Nanoleaf Canvas Squares Now Support 'Touch Actions' to Activate HomeKit Scenes

Nanoleaf today introduced a useful new capability for its Nanoleaf Canvas Smarter Kit, allowing individual Canvas squares to serve as touch controls to activate HomeKit scenes.

For those unfamiliar with the Nanoleaf Canvas, it's a set of light-up panels that attach to the wall or the ceiling, providing accent lighting. The Canvas tiles are touch-compatible and support different touch gestures, which is what enables this new feature.

Touch Actions lets a Canvas light square double as a smart button to activate different ‌HomeKit‌ scenes, such as turning off the lights or getting a bedtime scene ready. Three actions are available for each of the squares, including a single press, double press, and long press.

More than one button can have scenes assigned, so the Nanoleaf Canvas can double as a control panel for all of your ‌HomeKit‌ scenes.

Setting up Touch Actions requires a Home Hub for ‌HomeKit‌, which can be an Apple TV, a HomePod, or an iPad. Scenes need to be set up, and from there, you can turn Canvas panels into buttons by opening up the Nanoleaf app, selecting My Devices, choosing the Canvas, tapping the gear icon for more settings, and then selecting Touch Actions. It's a little bit complicated, but Nanoleaf has created a tutorial video.