How to set up a home hub with Apple’s Home app

With Apple’s Home app, you can set up a home hub to control your HomeKit accessories while you’re away from your home, grant access to the people you trust, and automate your accessories to do what you want, when you want.

The HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV automatically set up as home hubs, so you can control your home even when you’re not in it, and run automations right away. Just make sure that you’re signed in to iCloud on your iOS device or Apple TV with the Apple ID that you used to set up your HomeKit accessories in the Home app.

To set up an. iPad as a home hub

1. Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure that you’re signed in to iCloud with the Apple ID that you used to set up your HomeKit accessories in the Home app.
2. Scroll down and check that Home is turned on.
3. Tap Settings > Home and turn on Use this iPad as a Home Hub.

To use your iPad as a home hub, it must remain in your home, powered on, and connected to your home Wi-Fi network.

If your home hub isn’t working as expected

• Check that your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, or iPad is up to date. 
• Make sure that the user signed in to iCloud is the primary Home app user, and not an invited user. 
• Turn on iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication for your Apple ID.
• Check that the device that you set up as a home hub is in your home, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and powered on.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)