for many months now, I’m very happy with my Homey config, from time to time I add a new device to my home and some new flows, and everything running smooth instantly,
the only thing I really need now is a hand remote…, I’m fed up with managing my home using voice commands or multiple old iPads in different rooms. iPad are really nice for metrics and reporting (thanks dashboards) - but for a simple toggle command to turn on the lights, I want a remote I can use from my sofa
I need a simple way to command my TV+Audio, my lights and my blinds, specially when I look at tv or I go to bed…
I’m looking for a remote with simple tactile controls, so I can use it without needing to look at it — like my Samsung TV remote.
I’m still waiting for the public release of https://www.unfoldedcircle.com (I’m a little bit concerned with their blog not updated in over a year…)
I recently tried the SwitchBot hub 3 ( SwitchBot Hub 3 | All-in-One Smart Hub with Matter & Sensor Control – SwitchBot International ) : Really disappointed (don’t believe you tube demo/commercial 
- I send it back and ask for a refund…
but few weeks ago, reading something about tiny-of ( tinyPod : ce gadget transforme votre iWatch en mini iPod minimaliste ) give me an idea to find a use for my old Apple Watches… this watch is a tiny computer after all and compatible with Homey
I had several Apple Watches in a box gathering dust,
the first gen is not compatible, watch OS is too old,
the 4th gen can handle OS10.6.1, I can trigger Homey’s flows
my 6th gen is running OS 11.6, and give me an extra appletv remote complication..
(yes I know I keep all my geek stuff - I still have a 512 Macintosh, a newton message pad and my first iPhone among many, many other old things)
first of all I can manage/connect the 3 watches (my actual ultra + my two old ‘as remotes’) from the same iPhone
only one at a time is in sync with my iPhone (my Ultra) but the others two are totally usable as remote…
the setup : I delete most of the apps
with Homey, I kept weather, music, shortcuts, remote (I have some more I cannot delete)
I have installed a very useful watch face with : day+time, watch battery level, weather forecast, and 3 complications (2 on the 4th gen),
music | remote | homey
On the watch, Homey can only display the list of favorite flows. Since I didn’t want a list too long I specifically created simples ‘on/off’ flows for my main routines : turn on/off, lights (by main room) blinds, and Dyson fans
I don’t want to run out of battery, so my watches (always on) are most of the times docked on nice elago stands ( Best buy Apple Watch Case, Strap, Stand at elago ) - one iMac g5 and one (OG) Macintosh
one is in my office room, the other in the living room…
The Pros
in the palm of my hand I can control pretty much everything :
my main devices with a touch to homey’s flows
And because I have a full Apple config I can also control my music and my Apple TV… (1 Apple TV connected to my samsung, 4 homePods + Apple Music for sound and home theatre)
it’s super light… when I enter my living room I put it in my pocket for the night, always available…
The Cons
its small - and not so easy to use with only one hand … It would be better with something like the tinypod… but I don’t want to by this, apparently it’s a piece of crap that works with belts and pulleys — nothing electronic at all… I’m still looking for a nice and long case…
its a touch screen so I need to look at it when I want to use it
All flows in the list have the exact same style - it could be better if we could customise icon and color of each flow individually…
the pros are way more important then the cons, so if you have an old Apple Watch you don’t use anymore, try it as a remote if you can handle a recent Os
