August 22, 2023

HomeKit Accessories Cannot be Controlled Remotely

Geräte können aus der Ferne nicht gesteuert werden

To control your HomeKit devices remotely, your iCloud must be active, and a Home Hub must be in place. We will guide you step-by-step on how to check all the settings.

Table of Contents

Sign in to iCloud

The connection to your HomeKit devices remotely runs through iCloud. Therefore, it’s essential that you’re signed into the same iCloud account on all your devices.

iPhone and iPad

Open “Settings” on your iPhone or iPad, click on “your Name”, then “iCloud”, select “Show All”, and turn on the “Home” option.

Activate iCloud for Apple Home on iPhone

Mac

From the Apple menu at the top left, open System Preferences, click on “your Name”, then “iCloud”. Under “Apps Using iCloud”, click on the “Show All” switch and enable “Home”.

iCloud Keychain and Two-Factor Authentication

For your Home Hub to work smoothly, you must activate the iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication. For your Home Hub to work smoothly, you must activate the iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication. Go to “Settings” on your iPhone or iPad, open “Settings”, click on “your Name”, and select “iCloud”. Under “Passwords and Keychain” you can then activate the iCloud keychain. Under “Passwords and Keychain” you can then activate the iCloud keychain.

Now, go to Settings, return to “your Name”, open “Password & Security”, and click on “Two-Factor Authentication” to activate it, if not already turned on. Follow the instructions thereafter. Follow the instructions thereafter.

Setting Up Home Hub

If you don’t have a Home Hub in use yet, now is the right time to add it. A Home Hub, i.e. a HomePod (mini) or Apple TV, is not only responsible for remote access, but also enables video encryption, facial recognition, Adaptive Lighting and more. If you already have a Home Hub in use and still can’t access your devices remotely, it’s worth deactivating it as a Home Hub and adding it again. On the Apple TV, you need to log out of iCloud to do this.

HomePod (mini)

The HomePod or HomePod mini is automatically set as a Home Hub during setup. Ensure that the iPhone or iPad used to set up the HomePod (mini) is signed into the same iCloud account used for HomeKit setup.

If you’re unsure about the account, go to the Home settings in Apple’s Home App and open your user profile. You’ll see the email address used. Thus, the HomePod (mini) should always be set up by the owner of the HomeKit installation.

Apple TV

The Apple TV automatically serves as a Home Hub once set up. It is important that the iCloud account is identical to the HomeKit account. To check this on Apple TV, navigate to settings. Select the default user under “Users and Accounts” and verify the associated email address.