HomePod owner different from HomeKit Home creator: HomePod setup

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Level 1

9 points

HomePod owner different from HomeKit Home creator: HomePod setup

We have a problem where the owner of a HomePod is different from the creator of the HomeKit Home. This is a summary of what I understand is happening.

To setup HomePod, HomeKit requires the AppleID used to create the Home. That ID is used to setup HomePod.

"Personal Requests" are allowed only for the ID that setup HomePod.

The consequence of this problem is this:

If a wife buys a HomePod to listen to classical music while working in her kitchen, but her husband is the one who setup their home in HomeKit, she is unable to access her calendar, messages and reminders. She can't sent a message to her child nor add items to her grocery list 😟

Obviously as a bad work around, the HomePod she bought could be setup with her husband's contacts, messages and reminders. Then she could send a message to her son "Bill" and listen to Siri ask her which "Bill" among her husband's 50 sales contacts named "Bill" she wants to send the message to. She could also hear all of her husband's work messages and reminders when he was home. And of course if he isn't home, she can't send messages, reminders or check the calendar.😠

There seems to be no way to make her AppleID the HomePod "setup ID" without using her ID to setup all of HomeKit all over again. With lots of HomeKit devices, that's incredibly time consuming. Then what happens if the husband decides to add a second HomePod for his home office... guess what? The only way to add the second HomePod is to use the AppleID which created the Home in HomeKit to setup the HomePod.😕 Oops.

A solution to this problem could be simple. After adding HomePod to HomeKit with the AppleID used to create the Home, the HomePod setup could ask who in Family Sharing owns this device. The owner's contacts, messages and calendar would be the ones used by the device as its "setup AppleID". This simple solution leaves the HomePod as a mostly single user device while solving a critical deficiency. Voice recognition and necessary multi-user sharing are not as urgent with this one change.

While we wait for Apple to fix this problem, is there a work around? Have I missed something?

Posted on Feb 10, 2018 2:55 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

272,773 points

Feb 15, 2018 1:08 PM in response to gp3

I don't think you've missed anything, although the HomePod is also not yet as capable as you give it credit for. There is no access to calendars as yet. See Use Personal Requests on HomePod - Apple Support and Do more with Siri on HomePod - Apple Support for details.

See Reset HomePod - Apple Support to set up the device again under the account of its main user.

Use Feedback - HomePod - Apple to share your thoughts with Apple.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

272,773 points

Feb 16, 2018 9:20 AM in response to davidcmn

See Reset HomePod - Apple Support to set up the device again under the account of its main user.

As far as I can tell there is no activation lock on the HomePod which would tie it to one user over another.

Ah, I see what you're saying. Perhaps that means you need to end up with two "Homes". I didn't have any HomeKit gear before I got the HomePod, so the Apple TV wasn't set up as an active Home Hub, although it is now. I don't see any reason why I couldn't set up the devices independently. I guess could try setting up the HomePod with my wife's Apple ID later to see it is as easy as I have assumed.

tt2

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Answer 3

davidcmn

Level 1

9 points

Feb 16, 2018 9:01 AM in response to turingtest2

I don't think the original question was answered. If the Homekit "home" is setup under john@home.com appleid. But the Homepod is purchased for a user of the "home" named mary. How can the apple id mary@home.com setup the homepod? It seems that the homepod will only allow the creator of the homekit "home" to activate the device.

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Answer 4

davidcmn

Level 1

9 points

Feb 16, 2018 9:32 AM in response to turingtest2

I am also not at home to try with my wifes account. But setting up two homes would also be a bad work around. You would lose the ability to control homekit devices. But the wife (or other user) would gain access to notes / reminders / messages etc.

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