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How to invite others to control accessories in your home on iPhone

by Moses Johnson

In the Home app, you can invite other people to control all your smart accessories, or invite a guest to control some or all of your doors, locks, and security system accessories during specific times.

There’s a difference between the two. Home Residents get local and optional remote access to all accessories, at any time. Home Guests get local-only access to specific doors, locks, and security system accessories, but only during set times. You can also allow others to access your AirPlay-enabled speakers and TVs.

Note: You’ll need a home hub, like a HomePod speaker or Apple TV 4K, for remote access and guest access.

Invite residents to control accessories

At any time, Home Residents have access to all accessories in the home, locally and optionally remotely.

  1. Start the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the Add button, tap Add People, and then tap Resident.
  3. Tap the Add button to choose people with an Apple Account from your contacts list, or enter their Apple Account email addresses in the To field.
  4. Tap Invite.
  5. Ask the invitee to do one of the following:
    • In the notification: (iPhone or iPad) Tap Accept.
    • In the Home app: (iPhone or iPad) On the Home tab, tap the More button, tap Home Settings and then tap the invitee’s name.
    • On Apple TV 4K: Tap Show Me on Apple TV and turn on one or more Apple TVs.

Invite guests to control accessories

On a set schedule, Home Guests can access specific doors, locks, and security system accessories, but only locally.

Note: Home Guests access requires iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or later.

  1. Start the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the Add button and tap Add People. Then tap Guest.
  3. Tap the Add button to choose people with an Apple Account from your contacts list, or enter their Apple Account email addresses in the To field.
  4. Select any of the following for the guest schedule:
    • Anytime: The guest can access the selected accessories anytime.
    • Specific Dates: The guest can only access the selected accessories on the dates specified.
    • Specific Days & Times: The guest can only access the selected accessories on the days and during the times specified.
  5. Select which doors, locks, and security system accessories the guest can access.
  6. Tap Invite.
  7. Ask the invitee to do one of the following:
    • In the notification: (iPhone or iPad) Tap Accept.
    • In the Home app: (iPhone or iPad) Tap the More button, tap Home Settings, and then tap the invitee’s name.

Allow others to access your AirPlay-enabled speakers and TVs

  1. Start the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the More button and then tap Home Settings.
  3. Tap Speaker & TV and choose an option.

You can allow only people you’ve invited to share the home, anyone on the same network, or everyone. And you can require a password for speaker access, too.

Allow Resident and Guest Attribution

With Attribution, when you arrive, leave, or interact with accessories, your name can appear in notifications and activity history.

Note: Home members who use Face Recognition to identify people based on their photo library will still see your name.

  1. Start the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the More button and then tap Home Settings.
  3. Tap a person and then enable Attribution.
Tag: Home
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How to control your Apple Watch and smart home accessories with Siri

by Kevin Hollington

Use Siri to control your Apple Watch and other Apple devices with just your voice—like opening apps, adjusting settings, and locating your other Apple devices or items with AirTags. You can also control smart home accessories that you set up in the Home app.

On your watch, Siri can open apps and settings, adjust utility and accessibility settings, and contact emergency services. At home, you can ask Siri to turn on lights or adjust the thermostat, even when you’re not there, and make an announcement.

Control your Apple Watch

Siri: On your Apple Watch, activate Siri, then see the ideas below for requests you can make.

  • Open apps and settings

    • “Open the Sleep app”
    • “Open Settings”
    • “Read my notifications”
  • Adjust utility settings

    • “Turn on Airplane Mode”
  • Adjust accessibility settings

    • “Turn on VoiceOver”
  • Contact emergency services

    • “Hey Siri, call 911”
    • “Start the siren” (Apple Watch Ultra Models only)

Control your home

Siri can turn on lights, adjust the thermostat, and control the products you use in your home, even when you’re away.

Siri: On your Apple Watch, activate Siri, then see the ideas below for requests you can make.

  • Control accessories

    • “Turn on the lights”
    • “Set the temperature to 72 degrees”
  • Adjust an accessory

    • “Siri, make it cooler”
    • “Set my reading scene”
  • Control a room or zone

    • “Turn off the lights in the office.”
  • Check your home’s status

    • “Siri, is the front door locked?”
    • “Hey Siri, are the upstairs lights on?”
  • Make an announcement

    • “Hey Siri, announce upstairs ‘I’m going to the store.'”
    • “Hey Siri, tell the office ‘The movie is starting'”
    • “Siri, intercom, ‘Time for school'”
    • “Siri, it’s movie night”

See also

Tags: Home, Siri
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How to control your home with Apple Watch

by Moses Johnson

The Home app provides a secure way to control your smart home accessories—such as lights, locks, smart TVs, thermostats, window shades, and smart plugs. You can also use the intercom and watch video streams from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

The available controls depend on the type of accessory, and a scene lets you control multiple accessories at once. And with more than one home set up, you can pick which one to view.

The Home app screen showing four camera views. Along the bottom are buttons for climate controls, lighting accessories, and locks.

Note: Before you can control your home from Apple Watch, you need to set it up in the Home app.

View and control accessories and scenes

  1. Start the Home app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Scroll to see video streams from your cameras, categories (Climate, Lights, Security, Speakers and TV, or Energy), scenes, and accessories.
  3. Do any of the following:

    • Control an accessory: Tap the accessory.

      The available controls depend on the type of accessory. For example, with some lightbulbs, you can adjust the brightness.

      A control for a lighting accessory with the brightness set to 58%.

    • Control multiple accessories at once: Tap a scene.
    • View the Grid Forecast: Tap the Energy category.

Send and receive intercom messages

  1. Start the Home app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Swipe down and tap the Intercom button.
  3. Say something like, “Who ate the last piece of pizza?”
  4. Tap Done.

View a different home

With more than one home set up, you choose which one to view on your Apple Watch.

  1. Start the Home app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the Back button to see the list of homes and tap a home.

See also

Tag: Home
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