Experimental Features
The plugin implements some experimental features that can be enabled via the experimental array in the config.json file. These include behavioural overrides, architectural deviations, incomplete or provisional implementations, short-lived experiments, and features with a high support burden.
Experimental features are provided without guarantees. Issues that are specific to experimental features may not be investigated or resolved. Features may be modified or removed in future releases without notice.
The currently defined feature flags are described below.
The physical power button on some Home Connect appliances (most commonly washing machines and tumble dryers) disables or powers down their internal Wi-Fi module. When this occurs, it is not possible to distinguish between the appliance being switched off, disconnected from the mains, or losing its internet connection. The Home Connect API reports all of these cases identically as DISCONNECTED.
As a result, the plugin cannot determine whether the appliance is powered off or simply unreachable. By default, this condition is treated as a communication failure, and reported as HAP status SERVICE_COMMUNICATION_FAILURE (-70402), which the Apple Home app displays as Not Responding. This matches the behaviour of native HomeKit accessories that are unreachable.
The Disconnected as Off experimental feature flag modifies this behaviour so that disconnected appliances are treated as being powered off instead of reporting an error. This may be preferable for some users, but it introduces ambiguity: if the appliance has connectivity issues, it may still be powered on and actively running a program. Automations and status displays may therefore behave incorrectly under this mode.
Most other HomeKit services and characteristics will continue to reflect the last valid state reported by the Home Connect API prior to the disconnection, which may no longer represent the actual state of the appliance.
