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HomeKit invitation failure / spinning wheel on specific Apple ID's

I am having the same issue as reported in HomeKit invitation failure and am reopening the thread as Apple seems to have closed it down / no updates are possible in the thread.


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I've got homekit working on my devices. I invited my wife - the notification pops up, but when we go into the home app, and homes, what's there is "My Home (Guest)" with a spinning wheel.


On her iPad, it has the correct home name, on her iPhone is has the default name - both as Guest and both with the spinning wheel.


I have tried:


1) Canceling the invitation

2) delete the spinning home

3) Reset her icloud keychain

4) hard device reset

5) restore the device from backup (Apple's typical default troubleshooting step).

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I have had a case open with Apple for almost a year now and this is no closer to resolution than the day I opened it.


To summarize...


- If I / "User 1" send a HomeKit invitation to "User 2" (in this case, one of my kids), the invitation is received, accepted and acknowledge - everything works!

- If I / "User 1"send a HomeKit invitation to "User 3" (in this case, my wife), the invitation is received, accepted but is never acknowledged from a HomeKit perspective on the recipients device.... SPINNING WHEEL FOREVER!!!


The image on the left shows the spinning wheel.


User uploaded file


Meaning, I am simply left with the spinning wheel on the recipients device. However, on my / the senders device, it indicates that the invitation is received and accepted.


I have gone through all the troubleshooting with Apple, provided logs and still nothing further. In addition to testing with each new iOS update, still am no closer to resolution. Had this issue since iOS 10.x and currently running 11.2.6 as still the same issue. I do not believe this is iOS related (at least directly). Although an argument could be made it is the integration with iOS and Apple ID's based on my testing (see below).


One additional piece of information I would like to add... If the invitation is sent from "User 2" to me / "User 1", everything works. Now, if "User 2" also sends an invite to "User 3", the invite is send and accepted... HOWEVER, instead of seeing both "User 1" and "User 3" the list of "People", only a single user (typically the user that accepted the invitation last) is listed.


This implies to me there is something within the Apple ID that is causing the issue. It seems that Apple believes that "User 1" and "User 3" (based on my examples) are the same? Which is why you only see one user in the list of "People" that can manage HomeKit devices after invitations are sent / received / accepted.


However, I have gotten no where fast with Apple support. The only response I get is that "Engineering is working on it". Which is frustrating since my case has been open for almost a year, I can replicate the issue on demand and I have provide them with the information above.


Any thoughts / insights would be appreciated.

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 11.2.6, HomeKit / Apple ID issue

Posted on Mar 16, 2018 9:42 AM

Reply
54 replies

Jan 8, 2019 3:05 PM in response to Livewire_eh

On the device that fails to accept: do you use the same appleID for iMessage as the main appleID of the device?

If you are not logged in with the main appleID it does not seem to work.


I had this issue for years until I found out recently. I have my personal devices and a work device. The work iPhone has (mandatory) another appleID as my personal devices, but to have the same messages on all my gear I logged in on my work iPhone using my personal appleID for iMessage (which is the same appleID as the 'invitor', not sure if that matters here). As long as I don't log into iMessage using the appleID being invited I do get the invite but accepting the invite hangs. If you switch appleIDs on iMessage to accept the invite, it will work. However, when switching back to the other AppleID for iMessage you will only be able to control your home as long as you are on your own WiFi network, not over the internet / cellular network.


maybe your wife has the same issue?

Feb 8, 2019 3:09 PM in response to Livewire_eh

I fixed this by adding my previous address as an alias on my iCloud account.


in fact, I have changed my Apple ID few days ago for another problem and I have switched the email address to the new one after having wait for using it again.


Apple ID 1 with address A (Homekit)

Apple ID 2 with address B

becomes

Apple ID 1 with address C

Apple ID 2 with address B (Homekit)

becomes

Apple ID 1 with address C

Apple ID 2 with address A (Homekit)


When I wanted to invite someone, I could not.... until I add adress B in alias on Apple ID 2 !


Apr 24, 2019 12:38 AM in response to marfert

Same problem here to. Won’t accept invite, get spinning wheel. Set up a new Apple ID on a separate phone, it worked inviting my wife but not me. Problem with my Apple ID? I had changed my e-mail address used for this a few months previous.

made sure all my devices are up to date, signed out and back in, along the way finding evidence of my old e-mail address used for Apple ID now they all display the correct e-mail. Made sure I have no old devices in Find my ipone/Mac.

I cant use a new Apple ID as would be a stupidly big job trying to move everything across.

Spoke to Apple Senior support guy, done screen recordings, sent log files, he sent to engineering and now won’t respond anymore!!!!

still get spinning wheel it’s so f*in frustrating!!!! Apple please fix this!!!


HomeKit invitation failure / spinning wheel on specific Apple ID's

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