Can You Use HomeKit on Android? (And What to Use Instead)

No, not directly. There’s no way to use HomeKit on Android: Apple doesn’t make the Home app for Android phones, and there’s no web version either. However, many of the devices in an Apple home can still be controlled from an Android phone, as long as they support Matter. You share them from Apple Home to Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings, and both phones control the same device.

This guide explains why Apple Home on Android isn’t possible, what an Android phone can reach in an Apple home, how to share a Matter device in a few minutes, and what to use instead if you’re starting fresh.

Quick answer: No. Apple Home (HomeKit) runs only on Apple devices, and Android phones can’t join an Apple home as members. The workaround is Matter: any Matter accessory in Apple Home can be added to Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings or Home Assistant with a pairing code, and it keeps working in Apple Home too. HomeKit-only accessories (without Matter) need the brand’s own Android app instead, and HomeKit Secure Video recordings stay on Apple devices.

Why HomeKit Doesn’t Work on Android

HomeKit is Apple’s smart home framework, and Apple Home is the app that runs it. Apple only makes that app for its own devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. There’s no Home app in the Google Play Store, and Home isn’t one of the web apps on iCloud.com, so an Android phone has no way to open your Apple home.

Sharing doesn’t solve it either. When you invite someone to your home in the Home app, Apple requires them to sign in to iCloud with an Apple Account and turn on Home, on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. An Android user can’t accept the invitation.

The hardware is Apple-only too. You need an iPhone or iPad to set up a HomePod, and Apple’s home hubs (HomePod and Apple TV) are set up and managed from Apple devices. So if you search the Play Store for an Apple Home Android app, none of the results is from Apple, and none can open your Apple home the way the Home app does.

That doesn’t leave an Android user without options. It means the connection has to happen at the device level, not through Apple’s app. If you’re still choosing a platform for a mixed iPhone and Android home, our comparison of Apple Home vs Google Home vs Alexa covers how each one handles it.

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What an Android Phone Can Control in an Apple Home

Whether an Android phone can reach a device depends on how the device connects, not on the Home app. Here’s how it breaks down:

Device in your Apple home	Can Android control it?	How
Matter accessory (lights, plugs, locks, thermostats, sensors, shades)	Yes	Share it to Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings or Home Assistant
Accessory whose brand has an Android app (Hue, ecobee, Aqara and others)	Yes, in the brand’s app	Sign in to the brand’s Android app
HomeKit-only accessory without an Android app	Only through Home Assistant	It has to leave Apple Home first
HomeKit Secure Video camera recordings	No	Viewed in the Home app only
Apple Home scenes, automations and rooms	No	Rebuild them in the other platform

Matter is the key. A Matter device can belong to several platforms at the same time (Matter calls this multi-admin), so your iPhone keeps controlling it in Apple Home while an Android phone controls it in Google Home. Look for the Matter logo on the device or its box. If you’re not sure what your devices support, our guide to Matter-compatible devices covers the main categories.

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How to Share a Matter Device From Apple Home to Google Home

Google Home is the natural platform for an Android phone, and sharing a device to it is the closest you’ll get to HomeKit on Android. Before you start, check these three things:

• A Google hub. Google Home needs a Matter hub before you can add Matter devices: a Google Home Speaker, Nest Hub, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Wifi Pro or Google TV Streamer.
• A Thread border router for Thread devices. If the device uses Thread (many Matter locks, sensors and shades do), Google Home needs its own Thread border router: a Google Home Speaker (2026), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro or Google TV Streamer (4K). Our explainer on Matter vs Thread covers the difference.
• A current Android phone. Google asks for Android 8.1 or later with Google Play services 22.48.14 or later, and the latest Google Home app.

Then follow these steps:

1. On the iPhone, open the Home app and touch and hold the accessory, then open its settings.
2. Tap Turn On Pairing Mode, then copy the setup code it shows.
3. On the Android phone, open the Google Home app and tap Add, then Device.
4. When the app asks you to scan a QR code, choose the option to enter the setup code instead, and type the code from step 2.
5. Pick a room in Google Home and finish the setup.

Work quickly. The pairing window closes after about 15 minutes, and each code works for one platform only, so you’ll need a new code for every extra platform you add. The same code works in Alexa, SmartThings and Home Assistant. If you can’t find the original code for a device you’re setting up for the first time, our guide to lost HomeKit and Matter setup codes explains where to look.

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Other Ways to Reach HomeKit Devices From Android

Matter sharing covers most newer devices. For older HomeKit-only devices, there are two more routes.

The brand’s own Android app. Many HomeKit devices also work with their maker’s app, and most of those apps have an Android version. Hue, ecobee, Aqara and Meross all do. Eve, which used to be Apple-only, now has Eve for Android, built on Google’s Home APIs, for its Matter devices (including the energy graphs for Eve Energy plugs). The brand app controls the device, but it can’t see the rest of your Apple home or run your Apple Home automations.

Home Assistant. Home Assistant has a full Android app, and it can reach HomeKit devices in two ways:

• Its Matter integration joins a device that’s already in Apple Home, using the same pairing code as Google Home. The device stays in Apple Home.
• Its HomeKit Device integration pairs HomeKit-only accessories, including Thread and Bluetooth ones. However, a HomeKit accessory can only have one controller at a time, so you have to remove it from Apple Home first. Home Assistant can then put it back into Apple Home through its HomeKit Bridge integration.

Home Assistant is the most complete answer for a mixed household, but it needs a small computer running at home and some setup time.

One tool that doesn’t help here is Homebridge. It works in the other direction, adding devices that don’t support HomeKit to Apple Home, and you still need an iPhone to use it. Our explainer on what Homebridge is covers what it’s for.

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Hubs That Let Android Control Your Matter Devices

If you share your Matter devices to Google Home or Alexa, the hub you need comes from that platform, not from Apple. These two cover most homes, and both are Thread border routers, so they handle Thread devices as well as Wi-Fi ones. Our guide to the best Matter hubs has more options, including hubs that also run Zigbee.

Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) — Best for Android Users

The Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a 7-inch smart display that acts as Google Home’s Matter hub and Thread border router. For an Android phone, it’s the simplest way to make Matter devices from an Apple home work in Google Home.

Best for: Android users who want their Matter devices in Google Home, with a screen anyone in the house can tap.

What stands out in real use

Once the Nest Hub is on your network, Google Home can add Matter devices, including Thread ones like locks and sensors. The screen gives everyone in the house a shared control panel: an iPhone user and an Android user can both walk up and turn off the lights, whatever phone they carry. It also works as a speaker and a photo frame.

Key specs

• 7-inch touchscreen display
• Matter hub for Google Home
• Thread border router
• Google Assistant voice control
• Wi-Fi, plug-in power

Pros

• Gives Google Home the Matter and Thread support it needs
• Touchscreen control for the whole household
• Works with the Google Home app on Android and iPhone

Cons

• Google Home only (it doesn’t join Apple Home)
• Bought from the Google Store: Amazon’s listings come from resellers at about twice the price

Installation and compatibility notes

Set up the Nest Hub in the Google Home app first, then share your Matter devices from Apple Home as described above. It needs a power outlet, so place it where people pass by, like the kitchen.

Price: ~$100

Amazon Echo Dot Max — Best for Alexa Households

The Echo Dot Max is Amazon’s speaker with a built-in Matter controller, Thread border router and Zigbee hub. The Alexa app runs on Android and iPhone, so it’s a good choice when the household uses both.

Best for: Homes where Alexa is the shared platform, or where Android users want voice control of Matter devices.

What stands out in real use

Alexa accepts the same Matter pairing code from Apple Home as Google Home does, so a light or a lock can live in Apple Home and Alexa at the same time. The Echo Dot Max then handles the Thread side, and its Zigbee radio can run Zigbee devices that Apple Home can’t see at all. Voice control works from the speaker itself, and Android users get the Alexa app for control away from home.

Key specs

• Smart speaker with Alexa
• Matter controller
• Thread border router
• Zigbee hub
• Wi-Fi, plug-in power

Pros

• Sold and shipped by Amazon
• Matter, Thread and Zigbee in one speaker
• The Alexa app works on Android and iPhone

Cons

• No screen
• Alexa+ features need Prime or a monthly fee

Installation and compatibility notes

Set up the Echo Dot Max in the Alexa app, then add each Matter device with a code from Apple Home’s Turn On Pairing Mode. Thread devices join the Echo’s Thread network as part of that setup.

Price: ~$120

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Limitations and What to Watch For

Sharing works well for everyday control, but a few things don’t carry over:

• Cameras and recordings. HomeKit Secure Video stores recordings in iCloud and shows them only in the Home app, and Apple’s Matter support page doesn’t list cameras among the Matter device types the Home app supports. An Android user needs the camera brand’s own app. Our explainer on HomeKit Secure Video covers how it works.
• Automations and scenes. Each platform keeps its own. A “Good night” scene in Apple Home doesn’t appear in Google Home, so rebuild the ones the Android user needs.
• HomeKit-only devices. Older accessories without Matter can’t be shared. Check the brand’s app, or plan to replace them with Matter versions over time.
• Features can differ. A device shared through Matter shows its basic controls in each platform. Extra features, like energy graphs or firmware updates, often stay in the original app.
• Thread needs a hub on each side. Apple Home uses a HomePod or Apple TV as its Thread border router, and Google Home or Alexa needs its own.

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The Bottom Line

You can’t use HomeKit on Android, and Apple hasn’t announced a Home app for it. However, you don’t need one for most devices. Buy Matter devices, keep them in Apple Home for the iPhone users, and share them to Google Home or Alexa for the Android users, with a Google or Amazon hub to handle Thread. For HomeKit-only devices, use the brand’s Android app or Home Assistant.

If you’re starting from scratch and the household is mostly Android, it’s simpler to make Google Home or Alexa the main platform and add Apple Home for the iPhone users through Matter, rather than the other way around.