When adding users to control your HomeKit™ home and products, it is important that all users have their iOS devices upgraded to iOS 11.2.5 or later. All users must be signed into an iCloud® account to safely and securely allow multiple users the ability to control your home. Giving access to new users should be done within the home Wi-Fi® network, where the iDevices HomeKit products are already set up.
To invite a new user:
- Make sure iCloud Drive, Keychain, and Home are turned on for all users in iOS Settings > iCloud
- The administrator (person who initially set up the iDevices products and Home) needs to be connected to the Wi-Fi network or have an Apple Home Hub where all HomeKit products are reachable (all products have to be working). An Apple Home Hub can be an Apple TV 4K, Apple TV 4th Generation, HomePod™, or iPad® running iOS 10 and later.
- From the home dashboard, tap the current home name in the upper left-hand corner
- Scroll down and tap "Manage Users"
- Tap "Invite People"
- Enter the email address the recipient uses for their iCloud account, then tap "Send Invite"
- Once the invitation is sent, a pop-up notification will appear on the iOS device allowing them to accept or decline the invitation. If the pop-up notification is missed, open the Apple Home app and tap the home icon in the upper left-hand corner to locate the pending invitation.
Once approved, please allow 24-48 hours for iCloud to sync HomeKit data to the guest user's iOS device.
Note: In the iOS device of the invited user, ensure the iDevices Connected app is installed and the following settings are turned on:
- iOS Settings > iDevices > Home Data > On
- iOS Settings > iDevices > Synchronize Custom Home > On
If an Apple Home Hub is set up, the admin who initially set up the home can manage the level of control and access invited users have, as well as remove users at any time.
An Apple Home hub is not required for remote access via the iDevices Connected app.
To control accessories through the Apple Home app remotely, a Home Hub is required. Otherwise, an invited user can use the Apple Home app if they are in the home and on the Wi-Fi network.
To adjust access or remove a user:
- Open the Apple Home app and tap the house icon in the upper left-hand corner
- Tap the person that you want to edit permissions for or remove from the home
- Adjust the settings below:
Allow Remote Access: Turn on to allow users to control accessories from any location using the Apple Home app. Turn off to allow users to only control accessories while they're at the home.
Allow Editing: Turn on to allow users to add and remove accessories, scenes, and invite other users.
Remove Person: Removes this user from the home. They will no longer see or control any accessories.