HomeKit Location Automations Not Triggering + Person Selector Grayed Out

Device: iPhone (latest iOS as of May 2026) HomePod: HomePod mini (latest software) Home setup: Single resident, 1 guest, 1 home hub (HomePod mini)

The Two Issues

Issue 1: Location-based automations never trigger Arrival and departure automations (e.g. "turn lights on when first person arrives home") never fire when I arrive or leave. Tapping "Test This Automation" works perfectly — accessories respond correctly — so the automation logic and accessories themselves are fine. The problem is exclusively with the location trigger.

Issue 2: Person selector grayed out in automation setup When creating a location-based automation, the person selector is completely grayed out. I cannot change it from "When Anyone Arrives Home" to a specific person. The only unlocked options are "When The First Person Arrives" and "When The Last Person Leaves."

Important Context

Both issues began after moving to a new house. At my previous address everything worked perfectly — automations triggered correctly and the person selector was fully functional. Same iPhone, same Apple ID, same HomePod mini. Nothing else changed.

I have contacted Apple Support 3 times (once in-store, once by phone, once online) without resolution. Apple confirmed they cannot reset HomeKit data as it is end-to-end encrypted.

What Is Correctly Configured

• Apple Maps shows correct new home address
• Contacts "My Card" shows correct new home address labeled "Home"
• HomePod mini shows as "Connected" under Home Hubs & Bridges
• Location Services enabled globally on device
• System Services → Home is toggled ON
• System Services → Alerts & Shortcuts Automations is toggled ON (purple arrow, recently active)
• Home app location set to "While Using" with Precise Location ON
• iCloud → Home is enabled
• Share My Location is enabled
• "Test This Automation" works correctly for all automations
• All automations are enabled (green toggle)
• Lock (Encode Plus) removed from automations to eliminate confirmation requirement

Key Anomalies That May Identify Root Cause

1. Home app does not offer "Always" as a location permission option.Under Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Home, only "Never", "Ask Next Time", and "While Using the App" are available. "Always" does not appear. This is likely the root cause — without background location access, HomeKit cannot detect geofence crossings when the app is closed. Turning Location Services off entirely and back on did not restore the "Always" option. This persisted even after a complete home and HomePod reset.

2. System Services → Home shows a gray arrow. This means HomeKit has not accessed my location recently, despite being toggled on. It never turns purple, confirming HomeKit is not actively monitoring location in the background.

3. Owner profile has no location sharing toggle. Home Settings → People → my name shows no location section at all. The screen goes straight from Siri settings to Connected Media. There is no toggle to enable or disable location sharing for my own account. Other users have reported seeing a location sharing option here that I simply do not have.

Everything That Has Been Tried

1. Updated iPhone to latest iOS (advised by Apple Support on first contact)
2. Verified and updated home address in Apple Maps (Favorites → Home → Edit Details)
3. Verified home address on My Card in Contacts app
4. Searched for address field in Home app settings — no address field exists anywhere in the Home app UI
5. Toggled iCloud → Home off and back on to force re-sync
6. Toggled System Services → Home off and back on
7. Turned Location Services off entirely and back on — "Always" option still did not appear for Home app
8. Removed the entire home via Home Settings → Remove Home
9. Factory reset HomePod mini (held top through full double-beep reset sequence)
10. Set up a completely new home from scratch with correct address entered at the setup step
11. Re-added all accessories from scratch
12. Rebuilt all automations from scratch
13. Removed Encode Plus lock from automation (was causing "requires confirmation" message)
14. Contacted Apple Support 3 separate times — no resolution

Core Question

Has anyone seen the Home app stuck on "While Using" with no "Always" option available? This anomaly survived a complete home deletion and HomePod factory reset, suggesting it is tied to the Apple ID or a system-level iOS permission state rather than the HomeKit configuration itself. Is there a known fix short of a full iPhone erase?