Smart wireless thermostat maker Ecobee is rolling out a firmware update to Ecobee3 devices that brings individual HomeKit support to the device's remote sensors for the first time.

The Ecobee3 enables owners to use additional remote sensors to keep track of ambient temperature as well as detect motion in different locations within the home. With firmware version 3.7.0.969, currently rolling out to the devices, owners can now access individual sensors directly from within the iOS HomeKit app.

ecobee3
The official change log for the firmware is as follows:

• Automatically Restore HomeKit Connection. Occasionally some ecobees could lose its connection to Homekit and have to be rebooted in order to re-establish the connection. This firmware update enables the ecobee to automatically reconnect without any user action.

• Wireless sensors with homekit enhancement. The wireless sensors now show up as accessories in the iOS Home app. Because of the dual functionality (occupancy detection and temperature sensing) of the sensors, each sensor will show up as two accessories.

• The usual background cleanup and stability. As always, to smooth things out for a better experience.

The Ecobee3 firmware is an automatic update currently being rolled out. Owners unsure of the version of their devices who aren't seeing their sensors in HomeKit should contact Ecobee support.

Top Rated Comments

vipergts2207 Avatar
94 months ago
Wow I have not had the issues you've had. They did fix a bug I brought to their attention about the Notification Centre widget not updating.

Otherwise, I wish their app had a native feel but I see what they're trying to do by mimicking the UI on the Ecobee itself. I don't use the app much because everything is scheduled and I use IFTTT DO Button to manually set Home/Away.

I agree I have not found value in the reports.
I have not had nearly the issues that he has had either. Overall it's been a good experience. My biggest complaint, (and this type of issue seems to be common for many smart home devices), is that the geofence feature built into Ecobee is only useful for bachelors who live alone. It doesn't work with two or more person households. This means I have to use a work around geofence using IFTTT integration and the life360 app. I don't understand why these some of these device manufacturers don't design these features to work for more than one person households, since I suspect most people live with at least one other person. Especially the core market for stuff like this, homeowners.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
az431 Avatar
94 months ago
Awesome news. However, since December I haven't been able to use my Ecobee3 with home kit. Happened after an update at one point. Still doesn't work with the newest firmware update yesterday, unfortunately.
Ecobee is an absolutely horribly bug-ridden device, and unfortunately the developers don't seem to be spending much time fixing issues and making it stable, just rolling out new functionality that most of us don't need.

Both on the iOS app and the web app it is impossible to change the temperature because it: (1) either springs back to another value than the one you set, (2) refuses to adjust in more than 4-5 degree increments, or (3) sets the cool point as the hot point, or vice versa. There are dozens of App Store reviews mentioning this issue, yet after several updates over the past six months it's still unresolved.

It is impossible to manually update the firmware, and many Ecobees are either months behind or forever stuck on earlier firmware. It takes a call to Ecobee to get a firmware update pushed.

The web app is not fully compatible with Safari despite the fact that this device works only with iOS devices. To create an Ecobee account I had to install Chrome, then switch back to Safari.

The reports are a joke. Most are nonsensical and provide nothing in the way of context to determine what they mean. Simply "you're in the 45% of homes" without clarifying whether that's the top 45% or bottom 45% (or even whether your home IS the 45th percentile or somewhere between 0 and 45).

I've also had the same HomeKit issue. Eventually it mysteriously began working, but then began a constant battle between HomeKit and Ecobee about who controlled the temperature in my home. The heat or AC would turn on seemingly at random depending on who won the power struggle. I decided to get rid of the HomeKit integration.

Unfortunately it did not want to remove HomeKit integration without a reset, which led to the next major problem. If for some reason there is an issue that requires resetting Ecobee, it also destroys your Ecobee account and all settings and prior reports, meaning you start from scratch. You can't simply log back on and restore your settings.

The only issue Ecobee has fixed in the one year I owned it is the login and TouchID, where the app was constantly logging you off even if you had used the app in the last few ours, and worse would not accept TouchID. But that took far too long, especially in light of the high percentage of users who had the issue.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Return Zero Avatar
94 months ago
I love my ecobee. I've never had any significant bugs, except it very occasionally drops the wifi connection, though it does usually reconnect by itself. It's been installed for a year and a half now, and I'm saving a ridiculous 37% on my entire electric bill (about $70 savings a month, down from $190 to $120). I really didn't expect that much savings. Maybe my old thermostat had a problem or something.

At first I bought it because of the option for extra sensors. However I didn't really end up using the one that came with it anyway. It eats batteries about every 6 months and I just stopped using it. I may have to break it back out now with the ability to add it to homekit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kingtj Avatar
94 months ago
Yep, this! If your Ecobee stops talking properly w/HomeKit, completely unpair it, reboot your iOS device, and try setting it up like it's a new device in it again. Annoying, but worked for me and is actually the official Ecobee advice in one of the online troubleshooting tips.

I'm glad they're still upgrading these with better support. I like my Ecobee a lot too -- but I also feel like my home is a challenge for it.

I live in a 100+ year old, 2 story house that was upgraded about 10 years ago with a pair of heat-pumps. One for the upstairs and the other for the main level and basement area. I had to buy 2 Ecobee thermostats to control the two of them.

Even with a total of 4 extra temperature sensors in use, strategically? I find it's a constant struggle to keep the house comfortable at the same temperature throughout. It seems like one problem is that warm air rises, so the unit heating the main level winds up working extra hard as that heat goes upstairs and contributes to warming it up. That means the upstairs unit probably doesn't run quite as much as it should to do its part. When the unit upstairs does decide to kick on, it heats the upstairs bedrooms pretty quickly and shuts back off. But then the whole upstairs feels far warmer than the downstairs does for the next hour or two.

I guess I'm not sure if the two Ecobee 3 thermostats actually communicate with each other, but it seems like they don't.


I've had HomeKit get goofed up enough that I had to (from the Ecobee) delete the pairing and then pair it back up again.

Glad I wasn't the only one seeing this! :)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vipergts2207 Avatar
94 months ago
Help me understand. I've never grasped the concept of how the sensors actually save you money.

I'm guessing most people have one furnace and multiple ducts. If one room requires additional heat (because the sensor in that room is set differently), doesn't the furnace come on heating the whole home? It's not as if each room is separately heated/cooled.
The sensors are mostly for comfort. The savings come from the thermostat being automatically being set back when you leave. There are different ways for that to happen though, one of them being using the sensors to detect occupancy.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aristobrat Avatar
94 months ago
It eats batteries about every 6 months and I just stopped using it.
Oh wow! I've had six remote sensors going on about 1.5 years and have only had to change one battery so far.

The reports are a joke. Most are nonsensical and provide nothing in the way of context to determine what they mean. Simply "you're in the 45% of homes" without clarifying whether that's the top 45% or bottom 45% (or even whether your home IS the 45th percentile or somewhere between 0 and 45).
Yeah, those reports are frustrating to me without any context.

I do love the runtime reports though! I moved into a new construction house and was able to use those to show the builder (and his HVAC sub) that there was an issue on super-hot days where the upstairs unit couldn't keep up.
[doublepost=1484320065][/doublepost]
Also, I was wondering if the sensors could be WiFi enabled too?
I couldn't see that happening without requiring them to have a power cable attached.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...