Adding an accessory to your smart home setup is fairly straightforward, though there are a few areas where it's not entirely intuitive. Before you get started, it's helpful to locate the HomeKit Setup Code for the accessory you're adding.

This is usually in 2 places: printed on an included user guide or the package, and on a sticker somewhere on the device itself. It will have a ‌HomeKit‌ icon next to a series of numbers framed in a box or a QR code. Also, you'll need to plug in the device and power it on. Then you can move on to adding it. Here are the steps on an iPhone:

  1. Open the Home app and tap on the '+' in the top right corner.1 add homekit device 1
  2. Choose "Add Accessory" in the resulting pop-up menu
  3. Scan the ‌HomeKit‌ Setup Code with the camera as prompted on the next screen.2 add homekit device 1
  4. Tap on the square with the accessory's name to confirm that you want to add it to ‌HomeKit‌.3 add homekit device

For accessories where the code won't scan with the camera due to poor lighting or another reason, the ‌HomeKit‌ code can also be entered manually. When using the ‌iPhone‌ 7 or later to add a device, some ‌HomeKit‌ accessories will allow you to add them without needing to scan the code using the camera. In this situation, you can just hold your ‌iPhone‌ near the accessory and then follow the steps Apple provides.

Once an accessory has been added to ‌HomeKit‌, you'll see the details about it in the Home app and will have the option to choose what room it's in. Assigning a ‌HomeKit‌ accessory a room allows you to more easily control it along with other devices in the same room.

4 add homekit device
The device we set up for this guide shown in the screenshots is in the Living Room and we changed it accordingly. This allows us to ask Siri to turn off all the lights in the living room, for example, and this device will be switched off along with all the other lights in the room.

5 add homekit device 2
Devices are set up with a default name determined by the manufacturer, and you'll probably want to change it to make it more memorable so it's easier for you to ask ‌Siri‌ to control it. In this example, we added a Sylvania light strip and its default name is Flex Color. Tapping on the name in this screen allows for the name to be changed, and we renamed it Mood Light.

Some devices may come with instructions prompting you to set them up in the manufacturer's own app. Though this isn't necessary to complete the above steps and control the device through the Home app and ‌Siri‌, the manufacturer's app may offer you other features and status details that aren't available through the Home app.

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:33 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...