HomeKit Can I remove an app once I add it to homekit?

[Varking]

I have many homekit accessories but I just realized I would prefer to not have all of these apps on my phone if I don't need them. For instance, I have an Ecobee upstairs in my house so I had to download the app to set it up. I then added it to my Home app on my iPhone. Do I need to leave the app on my phone or can I remove it and just use the home app?

 

[barbu]

You can remove it and continue to use the accessories, no problem -- *but* I would keep it around as it is likely the only way to apply software updates to your smart-things.

 

[malcky77]

I would always leave the default app of a smart device on your phone/iPad.....You could always group all these app into 1 folder called "smart Apps" or something like that so they are out of the way of your usual day to day apps.
The default apps are usually very small in storage space to I doubt its because of memory space you want to remove them?
And as mentioned above...firmware updates or even tweaks might need to be done that might not be available through the home app.

 

[Varking]

I would always leave the default app of a smart device on your phone/iPad.....You could always group all these app into 1 folder called "smart Apps" or something like that so they are out of the way of your usual day to day apps.
The default apps are usually very small in storage space to I doubt its because of memory space you want to remove them?
And as mentioned above...firmware updates or even tweaks might need to be done that might not be available through the home app.

I will be leaving the company apps on my phone for updates and inviting my mom and dad to manage my home inside the Home app. Then they don't need the extra apps.

 

[cynics]

I will be leaving the company apps on my phone for updates and inviting my mom and dad to manage my home inside the Home app. Then they don't need the extra apps.

This is precisely the way Apple and the devs of the smart device and its app would want it handle. The admin phone (yours) has the manufacturers app, invitees don't have anything more than the Home app.

Firmware updates is a given. This is always done through the manufacturer app. But just as importantly devs will also give the ability to make scenes inside the app that can be run in the Home app that couldn't otherwise be created. Specific values for automations/scenes oftentimes are made in an app. A trigger at a certain humidity/lux/temp/etc for example, or the desired value when an automation is run like temp/humidity based on home/away.

The beauty of all that is once its set up how you want it will operate like magic for your parents and they can have basic but full control of the home.

 

[Varking]

This is precisely the way Apple and the devs of the smart device and its app would want it handle. The admin phone (yours) has the manufacturers app, invitees don't have anything more than the Home app.

Firmware updates is a given. This is always done through the manufacturer app. But just as importantly devs will also give the ability to make scenes inside the app that can be run in the Home app that couldn't otherwise be created. Specific values for automations/scenes oftentimes are made in an app. A trigger at a certain humidity/lux/temp/etc for example, or the desired value when an automation is run like temp/humidity based on home/away.

The beauty of all that is once its set up how you want it will operate like magic for your parents and they can have basic but full control of the home.

We are new to the whole iOS/iPadOS/WatchOS/OSX scene as we have always been more on the Google side of things. Honestly, their products were just a lot cheaper but over the past year or so we have converted things over due to finding amazing sales on places like Facebook Marketplace for various things at way cheaper than buying new.

I have been spending quite some time learning all of this stuff and I love the fact that for me, as the person in the family who is most likely to troubleshoot and figure out tech issues, can control all of this stuff. And when I am done with it, it just shows up in one seamless place for them inside the Home app. Its been fantastic and I appreciate everyone here in the MacRumors community chiming in and helping me out.