Haiku ceiling fans by Big Ass Fans now support HomeKit natively – but only if your model received the Matter firmware update. Fans purchased before that rollout still need Homebridge. Here’s how to figure out which path applies to you and get it working either way.
Native HomeKit vs. the Homebridge Path
In late 2024, Big Ass Fans pushed a firmware update adding Matter over Wi-Fi support to much of their current lineup – Haiku, Haiku Coastal, i6, es6, Turbo6, and Speakeasy all made the list. Matter is how these fans now talk to Apple Home natively, no hub required.
The catch: not every Haiku or Haiku L qualifies. Whether your fan gets the update depends on when it was manufactured. Open the Big Ass Fans app and check for a firmware update – if one’s available, install it and your fan will show up in Apple Home directly. If no update appears, you’re on the Homebridge path.
The Haiku H series (52″, 60″, 84″) and Haiku L series (44″, 52″) are separate products with different price points – H series starts around $1,000+, L series runs $830-930 – but both follow the same Matter eligibility rule. Check the app first before assuming either path.
Setup Steps
Follow the path that matches your fan.
Path A: Matter (Newer Fans)
Update firmware via the Big Ass Fans app
Open the app, go to your fan’s settings, and install any available firmware update. This is what enables Matter support.
Put the fan in pairing mode
Follow the in-app prompt or hold the pairing button on your fan. The app will guide you through activating Matter pairing mode.
Open the Apple Home app and tap the + button
Select ‘Add Accessory’, then scan the Matter QR code shown in the Big Ass Fans app or on the fan itself.
Assign to a room and finish setup
Apple Home will detect the fan as a standard fan accessory. Name it, assign it to a room, and you’re done.
Path B: Homebridge (Older Fans)
If your fan didn’t get the Matter update, Homebridge is the proven workaround. The active plugin to use is @mkellsy/homebridge-haiku (v1.7.14 as of early 2026).
Install Homebridge if you haven’t already
Download from homebridge.io and follow the setup guide for your platform (Raspberry Pi, Mac, or a dedicated machine).
Open the Homebridge UI and go to Plugins
Log into the Homebridge web UI, click the Plugins tab in the navigation.
Search for and install @mkellsy/homebridge-haiku
Search ‘homebridge-haiku’ in the plugin search. Install the @mkellsy/homebridge-haiku plugin – this is the actively maintained version as of 2026.
Configure the plugin
After installation, the plugin will prompt you for configuration. Give your fan a name and confirm the network settings. The plugin auto-discovers fans on your local network.
Restart Homebridge
Restart Homebridge from the UI. Your Haiku fan will appear in Apple Home within a minute or two.
What You Can Control
Once connected – via either path – your Haiku fan appears in Apple Home as a standard fan accessory. What that gets you:
- Power on/off via Siri or the Home app
- Fan speed control (low, medium, high or percentage-based)
- Direction toggle (summer/winter mode)
- Light on/off and dimming (on models with integrated LED)
- Automations – set schedules, tie the fan to temperature sensors, or add it to scenes
The Haiku H series includes SenseME technology (occupancy and temperature sensing) that the Big Ass Fans app handles directly. That automatic adjustment runs independently of HomeKit, so you get both: the native auto-sensing from the BAF app and manual/automation control through Apple Home.
Is Haiku Worth It for HomeKit?
At $830+ for the L series and well over $1,000 for the H series, Haiku is a premium product. The HomeKit integration – whether native Matter or through Homebridge – works well once it’s set up.
The main argument for it: if you’re already invested in an Apple Home setup, having your ceiling fan in the same app as your lights, locks, and thermostat is genuinely useful. Automations like “turn the fan on when the temperature hits 75F” or “off at 11pm” are straightforward to set up once the fan is in HomeKit.
If you’re buying new, look for a fan that already has the Matter update available – it’s a cleaner setup than the Homebridge route. If you already own an older Haiku, Homebridge adds the integration without requiring new hardware. Either way the fan itself is excellent; the HomeKit piece is just whether you want to add a software layer or not.