the opportunity to get my hands one and placed an order. Over the past few months I've been using it daily, and I'm excited to share my experience.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In mid-2024 I purchased the Aqara U200 smart lock from their Kickstarter campaign. One of the big selling points was that it was one of the first smart locks to support Matter over Thread along with Apple HomeKey. When paired with my iPhone and Apple watch I could unlock my front door with a tap of my wrist or phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Apple HomeKey was a game changer, and worked flawlessly for me. The Aqara U200 was also a retrofit lock, meaning the exterior of the lock was the same as my existing lock. However, the interior side was a bit bulky and mostly plastic.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the Aqara U200 is a retrofit lock, it's great for renters or anyone that can't replace their exterior lock. The interior is a bit bulky, but battery life was excellent and it was extremely reliable. I was very happy with my purchase. But what if locking my front door could be even easier? Yes, first world problems.<\/p>\n Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a short-range radio technology that transmits data using extremely short pulses spread across a wide slice of the radio spectrum. Unlike Bluetooth, which simply checks whether your phone is \"close enough\" to trigger an action, UWB can measure the precise distance between two devices down to a few centimeters \u2014 in three dimensions. That means the lock doesn't just know you're nearby<\/em> \u2014 it knows where you are, how far away you are, and what angle you're approaching from.<\/p>\n That last part matters more than it might seem. Bluetooth-based auto-unlock relies on signal strength (RSSI), which is notoriously noisy \u2014 walls, your body, and nearby wireless devices can all distort the reading. Because UWB tracks your angle of approach (AoA), speed, and precise distance in real time, the Aqara U400 can wait until you're actually walking toward<\/em> the door (from only the outside) before acting \u2014 which means far fewer ghost unlocks and a much more satisfying \"it just works\" experience.<\/p>\n Until the emergence of Aliro, UWB smart locks were limited to the Apple ecosystem. The CSA (Connectivity Standards Alliance<\/a>) recognized this problem and wanted to develop an open standard for authenticating to access control devices like locks. Aliro<\/a> promises cross-platform compatibility to include Apple, Google and Samsung devices. Aliro supports NFC, Bluetooth LE, and UWB protocols for authentication.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aliro is also more secure than other methods, as it uses modern cryptographic standards and your phone or watch store the private key which never leaves your devices. Even if someone intercepted the Alira communications, they would not be able to grab a valid key to unlock your device. The system works completely offline, so no network connection is used.\u00a0<\/p>\n On February 26, 2026 the Aliro standard v1.0 was released. Aliro is not just limited to residential smart locks. It was designed to also support commercial uses as well.\u00a0In April 2026 the Aqara U400 was the first smart lock to pass the Aliro 1.0 certification process. You can check out the official documentation here<\/a>. At the time of this writing, the only other lock to pass the Aliro certification process is the ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Aqara U400 supported UWB with Apple HomeKey from launch, so the Aliro certification didn't make any difference for me. However, for anyone using Android it's a big deal. Is UWB really all that's its cracked up to be? We'll find out.<\/p>\n The Aqara U400 supports Matter over Thread connectivity to your favorite smart home hub. This design enables compatibility with Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Home Assistant and more. Thread is very low power, so this helps extend battery life. Thread, IMHO, is much preferable to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for battery powered devices like smart locks. However, you will need a Thread border router.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Aqara U400 has a full complement methods to unlock your door. These include:<\/p>\n \"Missing\" from the U400 is palm vein recognition, along with face recognition. However, I would argue that UWB auto-unlock is a much more useful and is more secure. I put facial and palm unlock methods more into the 'gimmick' category so I'm actually glad they are not included in the U400 and likely increasing the cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to a variety of methods to unlock your door, the U400 also features:<\/p>\n In the Aqara app you also have a wide range of additional options to customize the lock behavior:<\/p>\n Aqara sells two versions of the U400 lock. The first is the \"base\" model which most retailers like Amazon sell ($269 USD). However, Aqara also has the \u201cdeluxe\u201d model which is exclusively sold by Apple<\/a> ($299 USD). Features exclusive to the deluxe model include:<\/p>\n The majority of the interior body is still plastic, including the battery cover. However, for the extra $30, I would strongly recommend the deluxe model from Apple. Compared to the Aqara U200 (all plastic), the U400 deluxe build quality is on an entirely different level. The difference in weight between the standard and deluxe versions of the U400 is dramatic.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2026 Apple has had a severe supply shortage so buying one can be extremely difficult. As of the time of this writing they can't be ordered from the Apple Store.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Aqara U400 comes with all of the hardware needed for installation. This includes a new dead bolt, strike plate, batteries (2x on deluxe model), screws and two keys.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Unlike the Aqara U200, the U400 requires you to replace both the exterior and interior lock assemblies. Installation is quite easy, and took me less than 30 minutes. After you replace the exterior lock assembly you feed two cables through the rear mounting plate and connect them to the back of the lock assembly.\u00a0<\/p>\n Keeping the lock perfectly vertical while tightening the two screws that hold the lock assembly to the mounting plate is a bit of a challenge but not impossible.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Onboarding the U400 through the Aqara iOS app is very easy and only took a few minutes. During the onboarding process you can add the lock to Apple Home, enable HomeKey, and turn on express mode. You can also immediately do a firmware update if one is available.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Aqara U400 integrates very well with Home Assistant via Matter over Thread. There are a few adjustable configuration options such as auto-relock time and a few others. It also has very robust battery diagnostics.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Recently Home Assistant added support for managing Matter lock users. From here you can add a new user to the U400. You can name a user and set a PIN code from 4-8 digits. You can also change the access level from full access to one-time access.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t One of my favorite automations in Home Assistant is the ability to control the LED color of two light switches next to the door,\u00a0 depending on the locked or unlocked state of the U400. My light switches are the Inovelli white series<\/a>, which gives me a lot of freedom to control the LED color and brightness. When the U400 is unlocked both light switch LEDs are bright red. When the U400 is locked both light switch LEDs are a dim blue.\u00a0<\/p>\n I also have a lock 'override' feature which allows me to double tap the top button on the right switch to enable an override mode for the autolock feature. When this is enabled the U400 will unlock, and will not relock until I turn the automation off. Double tapping the down button on the right switch will disable the override mode and lock the door. And just like the previous automation, the light switch LEDs change color depending on the locked or unlocked state of the U400.<\/p>\n I've had the Aqara U400 installed since launch day, back in early January 2026. In the five months I\u2019ve had it I\u2019ve been able to really get a feel for how it reliable it is. Using UWB unlock with my Apple Watch and iPhone is nearly instantaneous and flawless. I can waltz right up to the door from the outside, the UWB light flashes green and the door unlocks a split second before my hand even touches the handle. So satisfying! The U200 was great with HomeKey via NFC, but that took a couple of seconds and wasn't great if your arms were full.\u00a0<\/p>\n My first purchase was the 'basic' U400 model from Amazon. However, after learning about the Deluxe model from Apple, I quickly upgraded to the Deluxe model. Build quality is far superior, not to mention the upscale brushed zinc finish. The first Deluxe model I got had a defective speaker, so I returned it and the replacement has been flawless.<\/p>\n Two years ago the Aqara U200 was the best smart lock on the market (for me), but lacked UWB. The Aqara U400 has everything the U200 had, plus UWB. I'm a massive fan of UWB so this is the perfect smart lock for me. Battery life is excellent, and the lock has never jammed.\u00a0I could not be happier with the U400. If you are able to replace the exterior portion of your lock, the U400 might just be the best smart lock on the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n","post_title":"Aqara U400: The Ultimate Smart Lock?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"aqara-u400-the-ultimate-smart-lock","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-05-16 17:11:28","post_modified_gmt":"2026-05-17 00:11:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/?p=23045","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":22795,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2026-03-28 09:36:35","post_date_gmt":"2026-03-28 16:36:35","post_content":" [Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, but may contain affiliate links. I received product samples from SmartWings for review purposes. All opinions are my own. I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.]<\/p> SmartWings<\/a> is no stranger to the smart blinds space. For years they have been supporting a variety of smart home protocols including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter over Thread, Matter over PoE and Apple Homekit. They were one of the first manufactures to support Matter over Thread smart blinds back in 2023. In addition to supporting every major smart home protocol, they also have a huge variety of colors and styles of blinds.<\/p> SmartWings<\/a> has so many styles that I can't cover all of them here. However they range from roller shades, cellular shades, zebra shades, woven wood, outdoor, Roman, and drapery curtains. Various models also support different power source options such as battery, DC 12v, AC, PoE, and solar panels.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t For this review I opted to go for four SmartWings motorized Zebra shades, 90% blackout, 95mm Astrid<\/a>. The online ordering process is very straight forward. If you ever ordered blinds online, you will be familiar with the process.<\/p> First, you need to take exact measurements of your window. Depending on the type of shade you are ordering, SmartWings has a number of measuring guides<\/a>. Take your time and make sure your measurements are near perfect so you don't run into installation problems. Second, I would strongly recommend ordering their fabric samples<\/a> before you place an order. This will allow you to see and feel the various material options to make sure they will fit into your decor.<\/p> Once you know exactly what you want the SmartWings ordering process walks you through the various configuration options including:<\/p> The room label is printed on a label on the top of each blind, so make sure that it makes sense. Be as descriptive as possible. You should also order at least one remote, even if 99% of your usage will be via your smart home platform. The remote is needed for certain functions such as setting top and bottom limits. I prefer the 15 channel model, and it's not much more than the 5 channel. If you want a fancy remote, they have the Helix dial.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t As a point of reference, the Zebra shades I received have a list price of about $470 USD each. This is for a 34\" x 58\" window, Matter over Thread motor and solar panel.\u00a0<\/p> If you want to purchase SmartWings blinds and wish to help support this blog, at no cost to you, you can use my affiliate link<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t A few weeks after you place your order the blinds will arrive at your house. They are very well packaged with a heavy duty outer cardboard box and very stiff plastic corner braces. When you remove the shipping cardboard you see individual boxes for each of your blinds.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t On the outside of each box is a label that has the measurements, motor type, room label, fabric color, and remote control channel. If you ordered remotes, they put a blue sticker on which box(es) have the remote(s).<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t When you open the individual blinds box, it has everything you need for the installation. This includes the mounting brackets, remote (if purchased), mounting screws, USB charging cable, solar panel (if purchased), bracket alignment template, and several manuals.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Hidden on the top of the shade is a sticker which has the measurements, motor type, fabric color, remote control channel room label, and smart home pairing code (Matter in my case).\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t SmartWings also includes a discreet Matter pairing code sticker on the back side of the bottom bar. This faces the window, so you won't see from the inside. This lets you easily find the Matter pairing code without taking the blinds down.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t To make sure the installation goes smoothly SmartWings included four guides with each shade. These are:<\/p> For an inside mount installation you use two spring loaded mounting brackets that you screw into the window head jamb. Their quick install guide provides guidance on where to mount the brackets, which is about 4-6 inches from each side. Next, I mounted the solar panel at the top of the window near the USB-C connector on the motor and plugged it in. Snapping in the blinds is made very easy by the spring loaded clip system.\u00a0<\/p> Tip:<\/strong> Perform a dry fit of your first blind so that you know how far back you want to mount the bracket. This affects how much of the blinds header protrudes from your window opening. I would suggest starting with 1\/2 inch set back from the wall surface.<\/p> After the blinds are mounted I followed the Matter installation guide and put the blinds into pairing mode. I was able to quickly add each blind to my Thread network via Home Assistant on the first try. The blinds upper and lower limits come programmed from the factory. However, there is a simple procedure using the remote to tweak the limits as needed.\u00a0<\/p> I accidentally ordered three remotes, instead of just one. So I followed their remote programming guide to pair each blind to the same remote. In my case I mapped the four blinds to channels 1-4. I also configured channel 0 as a group channel for all four blinds. This allows me to control all of them at once.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t I opted for the 15 channel remote control. It's pretty basic, but functional. For normal operations you can select which channel (blind) you want to control and then push the up, down and stop buttons. Some advanced programming such as setting the top and bottom stop positions uses various button combinations. It also comes with a simple wall mount bracket, should you need it.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t I was having some strange behavior with one remotes. The odd behavior didn't happen when I took the back cover off of the remote. The SmartWings remote has a small \"P\" button hidden by the cover which is used for some programming functions. I think somehow the back cover was pushing on the button, resulting in odd behavior. The other two remotes functioned without issue.\u00a0<\/p> SmartWings has a feature that lets you mirror the channel pairings from one remote to another. So I was able to quickly mirror the pairings to a working remote without having to physically touch the blinds, which was great as these blinds are very high up and hard to reach.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t I adjusted the top limit on all of the blinds so that it would mostly hide the solar panel when the blinds were fully open. One window needed a slight bottom limit adjustment, which took all of 10 seconds using the remote.<\/p> The video below gives you a quick demo of the eastern facing blinds completely closing. The south blinds (on the right) were only open 1% for shading purposes, so they only slightly closed for the demo.<\/p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rpEHF49CTXI\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t During the installation process I paired the SmartWings blinds to Home Assistant via Matter over Thread. In Home Assistant you have basic up\/down controls, plus a number of diagnostic sensors. I'm glad to report the battery and charging status seems accurate, and reports in real time. Should future firmware updates be needed, these blinds support OTA updates.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t My blinds shipped with firmware v1.3.0 which uses the Matter v1.3 SDK. The Matter v1.5 SDK totally overhauled the \"closures\" framework which includes window coverings. I hope that SmartWings has Matter v1.5 firmware in the works to support the new closures framework. However, firmware v1.3 works great and I experienced no Thread stability issues or unresponsive devices.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In Home Assistant it's easy to verify that the solar panel is working as expected. Here you can see that over a 24 hour period the battery changed from 48% to 59%. The daily energy usage to raise and lower the blinds is tiny, so the solar panel should deliver indefinite power to the shades. I checked the battery level after a week and they were all at 100% thanks to continuous solar charging.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t For automating my blinds I'm experimenting with the Cover Control Automation (CCA)<\/a> blueprint. This is a highly configurable window covering control blueprint. Honestly at first it was very intimidating to set up. It's so configurable that trying to figure out what I need to setup was a challenge. However, I will say that Claude was quite helpful.\u00a0<\/p> My goal was to have a blinds automation which keeps the blinds closed when sun was directly shining in, but automatically opened at sunrise and closed at sunset. This gets tricky to accomplish throughout the various seasons and changing sun position. But CCA can take this into account, so I'm excited to see how this plays out over the next few months.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t I fed Claude my proposed CCA configuration and had it map out what position my blinds would be throughout the day for my east and south facing windows. I'm still in the early stages of using CCA, but I think it should do the trick. This is fully customized for my exact latitude\/longitude, day of the year and which way my windows are facing. During the first week I had Claude do a few tweaks to the timing, and now it's nearly perfect.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Super nerdy? You bet! Fun, yup! Claude was also very helpful in tweaking the CCA configuration. If I saw a shade was opening too early or late for proper shading, I just fed Claude the day\/time information and what I wanted tweaked, and it proposed new azimuth or elevation settings as needed.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t If you are in the market for Matter over Thread smart window coverings, you will probably come across Eve Motionblinds. About a year ago I bought three Eve Motionblinds curtains, which were also Matter over Thread. The Eve Motionblinds have been an absolutely horrible experience<\/strong> between multiple curtain rod failures (known defect) and buggy firmware that Eve seems to have no interest in fixing. I deeply regret my Eve Motionblinds purchase and would advise others to avoid them like the plague. They have a terrible track record with firmware updates across many of their products, not just blinds.<\/p> In contrast, SmartWings has good build quality, does NOT require a mobile app (like Eve), and has stable firmware which is fully featured. SmartWings support is also friendly, responds quickly, and is helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t SmartWings<\/a> offers a wide variety of smart blinds and supports nearly every smart home control protocol such as Z-wave, Zigbee, Matter over Thread, Matter over PoE and more. They also have a wide variety of blinds styles and fabric options. Power source options include battery, AC, DC, PoE, and solar panels.\u00a0<\/p> Installation went very smooth, except for one bad remote. Their Matter over Thread firmware is very stable and I have not experienced any drops or unresponsive devices. Build quality is also very good, and no mobile app is needed for the configuration or day to day use. SmartWings is entirely locally controlled with NO cloud component.\u00a0<\/p> I'm very happy with the SmartWings<\/a> blinds and can easily recommend that they should be at the top of your list of brands to consider. No matter what smart home ecosystem you are using, SmartWings probably has an option for you.<\/p>","post_title":"SmartWings Blinds Review: Matter over Thread Zebra Shades","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"smartwings-blinds-review-matter-over-thread-zebra-shades","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-03-28 15:12:04","post_modified_gmt":"2026-03-28 22:12:04","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/?p=22795","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":22634,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2026-03-16 21:52:33","post_date_gmt":"2026-03-17 04:52:33","post_content":" [Note:<\/strong> This is not a sponsored post, however Aqara was kind enough to send me a pre-release sample for this review. However, they had no editorial input and are seeing this post for the first time just like you.]<\/p> Announced at CES 2026, and now available, is the brand new Aqara Camera Hub G350<\/a> for USD $139.99. The headline feature of this new smart camera is official support for the Matter v1.5 camera standard. Officially published in November 2025 Matter 1.5 specification now allows platform agnostic integration of video feeds into various smart home ecosystems. This was one of the long standing gaps in the Matter standard, and we now have the world's first certified Matter v1.5 camera.<\/p> In this review I cover the following areas:<\/p> The Camera Hub G350 has dual lenses (up to 4K video), supports PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom), and has 9x hybrid zoom. It also boasts a number of built in AI features, such as people and pet tracking, facial recognition, and more. In addition to advanced camera features, it can also act as an Aqara hub to bridge Zigbee devices into your smart home platform of choice. The G350 also has an integrated Thread Border router (v1.3.0 unfortunately), which can be automatically added to your existing Apple Thread network, if it exists.\u00a0<\/p>\n The camera also supports three RTSP streams (up to 2160p), HomeKit secure video, local MicroSD storage, and dual band Wi-Fi 6. The camera sits on a 360 degree motorized pan platform for full area coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Detailed specs:<\/b><\/p>\n Wide-Angle Lens Video Resolution:<\/strong> 3840\u00d72160 The Aqara Camera Hub G350 ships with the camera, USB-C to USB-C cable, and short instruction manual. If you prefer to use the camera without the rubber ears, they can be easily removed. It is powered by a single USB-C connection, with no native PoE option. This is designed to be an indoor camera, so it does not have any weather proofing rating. For more secure mounting it has a threaded 1\/4\" hole in the bottom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Setting up the Aqara Camera Hub G350 is pretty straight forward. Once you power it on the Aqara mobile app should automatically detect it. You then step through the setup process, including adding it to your 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. I'm testing the Aqara W200 thermostat, so I added the G350 camera to my W200 Matter controller.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t After the G350 is onboarded, you can add it to the Aqara app home screen. This gives you quick access to the feed and PTZ camera controls.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Of course no smart camera discussion could be complete without covering their AI detection features. Aqara has included a number of AI detections. While I understand locking AI video search and video summary behind a \"HomeGuardian<\/strong>\" subscription, vehicle and package detection have no place behind a paywall. A few features are in beta, which they label as Lab<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p> If you opt in for cloud video storage, you can select from the following list which event types get sent to the cloud:<\/p> If facial recognition is your jam, then you are able to upload named selfies to the Aqara app which is then downloaded directly to the camera for on-device detection. When a known face is recognized you can get an alert in the Aqara app, such as \"Derek detected\", with a frame snapshot, and a video snippet.\u00a0<\/p> Aqara also has Smart Notification Filtering, which is powered by AI. This feature is tied to their HomeGuardian subscription, so I wasn't able to try it out.\u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t One great feature about the G350 is that it supports RTSP video streams. To enable RTSP streams, you can go into the Aqara app and enable the RTSP LAN Preview<\/strong> setting. From there it's a one tap copy to grab the URLs. You have a choice of three resolutions (360P, 1080P and 2160P). This is great for third party compatibility.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Using Scrypted I was able to verify that the RTSP streaming worked as advertised. However, it appears that the G350 does not support ONVIF PTZ controls, which is a bummer. Hopefully a future firmware update can add ONVIF support.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara provides a number of ways you can customize the video stream. For example, screen flip supports both upside down mounting as well as right side up. Night vision can be auto, always on or always off. Customizable (and optional) timestamp overlay and format is a nice touch as well.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t If you are interested in Aqara's HomeGuardian cloud video storage subscription, you can see all of the single camera and unlimited camera features below. Single camera is $49.99 annually, and unlimited cameras are $99 annually. These prices are similar to the Ring Protect plans, but Ring doubles the recording to 180 days and adds extended warranty protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n A HomeGuardian subscription is NOT required the use the camera. You can use local storage and RTSP to your NAS all for free. Some limited cloud storage is also available for free.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Many of you might be using Home Assistant and want to know how best to integrate the G350 camera. Today, the best method is via Homekit or RTSP streams. But let's also take a look at Matter.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t As of mid-March 2026, Home Assistant does not yet support Matter v1.5. However, they have stated that full Matter v1.5 support, including cameras, is coming. However, due to the heavy lift of the Matter v1.5 spec and adding native camera support to Home Assistant, I would not expect full support for some time.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you try and add the Camera Hub G350 to Home Assistant via Matter it will be detected as a bridge. However, it will have no entities, sensors, or diagnostics. Until Home Assistant supports Matter v1.5 with cameras, I would not bother to onboard the camera as a Matter device.<\/p>\n If you do want to try and onboard the G350 via Matter, make sure you use the Aqara app to generate a new Matter pairing code. Do NOT try and scan the physical Matter QR code as that will fail.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Hub G350 can also act as a Thread border router. During the Aqara app onboarding process the camera was added to my existing Thread network. However, in the Home Assistant companion app on my iPhone I had to set my Apple TV back to being the OTBR that Home Assistant uses for credential management. To do that, tap on the three dots next to the Thread border router you want to use and tap \"Used for Android + iOS Credentials\". Otherwise I was unable to onboard new Thread devices into Home Assistant.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Unlike the current Matter integration for Home Assistant which doesn't support any useful functionality, you can also bring in the G350 as a Homekit device. Because the G350 supports Homekit secure video, using the Homekit integration does enable useful features in Home Assistant such as a live video stream.\u00a0<\/p> As you can see in the screenshot below, in terms of sensors you have a live video stream and motion sensor. This at least gets you basic functionality until full Matter v1.5 support comes. Note that you do NOT have PTZ controls via Homekit.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t If you bring in the G350 video stream via HomeKit, you can use a dashboard card (like Frigate) to display the video stream.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In the Aqara app you have a number of camera controls at your disposal. These range from PTZ controls, turning on\/off person and animal tracking, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara also gives you a full video history event timeline. If you have multiple cameras you can filter by camera. Other filters include by person, pets, lingerer detection, barking, vehicle, package removed, fire, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The automatic people tracking works very well, as well as facial recognition. In the video clip below you can see that it did facial recognition on me, and it panned across the garage as I walked close to the entrance into the house. From here you can also download the clip to your phone, or activate the iOS sharesheet.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara also gives you a full timeline view with a plethora of filtering options.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Aqara Camera Hub G350 has great daytime video quality. It can capture video in up to 4K resolution. Although with Apple Homekit secure video you are still limited to 1080P. In night mode you get a traditional IR greyscale image. Full night color vision would be nice, but it's not available on the G350.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara has a reputation for very fast connection and initial streaming with their cameras. The G350 does not disappoint, and similarly nearly instantly connects in the Apple Home app to the live video stream.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t As previously mentioned, the Camera Hub G350 can be a Thread Border router. When you use the Aqara iOS app it can onboard the G350 Thread border router into your existing Apple Home Thread network. Unfortunately Aqara has only implemented Thread v1.3 and does NOT support TREL as of firmware 4.5.20_0020.0017.<\/p> Thread devices normally talk to each other over a low-power 802.15.4 radio mesh. TREL wraps those same Thread packets inside regular UDP\/IP, so they can travel over Wi-Fi or Ethernet between Thread Border Routers. AppleTVs with tvOS 26 are also behind with Thread v1.3, but DO advertise TREL support. I hope that Aqara swiftly ships support for Thread v1.4, which makes TREL mandatory.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> I did not see a way to disable the OTBR functionality, in case you want to only have hardwired OTBRs like the Apple TV. After adding the Camera Hub G350 I did not experience any Thread network instability with my 75+ Thread devices.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t As of firmware 4.5.20_0020.0017, Aqara is officially shipping Matter v1.5 camera support. However, at this time it appears as though only Samsung SmartThings is shipping Matter camera support. Apple Home, Google Home and Home Assistant are all lagging and will hopefully support it in the future. The Home Assistant team has said support is coming, but gave no timeline. I do not use Smartthings so I can't comment on how well that works. I did see a reference that a future firmware support should enable PTZ controls with SmartThings.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t In the Aqara app you have a number of controls for the G350 for both scenes and automations. I personally do all home automations in Home Assistant. But it's nice to know these options exist.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t If you want to use the G350 as a trigger for Aqara automations, you have a number of options here as well.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara put together a nice chart of the various ecosystems and what features each one supports. Samsung SmartThings, with Matter v1.5 camera support, is the clear feature leader followed by Apple Home.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Aqara positions the indoor Camera Hub G350 as the world's first Matter-certified camera, featuring dual lenses, 360\u00b0 pan & zoom, 4K clarity, and two-way talk with unified smart home control out of the box. The Aqara G350 received the Matter v1.5 specification certification on February 10, 2026. It can also act as a Thread border router, and Zigbee bridge. Rounding out the feature set is Wi-Fi 6 support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.\u00a0<\/p> As with prior Aqara cameras, the G350 is very full featured with a wide variety of AI features and supports both local and cloud storage of video. It supports Apple Homekit secure video, so no cloud subscription is needed if you want to use it within the Apple ecosystem.\u00a0<\/p> The G350 image quality is excellent, although night mode only supports grey scale and not full color. Face detection seems reliable, as does automated people tracking using the 360 degree pan base. Although SmartThings is the only platform as the date of this post to support Matter v1.5 cameras, other ecosystems like Home Assistant have support on their road map.\u00a0<\/p> I am very impressed with the feature set, and local video storage options. Aqara offers a HomeGuardian premium subscription to unlock additional AI features, in addition to extended cloud storage. If you are in the market for a high-quality camera that supports the very latest Matter standards the G350 is a great buy.<\/p>","post_title":"Aqara Camera Hub G350: World's First Matter v1.5 Camera","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"aqara-camera-hub-g350-worlds-first-matter-v1-5-camera","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-03-17 07:27:55","post_modified_gmt":"2026-03-17 14:27:55","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/?p=22634","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":22525,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2026-03-12 13:46:17","post_date_gmt":"2026-03-12 20:46:17","post_content":" Very recently I purchased the Micro-Air EasyStart Flex<\/a> and via ESPHome, got it connected to Home Assistant. What is the Micro-Air EasyStart Flex? It is an advanced and versatile soft starter, designed for all sizes of residential A\/C units up to 6 tons (72,000 BTUs). <\/p> The EasyStart provides a controlled and gentle startup, reducing mechanical stress and extending the lifespan of your air conditioning system. It also dramatically reduces the startup compressor inrush current demands. This is great if you have a generator or solar power and want to run your A\/C while grid power is down.\u00a0<\/p> My A\/C is rated for 112 LRA (locked rotor amps), as shown on the sticker on unit. This means up to 112 amps is needed to start the compressor. After the installation of the EasyStart the startup current inrush has been reduced to 32 amps. This is much more manageable by portable generators or solar batteries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> The Micro-Air EasyStart flex is designed for DIY installation, and is relatively straight forward to install. However, if you are not fully confident, hiring an electrician or HVAC specialist is strongly recommended. I was able to install it myself relatively quickly.<\/p> The Micro-Air EasyStart has built-in Bluetooth which broadcasts real-time telemetry such as power usage and any faults. We can use an ESP32 device to scan for the EasyStart Bluetooth signal and display the telemetry in Home Assistant. The Bluetooth radio seems exceptionally poorly designed with very short range. So your ESP32 may need to be within just a few feet of the EasyStart.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In terms of ESPHome sensors for the EasyStart Flex, their Bluetooth connection provides a number of real time sensors as you can see below. If you are deep into energy monitoring, then the Live Power, <\/strong>Energy (Daily) <\/strong>and Energy (Total)<\/strong>\u00a0sensors will be of interest to you. This energy data can be used to populate the Home Assistant energy dashboard.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This post is mostly about the Micro-Air EasyStart ESPHome integration, not the physical installation. For a great installation guide, watch the video below. Micro-Air now also offers an \"installation kit\" SKU, which includes the needed connectors for most installs including Wago connectors and terminated spade connectors. I strongly recommend purchasing the kit version.<\/p> For my installation I used the follow parts:<\/p> Warning:<\/strong> Always exactly follow the Micro-Air installation instructions. If you are not 100% sure what you are doing, contact an HVAC specialist for installation. Always remove the breaker before opening the access panels on your A\/C. The following steps are my interpretation of the Micro-Air instructions which worked for me. If in any doubt, trust Micro-Air instructions or your local HVAC professional. Use at your own risk.<\/p><\/blockquote> High-level installation steps:<\/strong><\/p>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026-05-16_11-21-14-1024x398.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.derekseaman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026-05-16_10-41-17.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>My Smart Lock Journey<\/h2>\n
What is UWB and Aliro?<\/h2>\n
Aqara U400 Features<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
Smart Lock U400 Deluxe Kit<\/h3>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nUnboxing<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nInstallation<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nHome Assistant Integration<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nHome Assistant Automations<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nSummary<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tOrdering<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Unboxing<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tInstallation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHome Assistant<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tSmartWings vs. Eve Motionblinds<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
Summary<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
Aqara Camera Hub G350 Features<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
Wide-Angle Lens Angle:<\/strong> 133\u00b0(diagonal)
Wide-Angle Lens Focal Length:<\/strong> 2.8 mm
Telephoto Lens Video Resolution:<\/strong> 2560\u00d71440
Telephoto Lens Angle:<\/strong> 43\u00b0(diagonal)
Telephoto Lens Focal Length:<\/strong> 8 mm
Aperature:<\/strong> f\/1.6
Frame Rate:<\/strong> 20 fps
Aspect Ratio:<\/strong> 16:9
Video Codec:<\/strong> H.264
Wireless Protocols:<\/strong> Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b\/g\/n\/ac\/ax 2.4\/5 GHz, Zigbee\/Thread IEEE 802.15.4, Bluetooth
Power Input:<\/strong> 5V\u23932A
Local Storage:<\/strong> MicroSD card (not included). CLASS 10 or above is supported, up to 512GB storage.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tThe Unboxing<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tCamera Onboarding<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCamera AI Detection Features<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tRTSP Support<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tVideo Settings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tHomeGuardian Subscription<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHome Assistant<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
Matter<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tHomeKit<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tAqara App Video Controls<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tVideo Quality<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\tThread Border Router Support<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tMatter v1.5 Camera Support<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
Scenes and Automations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEcosystem Support<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSummary<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMicro-Air EasyStart Flex Installation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tEasyStart ESPHome Setup<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t