Step 1: Download the video capture app AtHome Video Streamer App and install it in device A, the unique Connection ID (also referred to as CID) will be assigned to the device A at the first time. Step 2: Download and install the viewer app AtHome Camera app in device B which you want to use as a viewer. Just Blink and You’re Home. Use the Blink Home Monitor app to check in on what’s happening at home from anywhere at any time. The app connects your home to your phone in HD video so you can see and protect what matters most. With multi-system support, you can use Blink to watch your home, vacation home, or business all at the same time.

Set up the Home app, then you can control your home with Siri. Or set up home automations and let the Home app do all the work. Add your TVs and speakers, then you can control what’s playing throughout your home. You can share control with family and friends. And get notifications about the activity in your home so you never miss a thing.

Get started

  • Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS. To use the Home app on a Mac, update your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
  • Make sure that you have one or more products that support HomeKit or AirPlay 2. To check if a product is supported, look for the labels “Works with Apple HomeKit” or 'Works with Apple AirPlay'* on the product packaging or online.
  • To use and manage your home in the Home app on all of your devices, sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID on every device. Then turn on iCloud Keychain and Home in iCloud Settings.

*Samsung AirPlay 2-compatible smart TVs don't support HomeKit and can't be added to the Home app.

Add accessories

To add an accessory to the Home app, use your iOS device. You can't add accessories to the Home app on Mac. Before you set up your accessory, check these things first:

  • Make sure that it's powered on and nearby.
  • Check your accessory’s manual to see if it needs additional hardware to work with HomeKit.

Then follow these steps:

  1. Open the Home app and tap Add Accessory or .
  2. Use the camera on your iOS device to scan the eight-digit HomeKit code, or QR code on the accessory or accessory documentation. If you have an iPhone 7 or later and see on your accessory, hold your iPhone near the accessory to add it.
  3. When your accessory appears, tap it. If asked to Add Accessory to Network, tap Allow.
  4. Name your accessory and assign it to a room to help you identify it in the Home app and control it with Siri.
  5. Tap Next, then tap Done.

Learn how to add your HomePod, Apple TV, or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TVs and speakers to the Home app.

Some accessories, like Phillips Hue lighting and Honeywell thermostats, require additional setup with the manufacturer's app.

Change information about your accessory

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After you add your accessory with your iOS device, you can edit information for it on your iOS device or Mac.

  • On your iOS device: Press and hold an accessory, then tap Settings.
  • On your Mac: Double-click an accessory, then click Settings.

From here, you can change its name and room where it's located. Turn on Include in Favorites to access and control your accessory in Control Center, the Home tab, and on your Apple Watch.

You can also group together accessories, like lights, to control them as one accessory.

Learn how to check the status and get notifications for your HomeKit accessories.

Control Center will allow you to control up to nine accessories that you add to Favorites.

Control your accessories

You can use Siri to turn on and control your accessories. Or you can manually control them in the Home app.

Turn an accessory on or off:

  • On your iOS device or Apple Watch, tap an accessory.
  • On your Mac, click an accessory.

Find and adjust extra features, like brightness, color, and temperature controls:

  • On your iOS device or Apple Watch, press and hold an accessory.
  • On your Mac, double-click an accessory.

Want to control your home when you're not there? Just set up a home hub with a HomePod, Apple TV, or iPad.

Set a scene to control multiple accessories

Scenes let you control multiple accessories at the same time. You can create a scene called 'I'm here' that turns on all of the lights and unlocks the front door — all at once. Or set a “Morning” scene that plays your favorite playlist on your HomePod, Apple TV, or AirPlay 2-enabled speaker. Customize scenes in the Home app to make your everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable.

On your iOS device:

  1. In the Home app, tap in the upper-right corner, then tap Add Scene.
  2. Choose a suggested scene. Or create a custom scene, then give your scene a name.
  3. Tap Add Accessories.
  4. Tap the accessories that you want to add, then tap Done.
  5. To adjust the settings for an accessory, press and hold it. To preview the scene, tap Test This Scene. Turn on Include in Favorites to access your scene in Control Center, Home tab, and Apple Watch.
  6. Tap Done.

On your Mac:

  1. In the Home app, click , then Add Scene.
  2. Choose a suggested scene. Or create a custom scene, then give your scene a name.
  3. Click Add Accessories.
  4. Click the accessories that you want to add, then click Done.
  5. To adjust the settings for an accessory, double-click it. To preview the scene, click Test This Scene. Turn on Include in Favorites to access your scene in Control Center, Home tab, and Apple Watch.
  6. Click Done.

To turn on a scene, tap or click it. Or ask Siri. If you set up a home hub, you can also automate a scene.

To add or remove accessories from a scene on your iOS device, press and hold a scene, then tap Settings. On your Mac, double-click a scene, then click Settings.

Organize accessories by room and zone

Organize your accessories by room to help you keep track of where your accessories are located and control rooms with Siri. You can also group rooms into a zone, like upstairs or downstairs.

Add a room

On your iOS device:

  1. Tap the Rooms tab, tap in the upper-left corner, then tap Room Settings.
  2. Tap Add Room.
  3. Give your room a name, then tap Save.

To navigate between different rooms, tap the Rooms tab at the bottom, then swipe right or left across the screen.

On your Mac:

  1. In the menu bar, go to Edit > Edit Room.
  2. Click Rooms.
  3. Click Add Room.
  4. Give your room a name, click Save, then click Done.

To navigate between different rooms, click in the toolbar, then select a room. Or go to the Rooms tab and swipe left or right with two fingers on your Trackpad or Magic Mouse.

Assign accessories to a room

  • On your iOS device: Press and hold an accessory, tap Settings > Room, choose a room, then tap Done.
  • On your Mac: Double-click an accessory and click Settings in the upper-right corner. Then click Room, choose a room, then click Done.

Organize rooms into a zone

Group rooms together into a zone, like upstairs or downstairs, to easily control different areas of your home with Siri.

On your iOS device:

Mac
  1. Tap the Rooms tab, tap in the upper-left corner, then tap Room Settings.
  2. Tap a room, like Living Room.
  3. Tap Zone. Tap a suggested zone or tap Create New.
  4. Tap Done.

On your Mac:

  1. Choose Edit > Edit Room.
  2. Click Rooms, then click a room.
  3. Click Zone, then click a suggested zone or click Create New.
  4. Click Done.

Delete your home or remove accessories

To remove an accessory from the Home app:

  • On your iOS device: Press and hold an accessory, tap Settings, then scroll to the bottom and tap Remove Accessory.
  • On your Mac: Double-click an accessory, click Settings, then scroll down and click Remove Accessory.

Remove individual accessories connected to a bridge, like the Philips Hue Bridge, using the bridge manufacturer's app. To remove every accessory connected to a bridge, go to the Home app, tap Home Settings > Hubs & Bridges and choose the bridge that you want to remove.

If you remove your home from the Home app, all of its data, like accessories, scenes, automations, and people you’ve invited to control your home, will be deleted. You’ll also need to reset each of your accessories before you can set them up again. To reset your accessory, look for a button on the accessory, check its manual, or contact the manufacturer.

To delete your Home and all of its data from the Home app:

  • On your iOS device: Tap in the upper-left corner, then scroll to the bottom and tap Remove Home.
  • On your Mac: Go to Edit > Edit Home, then scroll to the bottom and click Remove Home.

Do more with the Home app

  • Add and manage AirPlay 2-compatible smart TVs and speakers in the Home app.
  • Set up a home hub to control your HomeKit accessories remotely, grant access to the people you trust, and automate accessories.
  • Invite others to control your home.
  • Get notifications for your HomeKit accessories.
  • Find accessories that work with Apple HomeKit.

It's hard to not have any smart tech in your home these days. Smart home tech is fairly ubiquitous, and most of us have some form of it in the house. Many of these products also utilize Apple's HomeKit (check out our ultimate guide), so you can control your house gadgets directly with your iOS device or even Mac.

But how do you get started with it on the Mac? Don't worry, we're going to walk you through it now.

How to set up Home app on Mac

Unfortunately, you can't directly set up the Home app on your Mac. Instead, you'll need to set it up on your iOS device first.

  1. Make sure that your HomeKit accessory is powered on and near your iOS device. You'll also want to double check if there is any additional equipment you need for it to work with iOS (i.e. Philips Hue Bridge for Philips Hue bulbs).
  2. On your iOS device, launch the Home app.

  3. Tap on Add Accessory.

  4. Scan the accessory's eight-digit HomeKit or QR code with your iOS device's camera. For those using an iPhone 7 or later and there's an NFC wireless icon on the accessory, you may hold your iPhone near the accessory to add it to the Home app.

  5. Tap on your accessory when it pops up on the screen to add it. If the prompt Add Accessory to Network pops up, select Allow.

  6. Give your accessory a name and then assign it to a room. Organizing by room makes it easier to identify accessories in the Home app and control them with Siri.

  7. Tap Done.

In order to get your HomeKit accessories to show up in the Home app on Mac, you'll need to be signed in on the same Apple ID on both devices, have iCloud Keychain turned on, and make sure Home is toggled on in your iCloud Settings. Both iOS and your Mac should be updated with the latest software.

It's a bit disappointing that you're unable to add new accessories directly in the Mac version of the Home app, but you can still get most of the other features that Home is capable of.

Getting started with Home on macOS

When you first launch the Home app on your Mac, it'll ask for permission to connect to your iCloud account. When it gains access, it'll check for all of your HomeKit devices and add them to your 'Favorites' by default.

To turn a device ON/OFF, just click on it. Grayed out icons means that the device is currently OFF, while white means it's ON.

Right-click on a device and you'll get two options: Show Controls and Settings. The Settings allows you to do things like renaming your devices, which is useful when moving things around the house.

Settings will allow you to see the device name and room. From here you can add a device to your favorites list, include or exclude it from status updates (they are included by default), group accessories, and see details about the device manufacturer, model number, firmware, and serial number.

When you click on Show Controls, you'll have access to such things as dimming the lights, adjusting temperature, and more, depending on the devices you have. For those who use Philips Hue whit and color bulbs, Show Controls would also give you the option to change the color of your lights.

Automation for all

Even though it seems that Home for macOS is a little half-baked with the fact that you can't add devices directly, it's still a useful tool to have. Using the Home app from your Mac means you don't have to look for your iPhone or tablet if you're at the desk and want to turn the lights off in a room that you're not using. Or if you want to lower the temperature in the house a bit, and your iOS device isn't right next to you, but you're at the computer, just do it from there. It's never been easier, especially if you're lazy.

If you're not convinced about smart home tech, maybe the ability to control your house from your computer will change that.

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What Is Home App On Mac

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