Add a HomeKit accessory to the Home app

Add accessories to the Home app, then organize them by room or zone to easily control different areas of your home—all with just a tap or by asking Siri.

Add Accessories

Create rooms and zones

Add accessories

To add an accessory to the Home app, use your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can’t add accessories to the Home app on Mac. Before you set up your accessory, check these things:

• Make sure that it’s powered on and nearby.
• Check your accessory’s manual to see if it needs additional hardware to work with HomeKit.

Then follow these steps:

1. Open the Home app and tap Add Accessory   or  .
2. Use the camera on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to scan the eight-digit HomeKit code, or QR code on the accessory or accessory documentation. If you have an iPhone 7 or later and see    on your accessory, hold your iPhone near the accessory to add it.
3. When your accessory appears, tap it. If asked to Add Accessory to Network, tap Allow.
4. Name your accessory and assign it to a room to help you identify it in the Home app and control it with Siri.
5. Tap Next, then tap Done.

Learn how to set up your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a home hub so that you can control your accessories while you’re away from your home.

Some accessories, speakers, and smart TVs might require software updates or additional setup with the manufacturer’s app.

Samsung AirPlay 2-compatible smart TVs don’t support HomeKit and can’t be added to the Home app.

Organize accessories by room and zone

Organize your accessories by room to help you keep track of where your accessories are located and to control your rooms with Siri. You can also group rooms into a zone, like upstairs or downstairs.

Add a room

1. Select the Rooms tab, tap or click  ,  then select Room Settings .
2. Tap or click Add Room.
3. Give your room a name, then tap or click Done.

To navigate between different rooms, open the Rooms tab and swipe right or left across your screen or Trackpad.

Assign accessories to a room

After you assign accessories to a room, you can do things like play and control music throughout your home. Or ask Siri to play what you want to watch, where you want to watch it.

1. On iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, press and hold the accessory. On Mac, double-click the accessory.
2. Scroll down and tap or click Room.
3. Choose a room, then tap or click   to save.

Organize rooms into a zone

Group rooms together into a zone, like upstairs or downstairs, to easily control different areas of your home with Siri.

1. Select the Rooms tab, tap or click   , then select Room Settings  .
2. Tap or click Zone. Select a suggested zone, or choose Create New and give your new zone a name.
3. Tap or click Done.

If you can’t add an accessory

• Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. To use the Home app on a Mac, update your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
• Make sure that your accessories support HomeKit or AirPlay 2.
• To use and manage your home in the Home app on all of your devices, sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID on every device. Then turn on iCloud Keychain and Home in iCloud Settings.

Do more with the Home app

• Create scenes to control multiple accessories at the same time, then automate your scene or other accessories based on the time of day, your location, and more.
• Learn how to set up two HomePod speakers as a stereo pair.
• Ask Siri to turn on lights, adjust the thermostat, and control all of your HomeKit accessories.
• Set up a home hub to control your HomeKit accessories remotely.
• Get notifications for your HomeKit accessories.

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Published Date: July 19, 2021

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