Homekit: Accessory Already Added Issue?

Okay - I found a workaround that may work for some people.

I couldn't get the lock working with HomeKit on my iPhone, but my husband was home today and we decided to try setting the whole thing up on his iPhone instead. I did a factory reset of the lock and started again - this time using the August app on his iPhone, and then enabling HomeKit within the August app there too. It worked! This time the August app was able to set up HomeKit successfully.

Of course this option only works if you have two people with iPhones in your house and you are okay with having the other person "own" the August setup and the HomeKit setup.

This workaround shows me that this is clearly a HomeKit problem. Removing accessories in HomeKit is not working properly. HomeKit is leaving behind information that makes the Home app think the accessory is still there - even though you can't see the accessory anywhere in the app. In an iCloud account that had never had the lock added and then removed (my husband's), everything was fine. In my account I couldn't get it to work no matter what I did.

The exact same thing is happening to me.

I added the lock to the Home app first which worked like a charm and I could lock and unlock it fine. I then set up the lock in the August App and got it working there, but then I checked the lock in the Home App and it showed an error that said something about not being able to communicate with the device. No problem, I thought, I'll just remove the accessory and add it back again...

I removed the lock accessory and there were no accessories listed anymore in my Home app (this was the only one I'd added) - but when I tried to add it back I got "Accessory Already Added. To add this accessory to your home, you'll need to reset it first."

• I tried creating a new Home in the home app and deleting the original home.
• I tried factory resetting the Yale Assure Lock via the August App and redoing everything
• I tried deleting the Home App from my iPhone and re-installing it
• I tried rebooting my phone
• I rebooted the Yale lock countless times
• I tried turning off access from the Yale and August apps to the Home data in my phone security settings
• I tried manually adding the accessory by typing in the code but got something about not being able to communicate with the device. I was standing next to it - and the August app was able to lock and unlock it using bluetooth just fine.

Why does the Home App say that the accessory has already been added when there are no accessories listed at all in the Home App? The Home App on my apple watch and on my MacBook Pro also show no accessories. How can I get this working again?

Thanks to everyone for sharing here. Bought two of the Yale Assures with August Connect back in December 2020. The one I installed on the front door connected and worked fine from the beginning. The one I installed on the back door worked, but I couldn't get it to connect to Homekit. I tried everything, resetting my phone, deleting the app and reinstalling it, blah, blah, blah. I finally gave up. All the while I've been following this thread. Today, I thought maybe there's been a firmware upgrade or something, so I gave it another try. I had disconnected the August Bridge in another attempt back in February, with no success. Today, based on what I read here, I did the following:

1. A factory reset in the August app - not a hardware reset (there's no way I was going to put that much effort into it by unscrewing everything for the 100th time)
2. Removed the battery cover
3. Opened Homekit and added the lock as a new device
4. Homekit connected to the lock and instructed me to finish setup in the August app
5. The August app asked me to remove 1 battery for 10 seconds and then reinstall the battery
6. Then the August app asked me to do the master pin sequence
7. Then the August app asked me to register the August Connect Module (enter master pin -> gear icon -> press #7 -> press the red, back arrow in the upper right of the keypad
8. Then it asked me to set-up the August Connect Bridge, which I did
9. Both Locks are now working

IMPORTANT: several times during the above steps in the August app, I would tap to do something and the app spinner would just spin and spin. Being the impatient person I am, I would tap to back out of it. Interestingly enough, when I would tap out, I'd get a message that the step completed successfully.

I sincerely hope this helps some of you. I will say this. August support is a complete F-A-I-L. They were no help at all and when I asked for a new module, they said they were going to send one, which they never did. So, if you landed on this thread because you're evaluating whether to buy one of their products or not. DO NOT. Anything is better than dealing with a disingenuous company like August - with lousy software to boot.

I just had this occur when resetting a Sensi Touch Thermostat. I now cannot add it back to homekit without the error "device already added". Homekit seems to be saving some data somewhere and even though it says everything is deleted.

I am having the same issue with the Emerson Sensi Touch thermostat. I was going to "delete" my "home", but after reading other posts like these, I decided to wait to see if a solution is found and posted.

I had the exact same issues as everyone has mentioned. To the point i didnt think it was no longer worth the effort!

However my resolution was different (I have everything working, including the Connect)

What i did was:

1. Reset the device from the Yale/August app
2. Factory reset the lock.
3. Set your master pin on your lock
4. Ignore the Yale/August app (for now) and go straight to HomeKit and add the connect module - HomeKit will get added but will say "pending setup" or something..
5. Open the Yale/August app and follow the remainder of the setup.

I hope this help others, because it was an absolute nightmare for me

My daughter in her home, and I in my home, have the same issue. We are both reluctant to recreate new homes because of the number of other devices. Also, I am reluctant to factory reset my Sensi because of my heat pump settings. All other devices work fine. Our software is at current releases.

I had the pleasure of racking my brain for an hour or two, trying to add my devices back into homekit after changing my wifi password to a stronger, more secure password.

In my attempt to connect my Sensi Touch Thermostat to Homekit, I either got Device Already Added, or Device Could Not be Added.

In order to resolve this, I had to Factory Reset the Thermostat using this sequence.

Menu > About > Factory Reset

Hope that helps everyone who is having issues adding their Sensi Touch Thermostat back into Homekit.

Misery loves company apparently. Have one reset and gone through the setup 5x. Just spent an hour on phone with Yale Tech Support. There is a known bug and the only solution they have is too replace the “radio module” under warranty. Just sent in my details to they can send me a new one.

Managed to get it working.. I factory reset the lock on the device (little red button on the back) and in the August APP itself and just let it sit there for a few hours then set it up in the August App - the August app didn’t find the device to connect to HomeKit automatically but I was able to manually add it in HomeKit by scanning the code on the lock. Not sure if it was just a fluke but happy to have it working after all that.

A big thank you to all of you that provided help in this thread. I started to install my Yale Linus at 15 o’clock and it wasn’t until 23 o’clock I got it to work the way I experted it to work from the beginning.

I re-installed, factory reset, installed from another phone but to no avail until I read the tips here:

• HW button reset (the red button at the bottom of the lock)
• Don’t install Connect

And now it seems like the lock works together with Siri and Homekit

Thank you!

Here is what has worked for me:

• factory reset from the app
• add to Home app through the bar code (says requires setup in the app)
• go through the set up in the Yale app
• add to Himekit in the app

the key is to add to Home app before going through the set up in the Yale app

I called Yale Support at 800-810-9473. I would suggest when you call that you not go through the pain of resetting and trying to fix the lock for an hour and just tell them that this issue was elevated with Yale Tech Support. Wait time was only 1 minute so at least there was no long hold for technician thing.

When you set up HomeKit within the August App did anyone actually get to input or scan a code? Mine would say remove faceplate and then it would scan for devices and then time out and say there are no devices. Setting up in HomeKit would allow for scanning of barcode but then would give me “this accessory has already been added” and then ask me to reset.

I will post something when I get a new module.

Frustrating for sure....

I saw exactly what you described @joeyfatone. The August app would never get to the part about scanning the code, and would instead timeout and say there were no devices. HomeKit would scan but say the accessory had already been added.

Thanks so much for your posts - and for yours too @grhodson. At least there is a path forward.

Hello,

any updates? I bought a Yale Lock and was on the phone with them for an hour and HomeKit still showed -accessory already in home, rested it. I’m sure is the module, did they send you a new one?