Pi Day is March 14, for obvious reasons. In honor of the mathematically themed holiday, we have a list of some great Raspberry Pi projects that you can use with your iPhone. The tutorials below assume that you already have some working knowledge of how to build projects using Raspberry Pi. If you are new to the RPi community, head over to our guide to getting started.
Here are our favorite Raspberry Pi projects that incorporate using your iPhone or iPad.
- Siri-enabled HomeKit lights using Raspberry Pi
- Siri-enabled temperature sensor using Raspberry Pi
- Make any smart device HomeKit supported with Homebridge
- R-PiAlerts Wi-Fi security system
- iPad as a Raspberry Pi monitor
- Network-wide ad blocker
- Using Amazon Echo with Siri HomeKit
Build giant tech gadgets with the world's smallest computer
With Raspberry Pi, you're really only limited by your imagination. From beginner to expert, there are thousands of fun and functional projects for everyone
Siri-enabled HomeKit lights using Raspberry Pi
Why you can trust iMore Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Thanks to Apple's HomeKit, you can setup connected home devices, like lighting, locks, and thermostats to your iPhone and ask Siri to activate them for you. This tutorial lets you use the Raspberry Pi as a relay for Philips Hue lights (opens in new tab) for some extra DIY fun. Once connected, you can ask Siri to turn on your various connected devices that are hooked up to the RPi.
Siri-enabled temperature sensor using Raspberry Pi
This project also uses Apple's HomeKit app, but when you set up a digital temperature sensor (opens in new tab) module, you can have it transfer data from your Raspberry Pi to your iPhone. Then, ask Siri to tell you the temperature in the room where the sensor is set up and you'll get an accurate reading.
Make any smart device HomeKit supported with Homebridge
Homebridge for Raspberry Pi (opens in new tab) is an iPhone and iPad app that makes it possible for you to turn a Raspberry Pi into a HomeKit supported hub that works with any smart device, including ones that don't originally support HomeKit. This tutorial is not for a specific project, but it is a simple, detailed guide for setting up Homebridge on your Raspberry Pi so it can communicate with your iPhone and smart devices.
R-PiAlerts Wi-Fi security system
This project is great for creating an outdoor security system that will alert you when something happens around the perimeter of your house. Using two Raspberry Pi units, you can set one up as a camera and the other as a notification device. Using iOS and macOS compatible software, you can get a notification sent to you, and then check to see if the movement is something you should be concerned with, or just a cat trying to find a warm place to hang out.
iPad as a Raspberry Pi monitor
The Raspberry Pi is a pretty incredible little computer. But, many of the projects you need require some sort of monitor in order to get the device up and running with proper software and coding. With this VNC viewer project, you can turn your iPad (or even your iPhone) into a monitor for your Pi, so you can take care of projects without needing to set up your PC monitor (or TV set) with it.
Network-wide ad blocker
We're all familiar with the advertisement issues facing our daily web browsing experience. If ads were a little more subdued, we wouldn't mind them so much. But, some websites take it to a whole new level. Instead of installing an ad blocker to each of your devices individually, you can use a Raspberry Pi to create a network-wide ad blocker at the router level. It's important to remember that advertising is how websites make enough money to stay afloat. We recommend you whitelist sites you visit regularly to help them keep the lights on.
Using Amazon Echo with Siri HomeKit
Excited about Amazon Echo, but want it to work with Siri instead? Well, one DIY gadget builder figured out how to hack Alexa and switch her out with Apple's personal assistant instead. It is a complicated project that probably takes more time than justifies the result, but if you are a hardcore hacker, you'll get a kick out of getting Siri to do Alexia's work.
Anything Else?
What is your favorite Raspberry Pi project that uses the iPhone? Have you built it? How did it go? Show us pictures of your project.
Updated March 2020: Added new great Raspberry Pi projects you can create with the help of your iPhone or iPad.
○ See CanaKit's starter kit (opens in new tab)
○ How to get started
○ How to set up Wi-Fi
○ How to take a screenshot
○ Best projects for iPhone
○ Raspberry Pi hub
