Apple's HomeKit has lagged behind Alexa and Google Home, but has gained some new features that bring it a little closer to other smart home platforms. at WWDC 2021, Apple previewed several new networking features, including the ability to detect packages and view security camera footage on Apple TV At WWDC 2021, Apple previewed several new networking features, including the ability to detect packages and view security camera footage on Apple TV. [Logitech's Circle View video doorbell, security camera, and EufyCam 2 Pro are just a few, but updates to HomeKit will allow these cameras to detect when someone has left a package at the front door.

This is a feature found in the best video doorbells, such as Nest Hello, and has proven to be very useful due to the surge in deliveries over the past year. having this feature as part of HomeKit means that other video doorbell manufacturers not have to worry about natively integrating this functionality into their devices.

When someone knocks on the door, the Apple TV can also view a live feed from a video doorbell or HomeKit-enabled camera. This feature is not new, but you can already do something similar with the Ring camera on Fire TV and the Nest camera on Chromecast devices.

But with HomeKit, you can view the video from multiple cameras at once and control smart home devices near those cameras. In other words, if one of the cameras is triggered by something, it can turn on an exterior light.

In May, Apple announced that the now-discontinued HomePod could be used as a speaker for Apple TV. According to the presentation, two HomePod mini's will be able to be paired together to enjoy stereo sound, which makes sense given that this feature already works with audio.

Another improvement is to make the HomePod mini a more universal remote control. With the update, you can now ask Siri to play a movie or show via the smart speaker, and if you have an Apple TV, Apple's assistant will show it on the screen. Again, this is something that Alexa and Google Assistant can already do, but it is good that Apple has achieved parity here. What is not yet clear is whether Siri will be able to send commands to the TV or soundbar to turn it on, like the best universal remote controls.

Siri is also being extended to third-party smart home devices: during WWDC, a presenter spoke to Siri through an Ecobee smart thermostat (exact model unknown, but believed to be the latest version), This is nothing new, as Ecobee thermostats have had Alexa built in for some time, but enabling Siri on third-party devices is a new effort for Apple. We are interested to see how other smart home devices will incorporate the assistant.

Finally, Apple hinted that the Apple Watch will be a more functional part of HomeKit, allowing the smartwatch to enable intercom mode, better control accessories, and receive picture notifications when someone is at the door. The Ring and Arlo cameras already offer similar notifications, but only show a static image, whereas the WWDC presentation showed something like a live view and the ability to respond from the wrist.

A feature called HomeKeys will also allow users to unlock HomeKit-enabled smart locks using their Apple Watch or iPhone.

Apple did not give an exact date as to when all of these features would be available. In his presentation, Tim Cook said "this fall," but a public beta version will be available in July.