The Home app is a centralized control application for all homeKit-enabled home accessories, from light bulbs to smart door locking. From this app, you can control individual accessories, multi-device scenes and more. If you have a HomePod or two, you'll even use the Home app to download and install software updates for wireless speakers.

controls

Controlling your accessories in the Home app is as simple as a tap. Accessories, such as lights, can be switched on and off by simply clicking on its icon in the Home app. Further, finer controls can be accessed by pressing and holding.

Tip: Press and hold (Haptic Touch) the Home app on your home screen to switch between Scenes.

Press and hold (Haptic Touch) the accessories and scenes in the Home and Control Center application to make quick adjustments to things like temperature, color, brightness, etc., depending on the accessory. This control screen also gives you access to accessory settings, which include options such as setting it as a favorite or adjusting notifications.

Favorites

When you launch the Home app, you are offered a page with Scenes and clean accessories called The home. These are yours Favorite scenes and Favorite accessories.

Instead, rooms the page shows you all from HomeKit enabled accessories, not just your Favorites

How to set your favorite scenes and accessories

rooms

rooms must be familiar to anyone who has used HomeKit compatible accessories in the past. rooms have various accessories enabled for HomeKit - you are encouraged to organize your accessories according to the physical room.

This living room, for example, has three Philips Hue lights and an Ecobee Smart thermostat. The Home app will also display Scenes that include Accessories in your specific room.

Status and notifications

When you launch the Home app and you're on The home page, you'll see the bold and bold name of your home at the top of the screen. The text under your house name is yours. condition.

The status provides an overview of the HomeKit enabled accessories. With a quick glance, you can see how many lights are on, the temperature and more. You will also see critical status messages, such as low battery warnings and availability to upgrade accessories.

You can also enable notifications for certain HomeKit enabled accessories. In iOS and macOS, you can adjust the notifications you receive for individual accessories.

How to adjust HomeKit accessories notifications and status

Additional users

If you share a home with others, you can give them access to your HomeKit accessories. Invitations can be sent through Home settings and once your invitation is accepted, they will be able to view and control your accessories through the Home app on their devices.

Limitations can be set for additional users, such as restricting access to adding or removing accessories, and disabling their ability to view your home while not connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Finally, additional settings are available to limit access to HomeKit Secure camcorder settings, such as viewing recordings or live streams.

How to add users to your HomeKit home

HomeKit Secure Video

HomeKit Secure Video, introduced in iOS 13, brings camera streams, controls and recordings to the Home app. Users with supported cameras such as Logitech Circle 2 and a paid iCloud storage account have free access to a 10-day free registration period.

An event timeline will appear when you tap a compatible camera in the Home app, where you can review, save and share recordings. Movement events are also instantly analyzed, giving you timely notifications, though you can filter cars and animals if you want.

How to manage HomeKit Secure camcorders in the Home app

Wallpapers

The Home app lets you customize the application with custom wallpapers for your home and your rooms. If you have multiple homes with HomeKit enabled accessories, custom wallpapers can help you make a quick differentiation between homes. It is also an easy way to differentiate the rooms inside a house.

How to add custom wallpapers in the Home app

Notes from home

Notes from home looks a lot like the dry wipe on your fridge or your guestbook in an Airbnb location.

If you enter notes in Notes from home In the app section, everyone who is a member of your shared home will be able to see the notes. You can set basic rules (hello, Airbnb hosts), notify children that you have appeared for food or other meanings - the choice is yours.

How to add home notes to your home

Automation

"When you leave the house, turn off the bedroom lights and turn on the thermostat."

"If my smoke detector smokes, turn on all the lights and set them to red."

These are just two examples of tasks you can create Automation. Finally, this is exactly what it sounds like: a way to automate your smart home, based on the various triggers and the appropriate results.

How to automate HomeKit accessories in the Home app

HomeKit Hubs

Many HomeKit enabled accessories already offer some form of remote access, but if you prefer to control your lights, thermostat, switches, etc. from an app (Home app), Home hubs makes this task easier.

Apple TV (4th generation or later), iPad and HomePod can act as a Home Hub, allowing you to configure automation, access your Accessories from far away locations, and more.

How to Make an Apple TV or iPad a Home Hub

MacOS

Starting with macOS Mojave, the Home app is also available on the Mac. Part of Apple's initiative to facilitate bringing iOS applications to macOS, the Home for Mac app offers most of the same functionality you'll find in its iOS counterpart, from controlling individual accessories to managing cameras and scenes. However, you cannot add accessories for your home from macOS right now.

How to set up and start using the Home app on your Mac

WATCH

Apple Watch is a great way to control HomeKit accessories through Siri, but Apple also offers a reduced version of the Home Wrist App. In the WatchOS version of the Home app, you can view and interact with your favorite accessories using taps to quickly switch things like your lights on and off. You can also press (3D Touch) firmly on an accessory to access finer controls, such as dimming the lights down, using a slider, or even with the digital crown.

Live camera streams are also available directly on the Apple Watch, complete with a 2-way audio control that lets you communicate with those in the camera view. In addition, notifications from the Home app on the watch also display a thumbnail image of motion events as soon as they occur, giving you the opportunity to track the situation if needed.

How to use the Home app on Apple Watch

Updated December 2019: Updated for iOS and iPadOS 13.

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