Well Apple finally released their Home Pod (their version of Alexa or Google Home). I believe intergraton will be here soon. Why did they wait so long to produce this new device it? Probably so the other companys can iron out the glitches. Whatever Apple touches turns to gold.
I still love AirPlay though.
fyi: Iām working on an openHAB2 binding for the Rachio controllers (I fact itās already in beta state).
openHAB Version 22 is a powerful open source home automation system supporting a wide variety of devices and provides powerful automation options. Using HABpanel you could easily run it on any type of device using the browser.
The binding integrates Generation 2 controllers using the Rachio Cloud API. All controllers / zones will be auto-detected once connected to the cloud service (in theory an unlimited number of controllers and zones as well as multiple accounts). You get status information and could start/stop zones. Based on OH rules you could create your own schedule logic. It also integrates the event API, so you get notifications when watering starts, info on run-times etc. Gen 1 might also work, but I have no device to verify (depends on API support).
Let me know if you are interested to give it a try. I will become available on the Eclipse IoT market soon. Check the openHAB community for more details.
Cheers, Markus
Congratulations on the release of the Rachio 3.
I noticed every major home automation platform was mentioned except for HomeKit. I know 11.3 brings software support for HomeKit accessories ā Iām assuming the Rachio 3 is aligned with the any specs required for this, question is: will is come with our beloved HomeKit code.
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Hi, Agree with many of the posters here. I will not buy another Rachio product until there is HomeKit integration and an Apple Watch app. Rachio appears to be going the way of Nest is not fully supporting Apple products.
When they can, they will do it. They has been very customer oriented so I donāt see why we will not see ours Super Rachio controlled by Siri 
Hope that this happen soonā¦ Canāt wait. 
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I agree with you that they will more than likely support it. My criticism is their lack of communication about their intentions. If they are in fact waiting for homekit to support the function then come out and say it. Also let us know which of the products will be homekit compatible. Communication is the key.
We just need to be patience guys HomeKit itās on the way we want to get a product that just works flawlessly with no hiccups rachio doesnāt use they customers as a lab like other companies due. Thereās company out there that shipped a product that is not nowhere near ready and then they customer get mad and angry for example the Samsung note when they have battery problem and then they end up recalling the product completely off the market
So itās always good to wait for something good and the we know itās work.
@Bgman - I understand the ālack of communicationā but I believe they should be working on it since this is basically a most for the Apple ecosystem users and Iām sure they want to have them happy Weāll see what happensā¦
apple commercial reasons are perhaps the main reason:
https://community.rachio.com/t/what-new-features-are-upcoming-for-spring/7017/16?u=sbarnhard
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Full disclosure: Iām not an Apple guy. However, I have a ton of home automation in my home and have the Rachio connected to Alexa, IFTTT & my alarm.com controller. I use IFTTT to skip watering my lawn on days that my landscaper comes out. I never use the Alexa or alarm.com integrations.
Once I had my system dialed in on Flex daily, I rarely run anything manually. The exception is if Iām servicing my irrigation system, at which time Iām not by my Alexa anyway, and running it from my phone is just as easy as from a smartwatch. Given that Rachio is a small company with limited resources and lots of great things to do, Iād rather have them working on cool new stuff that I would use more often.
Iām sure that there are others that might have other valid use cases, so please just consider these my 2 cents!
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I have not seen any communication from Rachio on this (for years), please donāt make the same mistake as other smart device makers by staying silent and not telling your user base and potential customers whether or not you are in fact working on HomeKit integration. I can give you a long list of companies that fumbled the ball by not letting their users know their development plans related HomeKit. The two that come to mind are the Chamberlain MyQ folks that actually had HomeKit compatibility listed on the original finished good packaging and had to ship a free secondary controller to customers to stop the threats of class actions and Arlo security camera who for years, like Rachio, have been silent on the topic. Arguably, security cameras have an increased need for integration with lights, locks, alarms and notifications, yet saying nothing has lost them a good amount of customers, including me (now on Logitech with HomeKit Compatibility and very happy). Donāt be another Arlo (Netgear) and say nothing. I had a Gen 1 and currently use a Gen 2, Gen 3 is not happening unless it is Homekit capable. If you want your customers to support your company, you need to work hard to support their needs and at least in this specific case, Rachio is not.
Why is this important to me? I would like my sprinklers to be enabled if there is a house fire (detected by HomeKit smoke alarm), I would like to have my sprinklers pause when my garage door opens and resume when it closes (to avoid the dreaded day after waxing unwanted car wash) and I would like to tell my Apple Watch to turn on zone āxā for 3 minutes without have to get my dirty hands allover my $1K iPhone X when making sprinkler repairs. On top of that, my wife, as much as I love her, would do more harm than good trying to use the Rachio App or the controls on the Gen 2. It would be much better for all involved if she could say "hey Siriā¦turn on āThe Front Yardā schedule. I would also like to ask Siri, when my sprinklers will next run or tell Siri to delay my Rachio schedules for one day or several hours because my daughter wants to have a lemonade stand on the day it is planning to water. It would also be great to if my Rachio controller could pause when certain devices turned on, like Christmas lights in the yard (controlled by an outdoor smart switch) or when motion is detected by my aforementioned Logitech Security Camera in the same area I have actively running sprinkler zone.
I am not asking for a Homekit SW update this week or in the next 3 months even, I am just asking for whomever at Rachio that actually monitors these boards to say something non committal like āwe are actively reviewing HomeKit integration with our Rachio Controllersā or āOur development team is aware that a large number of our users would like HomeKit integration with their Rachio Controllers and we are investigating if it reliably possibleā. I mean, how hard is that? In this thing on?
Iām confused. I thought the reason for not announcing HomeKit support is the lack of irrigation function in HomeKit. However, I just saw a video review of the Elgato Eve Aqua and itās shows the irrigation function in action and working with that product. Can someone explain why we still havenāt heard anything from Rachio? @franz ā¦ Bueller ā¦ Bueller ā¦
A link to the video is below and the HomeKit integration starts at 3:22.
Orbit released too early too, as told here, but agreed I find Apple communication around IOT terrrible, whatever the reason, leaving customers clueless.
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But if you look at Appleās Homekit Accessory page, sprinklers are still not listed as an official category. I agree that itās confusing, considering they mentioned sprinkler support at WWDC 2017.
It may not be listed but it obviously is working as shown in the video.
Which means what? Apple enabled it for Elgato only? Itās only available in a developer beta? Itās still not publicly available, so why is everyone pressing the matter? Itās all speculation at this point. Why not just wait until thereās an official announcement?
I would assume from the video as well as the release of the product that it is publicly available and not a developer beta (though I could be wrong). I have no issue waiting. My only complaint is the radio silence from Rachio as to its intention to implement HomeKit when the profile is available and what products it intends to support. I donāt believe they are restricted from stating their intentions and clearly other companies have not hesitated in doing so. Communication is the key.
I donāt believe the product has actually been released. The videos that are available showing the Aqua are review units, itās showing as not available on Amazon, and it was showing as shipping soon from their own website. Maybe the product is on hold because they released units into the world without Appleās permission. Iām just speculating, but then, thatās all everyone here is doing.
I agree with Bgman. Although Rachio is not at fault for the misty politics of Apple (Rachio has been ready for it quite some time), it does help to know if any development is going on or if Rachio is waiting for Apple. Any dissappointment on expectations (rightful or not) that isnāt channeled provides feeding ground for switching buyer behavior. Most companies choose a strategy of do nothing. Great companies tell it (politely and tactful) as it is.
Itās been releasedā¦theyāve announced itās shipping. Furthermore, today, El Gato announced they are going all in and only going to focus on HomeKit accessories. They have sold off their other lines and are changing their name to Eve Systems.
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