Oliver Haslam·

This iPhone App Lets You Control HomeKit Devices Using Augmented Reality Buttons

We may finally have found a use for ARKit, beyond having dragons walk across basketball courts or imagining IKEA furniture in a room, at least. Apple introduced ARKit 2.0 alongside iOS 12 and continues to be bullish on the technology as a whole.

We’ve been dubious about its actual uses so far, but developer LinkDesk might have figured it all out with its Devices app. In its simplest form, Devices allows users to create virtual buttons in the real world, tying those buttons to HomeKit devices.

The outcome is a button that can be tapped within augmented reality, with that button then controlling a HomeKit accessory depending on how things were configured.

Point your iPhone or iPad camera to real devices in your home. Once you’ve placed a virtual controller on the right device, it’ll attach itself to it. From then on, the right controller will always appear at the right time. You’ll be able to control HomeKit devices like lamps, window coverings or outlets with just one simple tap on the controller floating in the room.

If that sounds amazing, it’s because it is. We’ve been testing this app and it’s pretty awesome being able to tap a button displayed in the real world and then having that interact with HomeKit. Check the developer’s video out for an example of what this thing can do, and you can download and try it for yourself. It’s absolutely free, and so far, it’s blowing our minds.

Of course, whether using this is any easier than using the Home app is debatable, but if you need to be able to point your phone at something and immediately be able to control it, this is the app for you.

(Download: Devices – Control for HomeKit for iPhone, iPad on App Store)

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