Get started
- Add smart home accessories to the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. To use the Home app on Mac, update your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
- To get notifications for your HomeKit and Matter accessories when you're not at home, set up a home hub.
Check the status of your home
You can check the status of your HomeKit and Matter accessories in the Home tab of the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
You can also control which accessories are included in the Home tab's status.
- Open the Home app.
- On an iPhone or iPad, tap an accessory. On a Mac, click an accessory.
- Scroll down and select Status and Notifications.
- Turn Include in Home Summaries on or off.
Turn on notifications for your accessories
You can set up notifications for certain HomeKit and Matter accessories, like locks and sensors, to alert you when an accessory detects something. For example, if you have a sensor on a door, you can get a notification when it opens.
If you want to see notifications for your HomeKit and Matter accessories on more than one device, turn on notifications on each device.
- Open the Home app and tap or click the More button
, then select Home Settings. If you have multiple homes, choose a home, then select Home Settings. - Choose a type of accessory, like Sensors.
- Select an accessory and turn on Activity Notifications.
Learn more about notifications on your iPhone or iPad.
Get alerts at a certain time or when someone arrives or leaves
You can customize notifications for your HomeKit or Matter accessories to alert you at specific times and based on who's present in your home.
- Open the Home app.
- On an iPhone or iPad, tap an accessory. On a Mac, click an accessory.
- Scroll down and select Status and Notifications. Turn on Activity Notifications, then choose from these options.
- Time: Set a time that you want to get alerts for your accessory.
- People: Get alerts for the accessory when you or someone arrives or leaves your house. If you choose this option, you need to set up a home hub and make sure that everyone who can control your home has My Location set to their primary iPhone or iPad and Share My Location turned on in Settings > [your name] > Find My.
- Tap or click Back
in the upper-left corner, then Done.
To see notifications that you set up in the Home app on more than one device, you need to set up notifications on each device.
Not all smart home accessories support notifications.