If you've ever wished your Blink security cameras or SmartRent apartment devices showed up in Apple Home, you're not alone. I built two Homebridge plugins to solve exactly that, and both are now verified by Homebridge.
The Problem
Blink cameras are affordable and reliable, but Amazon has no interest in HomeKit support. The existing Homebridge plugins were either abandoned or missing critical features like live streaming.
SmartRent devices are common in managed apartments and rental properties. You get smart locks, thermostats, and sensors installed by your property manager, but no way to control them through HomeKit. The SmartRent app works, but it's an island disconnected from the rest of your smart home.
homebridge-blink-security
This plugin exposes your entire Blink ecosystem to HomeKit:
What you get
- Live view streaming (IMMI) - real-time camera feeds with automatic keepalive, so streams don't randomly drop
- Security system integration - per-network arm/disarm mapped to HomeKit's security system accessory
- Motion detection - configurable polling intervals with HomeKit motion sensor triggers
- Doorbell notifications - Blink Video Doorbell press events show up as native HomeKit doorbell notifications
- Snapshots and thumbnails - camera feeds refresh automatically
- Battery and temperature sensors - exposed as HomeKit sensors for monitoring
- Privacy mode and night vision - toggle controls via HomeKit switches
- Clip recording triggers - start recording from HomeKit automations
Device support
Blink Outdoor, Indoor, Mini, Mini 2, Wired Floodlight, Video Doorbell, and Siren are all supported.
Authentication
The plugin uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE and supports two-factor authentication, matching Blink's current auth flow.
homebridge-smartrent
This plugin connects SmartRent-managed devices to HomeKit through a real-time WebSocket connection. No polling, no delays.
Supported devices
| Device Type | HomeKit Features |
|---|---|
| Smart Locks | Lock/unlock, battery status, jam detection, auto-lock |
| Thermostats | Heat/cool/auto modes, humidity, target temperature |
| Leak Sensors | Leak detection, battery monitoring, low-battery alerts |
| Motion Sensors | Motion detection with battery status |
| Switches | On/off control |
| Dimmers | Brightness control |
Why WebSocket matters
Most Homebridge plugins poll an API on a timer. That means there's always a delay between a real-world event (someone unlocking your door) and HomeKit knowing about it. This plugin maintains a persistent WebSocket connection to SmartRent's servers, so state changes appear in HomeKit within seconds.
Configuration
The plugin supports 2FA via TOTP and lets you toggle which device types to expose, so you can exclude devices you don't want cluttering your Home app.
Installation
Both plugins install through the Homebridge UI (search for the package name) or via npm:
npm install @jackietreeh0rn/homebridge-blink-security
npm install @jackietreeh0rn/homebridge-smartrent
Both include a Plugin Settings GUI for configuration, so no manual JSON editing required.
Links
Feedback, issues, and feature requests are welcome on GitHub. Happy to answer questions in the comments.
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