Share control of your home

Invite people to control your home, edit their permissions, and allow them to control your home remotely with the Home app.

• Invite someone to control your home

• Accept an invitation to control a home

• Allow remote access and edit permissions

• Stop sharing your home

• Leave a home you were invited to share

• Get more help

Invite someone to control your home

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2. Tap or click the Add button, then select Add People.

3. Choose which role you want to give the person you're adding to the home.

   • Residents have local and optional remote access to all accessories in the home at any time.

   • Guests have local-only access to specific doors, locks, and other security-related accessories on a set schedule. If you don't have security-related accessories in your home in the Home app, you won't have the option to select the Guest role.

4. 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.

5. Tap or click Send Invite.

Accept an invitation to control a home

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2. Tap or click the More button.

3. Select Home Settings.

4. Select View under Invitations.

5. Select Accept.

When you accept an invitation, your Apple Account name and profile photo will be used to suggest you as a user on devices in the home, such as Apple TV.

Allow remote access and edit permissions

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2. Tap or click the More button, then select Home Settings. If you have multiple homes, choose a home, then select Home Settings.

3. Under People, select the person that you want to edit permissions for, then choose the following:

   • Control Accessories Remotely: Turn on to allow users to control your accessories from any location. Turn off to allow users to only control your accessories while they're at your home and connected to your Wi-Fi network.

   • Add and Edit Accessories: Turn on to allow users to add and remove accessories, scenes, automations, and other users.

Shared users can't add HomePod, Apple TV, or any AirPlay-compatible smart TVs or speakers to the Home app. You can only add these devices if you're the owner of the home in the Home app.

Stop sharing your home

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2. Tap or click the More button, then select Home Settings. If you have multiple homes, choose a home, then select Home Settings.

3. Under People, tap or click the person that you want to remove from your home.

4. Tap or click Remove Person.

If you stop sharing a home with someone, they might still be able to control any accessories if they had permission to do so in a separate app. To remove those permissions, use the accessory's app, check the manual, or contact the manufacturer.

Leave a home you were invited to share

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

2. Tap or click the More button, then select Home Settings. If you're a member of multiple homes, choose the home that you want to leave, then select Home Settings.

3. Scroll down and tap or click Leave Home.

4. Tap or click Leave.

Get more help

• Update your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the latest software.

• Sign in to iCloud on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. In iCloud settings, turn on Home.

• Turn on two-factor authentication for Apple Account and iCloud for Passwords and Keychain.

• If your home has been updated to the latest version of Apple Home, you must set up a home hub to share control of your home.

• If your home has not been updated to the latest version of Apple Home, you must set up a home hub to invite people to control your home while you're away. If you don't set up a home hub, you can only invite people when you're home and connected to your home Wi-Fi network.

• If your home has not been updated to the latest version of Apple Home, you must set up a home hub to manage remote access and edit permissions for people that you invite to control your home. If you don't set up a home hub, shared users can only control your accessories while they're at your home, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and within range of your accessories. Matter-enabled accessories require a home hub, such as Apple TV 4K or HomePod mini.

• If you can't accept an invitation to share a home, make sure any homes that you set up are updated to the latest version of Apple Home.

• Make sure that you and the people you invite haven't blocked each other's phone number or Apple Account. Learn how to manage who you have blocked on iPhone or iPad and Mac.

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