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How to add a Matter device to Apple Home

Updated October 13, 2026 · Steps paraphrased from each platform's or maker's own help pages, linked beside each step. We have not tested these steps ourselves.

Short answer

How do I add a Matter device to Apple Home?

Power the accessory on and keep it near your iPhone, open the Home app, tap the Add button, then Add Accessory, and scan the Matter code or hold your iPhone near the accessory. Then pick a room and a name.(Apple: add an accessory; Apple: Matter accessories)

Since iOS 18 an iPhone can add Matter accessories without a home hub, but Apple recommends one (HomePod or Apple TV), and a Matter accessory that uses Thread needs a Thread-enabled home hub such as Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini, or another maker’s Thread border router.(Apple: Matter accessories)

What you need first

An iPhone or iPad with the latest software. Apple says you cannot add accessories to the Home app from a Mac.(Apple: if you can’t add; Apple: add an accessory)

Bluetooth turned on, and your iPhone, your other accessories and your home hubs on the same Wi-Fi network. If the Home app says the network is incompatible, connect your iPhone to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network: some accessories do not work with 5 GHz networks.(Apple: if you can’t add)

A home hub is recommended: with iOS 18 or later you can add and control Matter accessories without one, and Apple adds that iPhone 15 Pro and later models can control Thread accessories without a hub, but control from away, sharing with others and automations need a home hub. A HomePod or HomePod mini becomes a home hub when you set it up; an Apple TV becomes one when you assign it to a room.(Apple: Matter accessories; Apple: home hub)

For a Matter accessory that uses Thread, a Thread-enabled home hub (Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini) or a compatible Thread border router from another maker.(Apple: Matter accessories; Apple iPhone guide)

See also: Which devices are Thread border routers · Matter hubs and border routers

Steps: add a new Matter accessory

  1. Plug in or power on the accessory and keep it close to your iPhone.(Apple: add an accessory)
  2. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Add button, then tap Add Accessory.(Apple: add an accessory; Apple: Matter accessories)
  3. Scan the Matter QR code, or hold your iPhone near the accessory. The Home app may also ask for the numeric code: Apple says Matter accessories use an 11- or 21-digit code. If your multipack came with one QR code for the whole pack, scanning it adds every accessory in the pack.(Apple: add an accessory; Apple iPhone guide; Apple: Matter accessories)
  4. When the accessory appears, tap it. If the Home app asks to add the accessory to your network, tap Allow.(Apple: add an accessory)
  5. Choose a room and a name (Siri uses the name), then tap Continue and Done.(Apple: add an accessory; Apple iPhone guide)

See also: Where is the Matter setup code?

Add a Matter accessory that is already in another app

Matter lets one accessory work with several apps at once. First open the app the accessory is already in (the maker’s app, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings) and create a pairing code for it.(Apple iPhone guide; TP-Link sharing guide)

  1. In the Home app, tap the Add button, then Add Accessory.(Apple: add an accessory)
  2. Tap More options and select the accessory.(Apple: add an accessory; Apple: Matter accessories)
  3. Enter the pairing code from the other app and follow the onscreen instructions.(Apple iPhone guide)

See also: Use one Matter device with two apps

Share an Apple Home accessory with another app

TP-Link’s Matter guide describes the Apple side: open the accessory’s settings in the Home app, tap Turn On Pairing Mode, then Copy Code, and enter that code in the other app within a few minutes. TP-Link says the code expires after 5 minutes, and that if you dismiss it you wait 5 minutes before you can create another.(TP-Link sharing guide)

See also: Use one Matter device with two apps

If the Home app cannot add it

Apple’s checklist: make sure the accessory is powered on and bring it closer to your Wi-Fi router; unplug any third-party bridges and your home hubs, then plug them back in; if the Home app says the accessory was already added or used in another home, reset the accessory by its maker’s instructions; if it says the accessory is not supported, install the maker’s latest firmware with the maker’s app.(Apple: if you can’t add)

See also: Matter device won’t pair: what to check · How to reset a Matter device

Remove a Matter accessory

Your iPhone keeps a list of paired Matter accessories in Settings, under General, then Matter Accessories. Tap Edit there to remove an accessory from one connected service, from all of them, or from iCloud Keychain.(Apple: Matter accessories)

See also: How to remove (unpair) a Matter device

Matter devices that list Apple Home

In our catalog, 359 Matter certified products with a verified US store link list Apple Home in their records: 77 use Thread, so they also need a Thread border router, 250 use Wi-Fi and 32 record neither. For 98 of them, the maker’s own page names Apple Home; for the rest, only the store listing or catalog record names it.(our catalog)

Our Apple Home guide shortlists CSA-certified Matter lights, plugs, locks, sensors, thermostats, blinds and switches whose makers name Apple Home, and answers the home hub and Thread questions.(our Apple Home guide)

Browse: Best Matter devices for Apple Home · Smart plugs for Apple Home · Lights for Apple Home · Locks for Apple Home · Sensors for Apple Home

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a home hub to add Matter devices to Apple Home?

Not always. Apple says an iPhone on iOS 18 or later can add and control Matter accessories without a home hub, but it recommends one, and a Matter accessory that uses Thread needs a Thread-enabled home hub (Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini) or another maker’s Thread border router.

Where is the Matter code for Apple Home?

Look on the accessory and in its box or manual for the Matter QR code and its numeric code. Apple says the Home app may ask you to scan the QR code or enter an 11- or 21-digit code for a Matter accessory.

Can I add a Matter device that is already in Google Home or Alexa to Apple Home?

Yes. Create a pairing code in the app the device is already in, then in the Home app tap Add Accessory, then More options, select the accessory and enter the code.

Why does Apple Home say the accessory was already added?

Apple says that when the Home app reports an accessory was already added or used in another home, you may need to reset the accessory using its maker’s instructions, then add it again.

Sources

The steps above are written in our own words from these pages. Menus and wording in the apps can change; when they differ, follow the app and the page linked here.