Where to find your HomeKit or Matter setup code, and what to do if it's lost

Where to look for the code

Manufacturers print the setup code in one or more of these places. Check them in order:

1. On the device itself. Underneath, on the back, on the plug, or inside the battery or SIM-style cover. Bulbs often have it on the base; locks and sensors under the battery cover.
2. On the box. Often on a label on the side or inside the lid.
3. In the quick start guide or manual, sometimes on a separate card or sticker tucked inside.
4. In the manufacturer's own app, for some brands, after you've signed in and added the device there.

What HomeKit and Matter codes look like

The QR code and the digits hold the same pairing secret, so either will do. Scanning the QR is quicker; typing the digits works when the QR is scratched or too small to scan. Many newer devices have both a HomeKit and a Matter code; use the one that matches how you're adding it.

What to do if the code is lost

There's no master list of codes, and Apple, Google and Amazon can't look them up for you. But you have options:

• Share it from an app that already controls it. Matter devices can be added to more than one app. If the device still works in Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings, look in its settings for an option to turn on pairing mode or link to another app. That gives a new, temporary code to add it elsewhere.
• Check your photos and emails for a picture of the box, or the order confirmation if the seller included setup details.
• Contact the manufacturer with the serial number and proof of purchase. Some can send the code or a replacement label.
• Look harder at the device. Codes hide under rubber feet, behind wall plates and inside covers.

Keeping codes safe

A setup code is like a key: anyone with the code who's in range while the device is in pairing mode could add it to their own home. So keep codes handy, but private:

• Don't post photos of labels online, for example in a support forum.
• Share codes with your household privately, not in a group chat that others can see.
• If you sell or give away a device, remove it from your home first, and pass on the code so the next owner can set it up.

Saving your codes in Home Codes

Home Codes keeps every pairing code in one place, room by room, so you never have to hunt for a sticker again.

• Add a device with Scan, pointing your camera at the QR on the device, box or manual, or type the code. Choose HomeKit, Matter or Other (for things such as a Zigbee install code or a Wi-Fi key). Add the room, brand, a photo of the original label, a warranty date and notes such as reset steps.
• Codes are checked as you type. HomeKit codes must be 8 digits and Matter manual codes 11 or 21 digits, and codes that are too guessable to be real are flagged.
• Redraw a scannable QR label. For HomeKit, add the 4-character setup ID from the original QR; without it, the 8 digits still work for manual pairing. For Matter, scanning the original QR keeps everything needed to redraw it.
• Print a fridge sheet with every code by room, or a sheet of QR labels to stick back on devices or in manuals.
• Share with your household through a passphrase-locked link or QR. The codes are encrypted on your device (AES-GCM) and nothing is uploaded; tell them the passphrase separately.
• On the list, swipe a card right to copy its code, or tap the QR button to flip it.

Home Codes is free with no account, and the codes stay in your browser on your device. You can set a PIN lock, export CSV or JSON, and back up to a file.

Common mistakes

• Throwing the box away without photographing the label.
• Mixing up the HomeKit and Matter codes on a device that has both.
• Factory resetting a device whose code you've lost.
• Sticking a printed sheet of codes in a window or anywhere visitors can photograph it. A cupboard door is better.