Announce new HomeKit client binding

tizen · January 12, 2026, 1:59pm

Hi @AndrewFG , updated new jar but no new channel added for snapshot.

AndrewFG · January 12, 2026, 2:11pm

Ok. I am very busy for a couple of days, but after that I will add some extra logging so we can find out what is going wrong..

tizen · January 12, 2026, 3:28pm

Ok no worries. Thanks for the help!

AndrewFG · January 12, 2026, 10:52pm

@tizen I was thinking about why my code may not be working and I believe I figured out the reason. So I will make a new jar. But only in a day or two..

EDIT: the revised jar is here..

github.com/openhab/openhab-addons

[binding.homekit] [experimental] Add camera snapshot channel

main ← andrewfg:homekit-image

opened 01:37PM - 11 Jan 26 UTC

andrewfg

+157 -26

This is an experimental PR to test the possibility of supporting camera snapshot… channels on IP camera devices. The JAR file for testing is here: - [org.openhab.binding.homekit-5.2.0-SNAPSHOT.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/24600606/org.openhab.binding.homekit-5.2.0-SNAPSHOT.zip) Signed-off-by: Andrew Fiddian-Green <software@whitebear.ch>

AndrewFG · January 14, 2026, 10:40am

@tizen I think the latest jar will now show the new snapshot channel. And also if an item is linked to that channel, the binding should do a POST /resource request to fetch the snapshot. I would like to see the log result for that transaction particularly if it fails.

tizen · January 14, 2026, 6:14pm

Hi @AndrewFG , I m able to see the new snapshot channel and after adding the image item, I m able to see the snapshot from the camera. Thank you!

I think there is some default refresh for the image as I can see it gets updated after some time.

Is there a way I can get latest snapshot. I tried to refresh the page but image remained same.

Thanks again and let me know if you need logs etc to validate anything.

AndrewFG · January 14, 2026, 6:31pm

Mega! I wonder if you could send me the log with the PUT /resource lines and the matching HTTP 200 OK lines? Just so I can confirm that nothing is amiss?

tizen · January 14, 2026, 6:39pm

I sent you log in PM. Please check. I was not able to see PUT but POST request in the logs on the refresh of the image.

Hope you need that log.

AndrewFG · January 14, 2026, 6:42pm

Yeah I meant POST .. many thanks.

PS apropos the snapshot refresh – there are two things that cause it:

According to the standard polling cycle. This is 60 seconds by default.
When OH Core sends a RefreshType.REFRESH command to the binding. I include a small delay of 3 seconds to prevent overloading the device if RefreshType.REFRESH is sent too often.

So if it is not actually refreshing after 3 seconds maybe there is a bottle neck in OH core not sending the refresh request to the binding? => What User Interface are you using?

tizen · January 14, 2026, 6:46pm

I added image to WebUI for testing. I m having OH on raspberry pi4.

Edit

One more thing I was wondering, the doorbell and camera I have has person detection too. And I believe that is exposed to HomeKit (I may be incorrect as I dont have any Apple device to check).

So is any capability exposed for person detection which can be added as channel. Having motion detection for any alerting raise too many false positives.

Thanks for all the help!

AndrewFG · January 14, 2026, 7:21pm

From the JSON that you already sent me, I am pretty sure that your Thing does already have a motion sensor channel.

tizen · January 14, 2026, 7:26pm

motion detection channel is there. I was asking for person detection. There is a option in the camera setting in manufactures app for local AI person detection. I can subscribe for push notification in app only for person detection instead of motion. So was checking is that also exposed to homekit. It will be useful to have for automation etc.

AndrewFG · January 14, 2026, 8:41pm

I dont see anything specific for person vs motion detection. But maybe the subscription changes the behavior of the motion channel? Also there are quite a few custom characteristics that might be what you want. But since they are custom, they are not documented, so probably I cant do much with them.

EDIT: your Thing probably has TWO channels – 1) motion sensor and occupancy detected so I suggest to look at them both..

EDIT 2: apropos refresh => https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/ZVvHaX1SXvVdhJyhLdxdJ

tizen · January 15, 2026, 5:30am

Hi @AndrewFG , This is what i can see in channels.

Are you referring to Active Starus?

Let me check the link for refresh behavior.

Thanks

AndrewFG · January 15, 2026, 9:12am

@tizen I think some time ago you provided some json logs for a door camera. Was that json for the same thing as shown in your screenshot? (It helps to confirm we are talking about the same animal). If not, can you please disable the thing, turn on log trace, and re-enable the thing, and send me the part after GET /accessories and showing the description of things being created.

tizen · January 15, 2026, 9:36am

Yes all logs i shared are of doorbell camera. It has mmwave sensor. And screenshot is of same. I can send you logs again after some time.

tizen · January 15, 2026, 1:36pm

HI @AndrewFG I sent you log in PM. This is log after reenabling the thing for the Doorbell.

AndrewFG · January 15, 2026, 2:19pm

I think the only way to refresh the image is to have a dummy Item that triggers a rule that sends a REFRESH command to the Image Item. See the read me..

github.com/openhab/openhab-addons

bundles/org.openhab.binding.homekit/README.md

258ed1767

# HomeKit Binding

This binding allows pairing with HomeKit accessories and **imports** their services as channel groups and their respective service- characteristics as channels.
Do not confuse this with the [HomeKit system integration](https://www.openhab.org/addons/integrations/homekit/) which **exports** openHAB Items to a HomeKit controller.

## Supported Things

There are three types of Things supported:

- `accessory`: This integrates a single HomeKit accessory, which has its own LAN connection.
  Its services appear as Channel Groups, and their respective characteristics appear as Channels.
- `bridged-accessory`: This integrates a single HomeKit accessory, which does NOT have its own LAN connection.
  It has the same functionality as an `accessory`, except that its communication is done via a `bridge` (see below).
- `bridge`: This integrates a HomeKit bridge accessory, which has its own LAN connection.
  It does not have any own Channels.
  Instead it contains multiple `bridged-accessory` Things (see above).

Things of type `bridge` and `accessory` both communicate directly with their HomeKit accessory device via the LAN.
Whereas `bridged-accessory` Things communicate via their respective `bridge` Thing.
Sometimes a `bridge` may contain a `bridged-accessory` that is physically embedded within the same hardware.

This file has been truncated. show original

tizen · January 15, 2026, 2:42pm

Hi, One can add same bhaviour on the image card too. I did it but behaviour was not consistent. I will do some more testing before I can conclude if it is working or not. I will add a rule to see if the behaviour is same.

tizen · January 16, 2026, 6:23pm

Hi @AndrewFG , I updated the jar and I had to repair doorbell. Previous thing didn’t work. It was showing not paired.

After pairing, the behavior is I m seeing in INBOX doorbell as a normal assessory and also as bridge accessory. Child devices are also visible and I was able to add them as things.

I can have it paired as bridged or non bridged accessory but not both.

Hope this is the behavior you have implemented.

Edit:

Image channel is not working too. It remains null. Enabled /disabled thing few times

I did restart of doorbell now thing is not coming online.

I will keep the new jar for now to share any logs for your investigation.

Edit 2:

Other assessories also are not connecting after OH restart. I have two aqara fp2 sensors connected using homekit binding. This broke all automations..

Edit 3

Somehow aqara fp2 are back online but doorbell now shows not paired error.

This happened after another OH restart