I'm Losing My Mind Over Aqara's M3 Hub!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Automaters, Aqara has provided some discounts for the M3 on launch! Use the following coupon codes on Amazon: USCAHUB3 (Amazon US & Canada) HUBM3EU5(Amazon France, Germany, Italy, Spain & UK) Buy the hub here: geni.us/AqaraHubM3 (Amazon affiliate link) Aqara has done some updates too! Check them out in this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppuWp56AoNNlotE

[@AndrewDee]

Btw Brian they have just opened the third party support regardless of the brand! I think this is huge

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@AndrewDee that is big! Lots of additions 😃

[@timothymason5545]

Can you do a follow up video now it has been out for 5 months? Just wanting to know what is fixed and what is still not working.

[@mannag2440]

It sucks. P2 sensors never worked.

[@wscottfunk]

Thank you Brian! Can always count on you to give the honest scoop. It's a shame that this is being over hyped by so many even though it's not ready for prime time yet! I actually had it in my Amazon cart, ready to pull the trigger and am thankful that I saw your video first!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Maybe they had all the features working? I don't know Scott! Just maybe hold a bit. I'm sure this one will come out amazing, just...not yet.

[@bryanhickman7663]

Thanks for the honest review!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Any time! Thanks Bryan!

[@garethjones5068]

Aqara & SwitchBot are the only device makers keeping me interested in the smart home space at the moment

[@AutomateYourLife]

They are the innovators!

[@adamb7404]

100% agreed with you about matter and all matter devices not available on all platforms

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's a disaster for the whole industry!

[@clairerovic]

Wow 😳, an honest review. The number of products in my left over bin that reviewed well, but failed in real world testing, is Massive

[@AutomateYourLife]

:(

[@samiam732]

Would love to see an update. I have one and it's been working getting even with other matter devices from different companies. Automations are great on there too. I have eve, Philips hue, and nanoleaf bulbs all connected to it.

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@samiam732 the update is exactly as you said!

[@billy-050]

Great review, it's so sad that home automation is in this state at the moment. - My Rant - This video is really a sums it up, somethings work, somethings work sometimes, some talk to each other as they should, some don't and it seams like none of these companies really care outside of their ecosystem, but yet they don't offer every device in there eco system. Not to mention, you need to be a pretty knowledgeable person in tech or have a patience of a saint to get these devices setup at times. Very few things I would consider "user friendly" in home automation right now. Great work at trying to help us figure all this new technology out - keep it up.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I really wish we'd get finished products out the door the first time. :( I'm with ya! We'll get it figured out.

[@HughD]

Another good review, Brian. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Aqara as their stuff is affordable and works with the platforms I care about, ie. Homekit and Alexa. I don't need other devices to work with Aqara. My Ring Alarm system and my YoLink leak detection/valve shutoff system already work without Internet. I really like the idea of being able to migrate Aqara devices to one hub and would buy it just for that. They're paying the price for trying to lead the way when most are holding back because they know it's a minefield. Anyway, thanks again, Brian!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Definitely great points. They push the boundaries and they do it for a lot less money usually. This one just needs some more baking time

[@Caroline-hv7jz]

Your video was super clear and really helpful. Thanks a lot!

[@AutomateYourLife]

You're welcome!

[@redradoa]

Good review. Subscribed!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thanks for the sub!

[@joejoe6949]

After spending 6 hours trying to get a Sonos beam to register and into my network I was so happy to have the hub set up in seconds for real seconds. Fastest setup ever.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Through the Aqara app?

[@joejoe6949]

@@AutomateYourLife no brother am talking about on the Sonos app setup my new Sonos.

[@JoshsSmartHome]

Great video Brian. Thanks for always keeping us informed!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thanks Josh!

[@sendo427]

My M3 hub just arrived right now cuz last night I was on Amazon bored and looking for something to buy to give me something to do and I just happened to see that the M3 was released so I bought it and I can't wait to play with it.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Enjoy!

[@julianfp1952]

"... I was on Amazon bored and looking for something to buy to give me something to do ..." LOL. It's not just me then. I wonder how much money Amazon makes from people like you and me. The pandemic in particular was a very expensive time for me!

[@sendo427]

Lol that's hilarious I also went a bit berserk on Amazon during the pandemic, but like they say great minds think alike lol lmao. 😂

[@sendo427]

​@@AutomateYourLifehey there and thanks, but I kind of wished I watched your video first before I bought the m3 hub because I'm very disappointed with hub because like you said in ur vid there's so much potential in this hub but it just feels like it was rushed out to the market. they should have just delayed the release until they got everything working because Aqara matter devices will not stay connected to the m3 hub, I had to reconnect them 5 times yesterday and so I finally just got tired of it and took them off the m3 and put them back smartthings only.

[@msdrs_]

Thanks for giving you honest opinion! I have the G3 camera/hub and you said in the video ( 14:38 ) that if our AC remote is not regitered in their IR database we can submit it but I didn't found any way to do this in the Aqara Home app. Could you precise this point please? Thank a lot

[@AutomateYourLife]

I THINK it was in the FAQ or the help files in the app. I think it's an email

[@msdrs_]

@@AutomateYourLife I just sent a request to the customer service, I'll wait for their answer!

[@garyhenderson9303]

Hi Brian, this was the Smart Home Product I was most looking forward to this year. Disappointed in what I have just seen it seems to be an Early Access Product which is not as ready as I would have liked. Especially when you consider it costs twice the price of the Previous HUB and does not offer twice the value currently. I saw yesterday it is now listed on Amazon here in Europe but no stock to order, but having just seen this video I am going to wait until the features I expected are actually ready to roll. Feels a bit Deja vu with the recent Alexa HUB which also did not feel ready to launch.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Gary, Everything I've seen from Aqara tells me most of this will be dealt with in a few months. Maybe just treat it as a launch in June 😜

[@akaalx]

Can you do an update on this? Have there been changes? Thanks for your great videos.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Things are pretty good with this hub these days. Just don't expect failover for Zigbee devices and you'll be good now :)

[@RonaldEpstein]

Great video, Brian! Just got my M3 and first Aqara accessories. Everything works great. Question: What is the easiest way to import my Hue hub and all its lights?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Use Matter in Hue's app to get a pairing code and then bring that in! My Hue app is Settings -> Integrations -> Smart Home -> Add (+)

[@ronaldbryant5215]

I was thinking "hold off until black friday". I'm glad all the youtubers are pointing out the deficiencies.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think it was just all the excitement...it'll come around. :)

[@aliyim8390]

I got this M3 Hub its so bad honestly. My Aqara P2 sensors are randomly losing connection. I think the matter is not very stable. I had so much issues with the U200 especially connecting it to the M3. I checked reddit and so many other people are having issues like that. It needs a lot of improving.

[@AutomateYourLife]

:(

[@mannag2440]

Same here

[@krakakapaul]

I think aqara is getting there, they have excellent mmWave sensors and now there is a hub. I think the moment they gonna integrate the 2 together they have a winner. I would love to see a Poe version of the fp2 sensor that can operate as an edge hub and make it based on a floorplan of the house which will result in having a digital twin of the house. Imagine your lights turning on and aircon or heating turning on once you walk in the room.

[@heatherprauto]

Thanks for a great video! Any update with the three features that weren’t working 6months ago. Considering it for Black Friday.

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's a great hub. Go for it. Everything's working well now.

[@heatherprauto]

@@AutomateYourLife great to hear thank you!! I already have the hub 2 and now excited to add the hub 3

[@ronm6585]

Thank you sir.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thank you Ron!

[@nrusso131]

can I use this as the thread border router with my google nest speakers acting as thread repeaters to extend the coverage?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It can be used in conjunction with it, come Thread 1.4 for sure. Until then, it's unlikely to all work together just right. You can't pick the Thread network today when setting up.

[@plproductions8887]

Hi love the videos, im new to smart home stuff have a few wifi sockets but looking to get a few aqara products I have a basic HA setup would you still recommend this hub to use with HA and over brand products?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Many newer Aqara products connect directly to HA, as they are Zigbee. There's some use for the hub, but it's not necessary if you're really going down the HA road.

[@plproductions8887]

@@AutomateYourLife I’m looking at potentially getting the T1M ceiling light not sure if it needs the hub. What do I need to get for HA to use these products without the hub and will it run locally?

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@plproductions8887 I don't know sorry. Don't have that

[@rogeroshea3490]

Hi Brian superb video as always and certainly bursts the Marketing blurb !!! However can I ask you advice on a particular use case - do you have a separate method for members queries ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Roger! Go through our About Link here on YT and send in an email. Just let out team know you're a member and I'll get the email. :)

[@rogeroshea3490]

Hey Brian I did as you suggested but haven’t received either a reply or confirmation of receipt of my query yet

[@rogeroshea3490]

Still nothing back on my query I assumed as a channel member this was part of the benefit - Disappointing to say the least

[@AutomateYourLife]

It must have been lost. Sorry not sure what's gone on. Can you send again?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Info at automateyourlife .net

[@Aitch135]

Would this work with an ecobee smart thermometer, and also the ecobee doorbell camera?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sorry, would what work?

[@toolate6971]

Have any updates been released?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! They've already made automations work with products from other makers and they have improved the number of Matter products that can come in to their app

[@cx3929]

How did you create the custom welcome home message?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I recorded it on my computer, sent it to my phone, and then added a custom ringtone in the app

[@TakWorks216]

Thanks for the review Brian, very well done. Any update to third party Zigbee support on the M3? I checked the website, but information there is limited at best.

[@AutomateYourLife]

No updates as of today! Sorry!

[@athiffaraz3117]

has the issues resolved now ?can you please update us ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Things are much better now. Lots has been fixed

[@myutube6422]

I did get a M3 because of your video, thanks. I originally set it up with WiFi, but decided to switch it to Ethernet, I don't see a way to do that. Do I need to remove it and reinstall it? Thanks

[@AutomateYourLife]

If you're switching to Ethernet, I believe you just plug it in. I think it's the other way (Eth -> WiFi) where you have to reset/re-add

[@myutube6422]

@@AutomateYourLife I tried that, it must be the other way. No big deal. Congrats on the new phase of your life. Hopefully, you didn't have to sign a variable interest rate or a balloon payment.

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@myutube6422 no I got it done right financing wise 😃👍

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@myutube6422 and thanks Bill!

[@myutube6422]

You might of been right, when I just deleted and reinstalled, I found that the Eth wasn't seated correctly.

[@Bilboftheshire]

How do you add the nest thermostat to homekit

[@AutomateYourLife]

Starling hub

[@AutomateYourLife]

And Matter, depending on the version

[@ApexGamerRocks]

If you are new to Aqara and want to buy a hub today, should you buy the new M3 hub (deal w/ current cons) or buy an older hub and wait (potentially buy 2 hubs in 6 months)...?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Buy the M3, 100%. Still the best option, you'll just have to wait for a few new features to get worked out

[@ApexGamerRocks]

@@AutomateYourLife Thank you so much! Ordered the M3.

[@persadmike9330]

Hi Brian, can i use other Zigbee switches with this hub? Or must it be aqara?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Must be Aqara, although there are now some Matter options for you

[@persadmike9330]

@@AutomateYourLife thanks, can i use other zigbee switches and use gen 5 echos for automation? really want to use the mm wave presence sensors

[@julianfp1952]

In the bigger picture I actually find this sort of positive. After watching this video I'm finding myself, while disappointed by all the issues right now, also impressed by Aqara's ambition as far as the intended feature set is concerned. Aqara seem like a good company with, as I understand it, a mostly very solid product line-up. Hopefully these issues will get ironed out in the not too distant future and this will become a product that is as good in reality as it looks on paper. (I currently use Hubitat BTW and don't have any issues with it so it's probably going to be boredom and wanting to try something new that might one day make me switch so I have plenty of time to watch from the sidelines.)

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah I love that they're pushing! It's fantastic to see

[@marct5211]

Any thoughts on this vs smarthings hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

We gotta do some comparisons. Working on my first!

[@marct5211]

@@AutomateYourLife looking forward to it, I'm currently on ST so hoping that is still the best option lol

[@TjFruichantie]

1:40 I'm curious, is the Philips Hue lights not working with automations an Aqara issue or a Hue issue? Is the Hue firmware not recognizing automation commands?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Entirely unsure, but it doesn't "Matter" to us as consumers. That's my take anyways TJ :)

[@TjFruichantie]

@@AutomateYourLife Very true

[@dankelley9361]

So, since it has a Zigbee radio, will it work with other products the use Zigbee, other than Aquara? Brian, as always, great honest coverage on a not quite ready for prime time device.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sorry Dan, it doesn't do that today. I don't know that it will ever be opened up that way or at least not in the near future

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think what you will see is more matter devices able to come in and I think that will be just as beneficial with some of the newer products

[@rollababe2008]

I was considering an Aqara hub. Specifically the G3 Camera hub. Wondering if all their hubs are like mentioned in this review??

[@AutomateYourLife]

This has some specific new features that we're waiting on and unsure of. However, the basis of Aqara gear is great. The G3 is a great camera hub. Still have it :)

[@c849243]

Thanks again, O'Tech Master!

[@AutomateYourLife]

LOL another emoji!

[@c849243]

@@AutomateYourLife I'm loving my new fan!!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@c849243 yessss

[@cx3929]

Does the M3 Hub allow you to use Aqara Switches to control (including dimming) Philips Hue lights?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Right now I can't get the Hue lights to do anything...but I assume that's coming. In my opinion, it will shortly

[@faengelm]

Is there a way for the IR receiver function to trigger an automation when an IR Remote button is pushed?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hmmmmmmmm...I don't think so Frank. Sorry. I'd just suggest the use of maybe a Wireless Aqara Button?

[@blaynesheets2979]

Is it fully local yet? I feel like they lied to us.

[@AutomateYourLife]

It is when it can be.

[@blaynesheets2979]

@@AutomateYourLife With all due respect to Aqara, can you please expand on that? Aqara said it was 100%.

Question - Sorry, im still confuse,! With the M3 Hub, can or can´t control Philips Hue Lights with Aqara Sensor like the Sensor P2 or Presence Sensor FP2! Thank you

[@AutomateYourLife]

Totally get it. It's confusing! Today I can: 1. Connect Hue through it's Bridge to the M3 using Matter. 2. Control the lights in the app 3. Use my Hue Sensors to start an Automation in Aqara's App Today I cannot: 1. Get an automation to control the lights from Hue That's it! :)

@@AutomateYourLife But with a sensor like P2 or FP2, can we turn on/off the ligths? You enter in a room, and lights turn on ( with a aqara sensor ) or rigth now only aqara ligths are working with that?

[@AutomateYourLife]

@JoaoLuis no matter how I do it, Hue lights will not turn on or off with the Aqara app, hub, etc.

@@AutomateYourLife Thank you!! Lets hope that update, doens´t take to much time

[@douggottlieb]

Great review. ❤ This will be my first hub. I’ve had a bad smart home experience with lots of wifi bulbs, probably because I foolishly didn’t use a dedicated hub. They were constantly failing, and dragged my wifi network to a crawl. (I think). What bulbs do you recommend with this hub? I’ve got both Apple and Alexa devices now. THANKS!!!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Right now, bulbs would be difficult. It's only Aqara gear (they sell switches, not bulbs), and now that Hue option. So right now if you want bulbs with Aqara...Hue and a Hue Bridge

[@douggottlieb]

Thanks!! I’m also considering Nanoleaf, which are Thread. I’ve also got a HomePod mini.

[@gedgicat2063]

Great video, i wondee how many others KZbinrs will give similar reviews.... I'm looking for local Zigbee controller with HA support and the potential to expand as thread / Matter improves. Does it support other Thread devices?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It doesn't support other thread devices, but I assume it will at some point

[@AutomateYourLife]

And we will see! I might be the odd one out ;)

[@philipperostin]

Oh and BTW its seems that the Homey Hub Frenzy is over already ? Not only you, but most reviewers seems to have stop posting anything about it. Is there a major issue with it ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope! All is good!

[@philipperostin]

@@AutomateYourLife all right then. I'll wait to have more videos. At 600 $ plus, its not an easy purchase !

[@PsychoticShine]

Is it better than the smartthings hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

That's impossible to answer with just a reply. Different and better in some ways, but ST is better in some ways too. Huge comparison to do there. And that's in planning stages!

[@PsychoticShine]

@AutomateYourLife it feels like a smart things competitor. The specs sound similar and there the same price on Amazon.

[@dumbdumbhah]

Hey Brian, thanks for the review. But for the failover function, did you try waiting 3-5 minutes or maybe even longer? I think because the accessories do not communicate in real time, they won’t failover immediately. They need time to figure out a hub has gone down and the accessory should take over the function of the hub or an accessory should listen to instruction from another accessory instead of the hub.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I did! Good question though! I left one overnight.

[@TenchiMisaki45]

Question-Is there native support for the M3 to connect to the SmartThings platform using its Thread Border Router?

[@AutomateYourLife]

There isn't, sorry...

[@Vegan-notVegan]

Is there any reason (other than price) to get this instead of the Homey Pro?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think Aqara is a very clear and simple offering. They also have great camera integration. Apple Homekit is integrated a little better too for sure

[@allenfurbush1268]

I see it works with Smart things any idea what you can/can't do?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnikpGeYgbyDr6s

[@allenfurbush1268]

@@AutomateYourLife TY for the video is there any way to import items from smart things into the M3 so we can get full local control? Or would i have to re-add every device I have in smart things into the M3?

[@CPHTT]

Can the Bluetooth feature in M3 be used with the GoVee Bluetooth LED strip?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It cannot

[@CPHTT]

@@AutomateYourLife Thank You Brian

[@karlsmith1533]

Got mine already on early release…we’ll see how it goes…

[@AutomateYourLife]

🤞🤞

[@DoodlesDad100]

Can you use other third-party Zigbee devices on the M3 hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

No you can't. Sorry

[@myutube6422]

Well, I apparently screwed up half of my Aqara items. I had a G3 hub and since the signal was a little weak in my office I added an E1 hub. I needed your Roller Shade E1 from the UK and was able to install them (2) and bind them to the G3 and the other to E1. I also bought 5 wireless mini switches and bound them to the G3 and the E1. I didn't realize that when you migrated those hubs to the M3 that it only migrated one or the other. So the end results was that I wiped everything off the G3 when I migrated the E1. I had a T1 light, 3 of the mini switches, one of the roller shades bound to G3 which were removed when migrating the E1 hub . As I had migrated the G3 first. Obviously, I now realize that I should have left everything alone. I was able to bind the G3 hub to the main Home dashboard. I thought maybe if I created another home (2) with the G3 hub that I would be able to bind the "deleted" items to the Home2 G3 hub. However, I have been unable to bind the T1, or the 3 mini switches nor the Roller Shade E1. In the "manual" binding, you no longer see the Roller shade E1 icon nor the mini switches icons. Sorry for the length of this post. Any ideas?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I'm actually just confused and don't think that I can help. It's only supposed to migrate the one Hub that you are requesting it. Do that unless you do a whole separate migration process for your second Hub. When I did mine I had three hubs in the home and only migrated one and then decided to migrate a second one later. So it should not have done this to you. And unfortunately, if you're not seeing your devices connected to the other G3, then I think it has done something wrong and you're just going to have to pair things to your Hub again and set it all back up... Which is incredibly annoying

[@myutube6422]

@@AutomateYourLife The issue is that none of the old G3 "child" will bind with the G3. I even made a new HOME and bound the G3 to it thinking that it would be isolated, but while the T1 shows up in the manual binding part it will not bind. I've tried it a number of times. The mini switches don't show up in the Manual options either. I also noticed that when the M3 migrated 2 of the mini switches it only brought over 1 option (one press, where I had all 3 options set up before. It puzzles me that they wouldn't sell all of there products here, but I had to go to the UK to get a Roller Shade product, and originally, there was a picture of it for installation, but now that is missing. I sent an email to Aqara support, I hope there is actual customer service there. I was wondering if you deleted the entire app and started over, if that might work. You would expect that if you have a large house that could use more hubs that they could talk to each other and share the accessories. Thanks for your time thinking about this. I was really sold on Aqara's products, hopefully, it can be solved.

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@myutube6422 I think it's just factory reset each device, then they will re bind to the G3

[@myutube6422]

@@AutomateYourLife That sounds right but, I haven't found a factory reset, i.e. T1 it just says turn it off and on 5 times to bind. Why the icons are missing from the Manual binding list for the wireless mini switches make no sense or the Roller Shade E! and when you read the OR it says not available. Hopefully, you have actual input with Aqara.

[@pghatak]

The M3 hub is designed to support various protocols, including Thread, which implies that a majority of users will possess some form of OTBR (OpenThread Border Routers). Given that a mesh connection is an inherent feature of Thread, the necessity of two M3 hubs for identical functionality is puzzling. It could be that Aqara is employing a marketing strategy.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I think that's more about existing Zigbee products and the automations running on their platform, then it is in connectivity to Thread gear. :) Outside Thread Border routers can maintain connection, but do not currently have the ability to pull in automations and other aspects of smart home settings, etc.. I think it's still an important feature! :)

[@iPtrck]

Have you tried zemismart? Matter hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I haven't yet!

[@arnthorsnaer]

What is the current status on this? I’m thinking of replacing my M2 with M3

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's a very good hub. Lots of the issues have been repaired and fixed up. I really have no further concerns about the M3

[@FinnsLab]

Ohhh yeees been waiting for this Hub since we saw it at the CES. Also i do not understand why they need to all make there device work with etch and every product work with matter. why isnt there just make there device matter complying and every Matter device work with it. So they could just download a list or some "drivers" from matter standard website and it would work as long as a hub is Matter ready. ( Yes iam not a dev person ) but it have to be possible to make that work way easier then its now.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I actually really like that idea Finn. Would make it a non-company specific resource too

[@meridiusuk8567]

Can this wake pc with wol ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope

[@TheIronWaffle]

Decisions, decisions. Tl;dr: is it worth the hassle just to get all our child devices back into one (hopefully more reliable on our network) hub. Considering all the asterisks, my immediate interest is simple: moving all child devices to a single, wired hub. Right now they are spread across a few camera hubs… and that hasn’t worked out great. But migration hasn’t been possible until now. Still, if I understand correctly, then setting up through Matter will will still require re-naming and setting up all devices in HomeKit. Is that the case if I set up using Aqara’s HomeKit setup instead? And if I do that, do I run the Matter setup anyway to get it into Alexa? I assume so, but then won’t it force me to re-add duplicates into HomeKit? I hope that’s not the case. It might still be worth it just to improve reliability of two doorbells and a camera that have behaved underwhelmingly. It’s just that the duplication of effort, the clutter, and the “promise” that this might allow non-Aqara matter devices to have access to Aqara features not supported in Alexa (our most reliable source of routines)… it’s a little “first world problems” exhausting. And with actual problems, I’m not sure that taking on these optional ones is a net benefit.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Migration from the camera hubs isn't possible either. Didn't even get to that one! As for the Aqara HomeKit setup and Alexa Setup, you can do each a different way! I think that's one of the really great things about this. Both have their benefits and I think the big question is: Do you want scenes from Aqara?

[@TheIronWaffle]

@@AutomateYourLife Thanks for the tip about the camera hubs. That’s disappointing but at least I’m freed from the temptation to buy this and find that out the hard way.

[@b3owu1f]

How does this compare to Home Assistant? Is it way better, more capable, easier? Can developers add capabilities, etc to this?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Much easier, but it's a closed system. It's proprietary, but starting to open a little with the Matter stuff

[@supernova8962]

AWESOME VIDEO !!! HONEST...Thank you !!! Aqara will be the next Tik Tok ..Not that we care...LOL Aqara is owned by Lumi United Technology, which is founded in 2009 and is currently one of the LARGEST smart home providers in China.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thanks for watching!

[@richardmay3803]

I am still confused by this, can it store and automate my old devices linked to Alexa or Smarthings?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah that's okay. Hopefully I can help. As of a few weeks ago, they enabled a feature that allows matter products to be brought into the Hub and therefore into their app. It's not. What's in your Amazon or Samsung applications, but matter products can be shared. So you have to see a matter logo for it to have a potential option to work in the app

[@richardmay3803]

@AutomateYourLife all new gear needed then thanks for letting me know

[@stain0269]

So if I migrate all my automations and devices from my M2 hub to the M3 ( bought one and it'll be here in a couple days ) can I just unplug the M2 and move it to another location in my house, plug it back in and add it as a device on the M3? Or if I move the M2, plug it back in and then use it just as a backup or however it was you explained it?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It won't be a backup, but it will be a useful hub! And IR Blaster!

[@stain0269]

@@AutomateYourLife Thanks! Looking forward to playing with the new M3 next week.

[@frankorienter8153]

Help. I just got the M3 Hub and hope to integrate it with HomeKit and my new U200 lock. Maybe I got the setup sequence wrong, but I can't get my Apple devices, TV, Home Mini's iPad, etc., to "see" the hub. I've contacted Aqara, but they only seem to read off a script. I had to mount the lock upside down because two previous lock installations limited space. Is it possible to do a video on setting up the M3 with Apple Home and then the U200? Thanks.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I don't have the u200, sooo...gonna be difficult

[@kithem8308]

Can m3 hub bridge FP2 to smartthings or homey pro?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope. It only bridges some zigbee gear

[@Wrayman]

I had a chat with Aquara support recently because i was interested in the M3 hub and they said they have no plans to support local control via the app if the Internet goes down in your house. It's a real shame because I was excited to see local Thread border routers because the Google Home locks itself down during an Internet outage and I can't control anything locally 😢

[@AutomateYourLife]

The questions I have from that are: 1. Does Aqara support know all the plans? I sure don't. 2. The automations will run, so we won't be controlling from an app. That's why you build in buttons, switches, etc. :)

[@fabiangunzler4149]

I can not integrate the M3 in to the Samsung SmartThing App, now I bouth the SmartThing Station.

[@PuTeFabiO]

in a follow up with your "The BEST Ways To Integrate Aqara And SmartThings!" video, do you think that this hub gives you something new on that integration, that people that only have smartthings has their hub will gain something buying this and using both?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It doesn't change much yet. However, it will in the long run as more Matter products get integrated. You'll then have easy ways to have devices in both systems that can be automated on. Till then, no not really! The AC unit is a nice add to ST

[@magnus33john]

Not perfect but certainly got loads of promise and local control is a very smart move on their part.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep!

[@FawziBreidi]

Where is my Z-wave 800 series hub!?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Not with Aqara! ;) They've always done Zigbee, and now Thread

[@chesb01]

M3 hub or home assistant?

[@AutomateYourLife]

The m3 is easy and medium capability, home assistant is very capable but tough to manage

[@GaryDeardorff]

Looking for a new hub to replace my Smartthing v2, however, i have a 35+ Zwave devices. this does not seem to support it directly, but if i bought an older hub it "Might" bridge in to the new hub?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Aqara isn't handling anything like that today. They have no Z-wave at all annnnnnd I can't think of a hub doing z-wave as a Matter Bridge. And one more...this can't bring it in anyway. Only those 3 sets of products I showed at the start

[@garyhenderson9303]

One thing no one is talking about is the WiFi standard this supports its only WiFi 5. The recent camera had WiFi 6 which they made clear on their page. This HUB I could only find reference in the .pdf User Manual which states its a 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac which translates to WiFi 5. I want to use Matter over thread plus Zigbee for my smart home, but my whole network is going to WiFi 7 this summer, this is disappointing that a new HUB is two generations behind in its Protocol support.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey Gary, I'm pretty sure we stuck a little title somewhere in this video with the spec, but to be honest...I think Wifi 5 is great for any hub today. The cameras end up there or higher because of the bandwidth requirements. These hubs barely use any bandwidth so it's just fine, in my opinion, to use Wifi 5. :)

[@garyhenderson9303]

@@AutomateYourLife Hey Brian, yes you did show on screen the 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac tag. I can never remember which is which in this system and find WiFi 5, 6 or 7 easier to instantly know. The E1 camera when released had on the HP the following "The E1 supports stable and secure Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. This ensures optimal performance even in congested network environments, while also implementing the WPA3 standard for maximum security. I agree Bandwidth for routines is fine, but when watching the camera feed via the app, I assume this has gone via the HUB which is the bottleneck with reduced security compared to the native camera. No idea why they have decided to do this.

[@svenkrause4019]

I wonder if it will ever work appropriately…they announced it about one and a half years ago…seems not so easy

[@AutomateYourLife]

Some of the failover stuff is really tough to implement...

[@mocook62]

Can't migrate camera hub g3 yet, only cluster.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yes that's true too. Something I didn't talk about was which hubs can be migrated. Just seems like some of the basic newer ones. I imagine the cameras are hard to do since there's a dual feature there with the video.

[@Justyn_Lim]

Can someone explain why do such devices never support RF? The only options that do support RF+IR are those using Wi-Fi, never Zigbee.

[@AutomateYourLife]

🤷🤷

[@Dreacon34]

The problem you describe are probably based on Matter. this feature is probably MAtter Binding which came in 1.2 but most devices arent running on matter 1.2 based firmware since the most controller are stuck on 1.0 or 1.1 . so its less a aqara issue but an industry issue.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Correct. They did the best they can!

[@1975Stevo]

Anyone know whether i can have 2 hubs in my home. I have Aqara products scattered in my house but some items are further away from the hub with a weak signal and work intermittently. In the UK we dont have zigbee plugs which i know act as repeaters. Just wondered if i bought a 2nd hub would that fix the issue?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Sure would! Get two, locate them as you see fit. Or relocate your hub? I do believe they've worked through how the automation works when devices are used between 2 M3 hubs, but just check with them to see if that moves automation to cloud

[@jonathanpaul4174]

But no ZWAVE antenna

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope

[@kevinpoinsett]

$130 for future software features? Hard pass

[@AutomateYourLife]

Let's hope we see it all get taken care of quickly. Then it'll be something to talk about.

[@craigs.4302]

So yeah...nothing's gonna replace Home Assistant anytime soon.

[@toolate6971]

Use it with Home Assistant.

[@AutomateYourLife]

How would that help with the new features?

[@keithschneider1025]

Again Aqara makes a good product. I really like Aqara products. Matter on the other hand…………

[@AutomateYourLife]

🤦 ohhh Matter

[@parrottm76262]

As with all past history, "Matter still doesn't Matter".

[@AutomateYourLife]

sigh...

[@Bikepacking]

I hear it can control air con direct is that true

[@AutomateYourLife]

The review answers that!

[@zPtrck]

The local network working offline is cap though... It just transfer if the other hub goes offline.... It's kinda pointless

[@AutomateYourLife]

Well that's called hot swappable controllers. It's a big deal in industrial facilities

[@wittynclever]

Matter, yet another "life changing" tech innovation that only disappoints currently.

[@AutomateYourLife]

You're saying you love it

[@johnszatkowski6898]

The PROBLEM is switching hubs is a complete NIGHTMARE when using Alexa! Now you will have DOUBLE/TRIPPLE devices that show up and have to go in and delete all the obsolete ones! BIG pain in the ass! This is WHY I've stuck with the Smart-things platform at this point! Plus deleting and reconnecting everything is a MAJOR hassle and could take DAYS! I am not willing to go through the grief of doing this. If if ain't broke WHY fix it???

[@AutomateYourLife]

This hub totally eliminates that issue. It's a one-press migration. It was fantastic John :) Of course, yep...you have that first move to do from ST! I think Matter will also help with this, so there's SOME light on the horizon!

[@johnszatkowski6898]

@@AutomateYourLife ; So maybe I'll wait a little longer before I take this "plunge".

[@obijuan-]

I think I wanted to use some of the Aqara sensors with my Alexa ecosystem. So, I bought the M1S hub. I guess I misunderstood. It looks from the install process it wants to use Apple and Apple lock chain stuff or whatever. After 10 minutes of sitting sync-ing to something Apple related. Finally, I gave up. I don't want to be using Home pod and stuff, so I cancelled it, and put the hub back in a box. Frustrating mess as I have seen.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Oh it's not that way at all. You use the Aqara app! The M1S was a while ago too.

[@obijuan-]

@@AutomateYourLife Come on, Brian. Was that necessary? You've seen my comments and reportings before. Do I sound like someone that didn't know I needed to use the Aqara app? The Aqara app took me to these screen for Apple. Not going to reproduce them to convince someone. I know what I saw. I stopped trying to set it up, because of these issues. I didn't bother to do any screen shots because I was not predicting there would be the perfect video to bounce those M1S issue off of. M1S is still an in production and sale product isn't it?

[@obijuan-]

My own curiosity got the best of me. So, I went back and tried to add the M1S again. Should not need to say, but, yes, I started with the Aqara app. Two-three screens in, it wants displays the "Choose a home" screen. I gave it a name, a comment reports"the device will be added to the home in the Apple Home app. The "Next step" at the bottom does nothing. Can't select anything else, nothing happens. Then it just sits. It transitions from yellow ring to solid white. Still can not move forward in the app, no instructions or alerts. So, tried to check in the Apple Home app, but it informs me its setting up Keychain and forces me to the section to create a Passcode. No sidestepping that this time. Not going to put a passcode on my phone. So, can't proceed. Back to the Aqara app, after sitting all night, on same screen

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@obijuan- :( I tried my M1S and had similar issues just now. I wonder if they need a firmware update. Maybe chat with their support

[@obijuan-]

@@AutomateYourLife Thank you. At least, I can believe that I am not yet crazy.

[@philipperostin]

Actually the Hue Sensor is a weird unit by itself. It sometimes just does not pair in Hue App, while pairing in ST or Mrs A ! And vice versa ! I dont keep count of how many times I had to do full reset on my hue motion sensors ! Thats bad because when they work they do are one of the best motion sensor. I love the Aqara sensor, but it does not have a very long range of detection compared to Hue or Zooz. I am still to dig further on the Aqara "cat" camera/hub to see what I can do with it, but it seems to not talk very well neither with ST hub or Mrs A. It does, but not very well. May be its me and my setup, but anyway the result is what it is.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Generally, Aqara's hubs only work with Google, Amazon, and Apple. There's not a lot of other compatibility, but that's fairly common! As for Hue, I've had good luck with that sensor and this was through a Matter Bridge so it's still connected through the Hue Bridge. That helps keep that one working!

[@Artificial.Unintelligence]

As someone with like $2k+ Aqara stuff, Aqara app needs a lot of work imo: First off - why cant they just detect ANY zigbee signal regardless of brand to attempt adding to the hub/network and let people customize stuff with other brands like IKEA buttons to toggle my lights or otherwise? (Yeah yeah this is what matter is for, but obviously people do home assistant stuff with zigbee and zwave and make things work, is there something blocking it on the device side?) 2. Very limited automation decisions and they limit what you can or can't do with certain devices. Ie: vibration sensor - can't set a 'While vibration detected..' (for more than x time or detected more or less continuously after initial vibration such as an appliance running). Also they have power monitoring on their plugs, but you literally can't automate anything off of that information?? 3. Signal integrity view - Why do I need to go through multiple menus to see individual device signal? There should just be a menu off the home screen or options to see the actual zigbee network layout with each device shown 2D or 3D.. bare minimum a list of all devices to at least see all signal conditions at a glance. 4. No way to view power consumption of devices or rather the things connected to the devices all at a glance as charts or current consumption numvers.. would be nice to also filter & sort devices by current/avg/total power etc. automations based on power are also non existent as prev mentioned (AC or dehumidifier connected to smart plug - pretty obvious I'd want to check basement humidity and if it goes too high but there's no typical power ramp from a humidifier turning on itld want an alarm to tell me before I have a moldy disaster) 4. Need a more obvious feature request and bug reporting area within the app - we're only here to help you with fixing stuff and flushing put your system. 5. Some automation things of mine just don't work sometimes and it's not like its complicated: turn on greenhouse light at 10a, wait 10 hours, turn it off.. Very often its still just on as if connection dropped and it stopped counting or something? I shouldn't need to build another automation to explicitly check at another time to turn something of 'hey its midnight, turn off the damn light if you forgot' 6. Certain thing ask for weird permissions - why does my door lock need local storage access to my phone pictures? How about NO and stop asking. Why does it need to ask for Bluetooth every single time if it knows its on a hub? Further, why can't i disable certain things like Bluetooth across all my devices if I have certain things hardwired? If i believe its a security issue or unnecessary then just let me turn it off.. and allow for an alarm or alert if its turned back on .. kinda like weird email sign in locations 'did you sign on from X device?' Oh and why cant you set the name of the person who set things up? Every other user is Named but im stuck as "ME"?? Lol

[@AutomateYourLife]

Good suggestions here! Wow, I'm sure Aqara will read this too

[@Artificial.Unintelligence]

@@AutomateYourLife yeah that's the reason I did a quick brain dump, I assumed since they sponsored they'd check back in the short term.. if they want to capture the market they need to look at what people are able to do in Home Assistant or other brands

[@TornadoBarrage]

I have a Homey Pro, when I got the P2 sensor the aqara app said that i needed that hub, I instead used Homey Pro to use it but when the sensor detects movement it takes a while to notice no movement, do i need the aqara hub to change the settings when its available?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope! There is nowhere you can get settings for the P2 at the moment. Every hub is the same

[@TornadoBarrage]

@@AutomateYourLife ok good to know, thank you, hopefully they'll add it to homey pro soon 🤞

[@SolarizeYourLife]

At least it's local, unlike Google hubs...

[@AutomateYourLife]

Truth

[@PaulSinnema]

This seems to me the bleeding edge of technology. Just be patient and it will become what you expect it to be. All new technologies need time to evolve, so be patient. Dismissing these potential solutions right now is contra productive. Again, be patient.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Who dismissed it?

[@howardschweitzer8847]

This release is so disappointing. Been waiting for this and to find its release puts the lie to matter is awful. It’s like all the manufacturers walling off Zigbee back in the day (yes hue and zemismart and so the others looking at you)

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's a lot like that again. I can't believe it's going on again. Worse this time because we don't have any settings or extra features coming with the standard.

[@howardschweitzer8847]

It seems extra irksome since Aqara does not have smart bulb choices for North American market, so a big selling point for me was the belief I could finally get matter bulbs into the Aqara app and finally be able to have the majority of my automations done on the Aqara platform