Will a DSC Impassa Work w/ Apple HomeKit?

No, a DSC Impassa will not work with Apple HomeKit. There is currently no compatibility between Alarm.com and Apple HomeKit. Alarm.com is the interactive service used with the DSC Impassa. Unless Apple provides HomeKit support for Alarm.com, the system will never work with HomeKit.

Apple HomeKit mostly refers to the Home App that is available for iOS devices. This app provides a user with the ability to control an alarm system. A user can access the app at any time to gain control of their system. The user can also operate their system using voice commands that are sent through the Siri voice assistant.

Unfortunately, Apple has not provided HomeKit support for Alarm.com Systems. The Alarm.com service is used for providing remote access and control for DSC alarm systems. Since Alarm.com does not work with Apple HomeKit, the DSC Impassa cannot work with Apple HomeKit as a result. But if Apple were to provide HomeKit support for Alarm.com, then the Impassa would work with the app.

For users who want to use HomeKit, we recommend using a different alarm system. A great choice is the Honeywell Lyric Controller. This is a complete, all-in-one wireless system that is fully compatible with HomeKit. Apple and Honeywell have a rather strong partnership, so a Lyric user can feel confident in the level of support and service they will receive.

A newer option is now available, the Honeywell Home and Resideo ProSeries panels. The Resideo PROA7C and PROA7PLUSC and the Honeywell Home PROA7 and PROA7PLUS can support Apple HomeKit, as long as the panel is on firmware version 03.1868.32.0+ and has access to WIFI. You can read a comparison between these two panels here.

But if a user is committed to using a DSC Impassa, then they should use a different smart home service. Google Home is compatible with Alarm.com, and it will provide similar capabilities as the HomeKit service. By using a Google Home device, a user can send voice commands to their DSC Impassa System.

Of course, the DSC Impassa will need to be set up with Alarm.com before it can be used with Google Home. The user will need to install a compatible cellular communicator, and they will need an alarm monitoring plan that include cellular connectivity. The DSC Impassa must be running firmware version 1.3 or higher to support a cellular communicator. Existing panels that are not yet on firmware version 1.3 cannot be updated. Instead a new panel will need to be purchased.