Your HomeKit journey starts with adding a home to the Home app. Here’s how!

If you've just launched Apple's Home app and wonder how to set up a new home, this is how!

Apple's Home app is the command center for your HomeKit accessories, putting your door locks, light bulbs, and more just a few taps away. Before getting started, though, you need to create a home for all of your accessories. Thankfully, the Home app makes this process incredibly easy, so you can be up and running in seconds. Here's how to add a home to the Home app!

How to add a home in the Home app

By default, the Home app will automatically create a home for you called My Home when you launch the app for the first time. With the default home, you can begin adding accessories, creating rooms, setting up custom wallpapers, etc. After creating your first home, you can add another if you have multiple homes. Here's how.

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the + icon in the upper left corner.

3. Tap Add New Home.

   

4. Type in a Name for your new home.
5. Tap done.

6. Tap Save to add your new home.

   

How to switch homes

If you want to manage your HomeKit accessories in another home, you can easily do so via the Home app. All it takes is a few taps.

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House icon in the upper left corner.

3. Tap the name of a Home to switch.

   

How to rename a home

If you want to get creative with your home's name, you can change things up via the Home Settings menu in the Home app.

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House icon near the top left corner.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Tap the current house Name to bring up a keyboard.
5. Type in your desired Name.

6. Tap Done to save your home's name.

   

How to invite people to join a home

If there are other members of your home to whom you'd like to give control of your HomeKit accessories, here's how:

1. Launch the Home App.
2. Tap the House Icon in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Tap Invite People....
5. Type in the Name of the Person you'd like to invite.

6. Tap Send Invite in the top right corner.

   • You'll know you're successful if the person appears in the People section with the words Invitation Pending beneath their name and profile photo.

   

How to accept an invitation to join a home

If you're receiving an invite (or need to help someone with an invite you've sent), here's how you accept an invitation:

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House Icon in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Review your invite, then tap Accept.

5. Tap Accept to join the home.

   

How to personalize your home wallpaper

If you have multiple locations to control with the Home app (or you want to customize the app's look and feel), you can change the Home wallpaper. Here's how:

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House Icon in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Scroll down until you reach the Home Wallpaper section.
5. Tap Take Photo… to take a brand new photo or Choose from Existing to pick an image from your library or one of the defaults.

6. Tap Use Photo or Set once you've adjusted the photo to your liking by panning and zooming.

   

How to add notes to a home

The Home app provides a handy little field for storing notes viewable by anyone who's received a home invite. For example, if you have a HomeKit-controlled rental property, you can leave messages for your tenants in this field.

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House Icon in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Scroll downward until you reach the Home Notes section, then tap on the Notes field
5. Type in your desired message for your family or guests.

6. Tap Done in the top right corner when finished.

   

How to remove a home

1. Launch the Home app.
2. Tap the House Icon in the top left corner of the screen.

3. Tap Home Settings.

   

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the Home app settings page.
5. Tap Remove Home.

6. Tap Remove on the confirmation pop-up list. This pop-up is the last step before deleting your existing home. Only proceed if you are ready to remove it.

   

Keep in mind that when you remove a Home, you're also removing the corresponding data synced to iCloud. As a result, your guests will also lose access to your HomeKit accessories and customizations.

Start your smart home journey by adding a home to the Home app

Now that you know how to add a home to the Home app, you can begin building the smart home of your dreams. Apple's Home app also makes it easy to add multiple homes to control all of your HomeKit accessories in your vacation home or your humble abode anytime — and anywhere — with just a few taps.

Updated May 2022: Updated for iOS 15.