Oliver Haslam on May 22, 2019, 7:15 am

Tado Finally Releases HomeKit-Enabled Smart AC Controller

Tado is a name that is becoming more and more popular among smart home aficionados and the company is out with a newly updated Smart AC Controller that is available in the UK and parts of Europe. The controller is designed to be used with any air conditioning unit or heat pump that uses its own IR remote, and this is the first version that supports Apple’s HomeKit.

The requirement for units with an IR remote is simple. The new Smart AC Controller uses an existing device’s IR commands in order to communicate with it, in much the same way that a universal remote would learn from other remotes in order to work. When the Tado app, or now Siri or HomeKit, interacts with the Smart AC Controller, commands are sent via IR to the receiving unit.

Unfortunately, the use of IR means that the Tado device itself needs to be within line-of-sight of the receiving device, but once that’s done, you’re good to go. The idea is that you could put the controller somewhere that you don’t necessarily need to access because you’ll be using the app or Siri to control it. Ideally, though, having it somewhere you can get to would mean you can use the on-screen controls, too.

The tado° Smart AC Control V3+ is your climate assistant that takes care of your comfort at home, while helping to reduce your energy bill

Control your AC from anywhere with the TADO° app on your phone, and have a clear overview of your climate History and savings

Reduce your energy consumption, save money, and enjoy the perfect room temperature at all times With help from intelligent skills: geofencing, open window detection, and weather adaptation

Auto-assist: for even more comfort you can automate Geo fencing and open window detection (available in-app, $/2.99/month, $/24.99/year, cancel anytime)

The Tado Smart AC Controller is available now and can be picked up for £89. There’s no information yet on when it will be stocked in North America, but considering the company’s smart thermostat hasn’t made it to that territory yet, we wouldn’t expect it to happen soon.