Home Connect questions and answers

1. What is SingleKey ID?

SingleKey ID is a single sign on identity platform that allows you to access certain applications and websites from different brands with one single user name and password. SingleKey ID cannot access any personal information saved in your partner-specific accounts.

2. I would like to set up a new Home Connect account. Which login option should I use?

Please register a new Home Connect account. Once SingleKey ID becomes the preferred option in your country, you will be notified in your Home Connect app and by email.

3. I already have a SingleKey ID or want to register a new one. Can I use it for Home Connect from now on?

Yes, you can. We strongly recommend registering with the same email address used for Home Connect before. Otherwise, you will need to connect your appliances again.

Home Connect appliances are available in nearly all electronic retail stores and selected kitchen furniture stores.

You can find more details on which types of home appliances work with Home Connect in the Connected Household section.

Are there minimum requirements for my Wi-Fi router?

The Home Connect system works with all standard Wi-Fi routers available on the market provided they are no more than five years old (estimated). For security reasons, Wi-Fi networks must be encrypted (WPA or WPA2 encryption). If your Wi-Fi network is not encrypted, you will not be able to register your appliance.

What about data protection and data security?

We use cutting-edge encryption technology and periodically ask independent experts to thoroughly test our system.

What characterises the special Home Connect security concept?

Our security concept consists of a range of measures: Data exchange is based on the Home Connect protocol. Only essential data is stored on the Home Connect server. Communication is also only possible over encrypted networks; secure certificates, a firewall on the server and password protection for the Home Connect app ensure additional security.

Can I also prevent my appliance from sending any data?

Yes. You are free to decide for or against using additional functions that the connected appliances can offer you. The appliances will only send and receive data if you expressly want them to do so and you can control them accordingly.

How can I delete my Home Connect account?

You can delete your Home Connect account anytime using the app. In order to do this, click on the settings button on the top right corner. In the personal settings section you, will find "Delete user account". You must then confirm the deletion by entering your password.

Will there also be a LAN interface for home appliances?

No, a LAN connection is not planned because Home Connect uses Wi-Fi for data exchange. It would be very complex to set up a LAN cable for every appliance. We decided to use Wi-Fi technology because this is now available in almost every household.

Do I need any other equipment apart from my appliance with Home Connect functionality and the Wi-Fi router?

No. The home appliances communicate with your smartphone or tablet via the Wi-Fi router. No other equipment is necessary.

My home appliance has a weak Wi-Fi signal because it is a long way from my Wi-Fi router. Does this mean I cannot use Home Connect?

There are various options available here. It is possible to extend the range of your Wi-Fi router with a Wi-Fi extender. If the Wi-Fi extender is placed between the appliance and the router, wireless Internet reception should, for instance, extend to the basement without any problem. A second option is to use a powerline adapter to extend the Internet to your home appliance. You can then log into the Internet directly with your networked appliance and control it this way. Our Customer Service team would be happy to advise you in both cases and help you with any hardware you may need.

Can I connect my home appliances via WPS even if I am using an extender as a signal amplification?

Yes, to some extent extenders provide WPS pairing. Otherwise, it is possible to pair your home appliance manually (see manual pairing).

How do I know whether Wi-Fi reception will be available where I have my appliance set up?

There are apps such as Wi-Fi Analyser that you can use to check the reception where your appliance is located.

You can also use your smartphone or tablet to check the signal strength where your appliance is.

Which routers (Wi-Fi and LTE) provide an especially high quality connection for home appliances with Home Connect?

In principle, all routers are suitable for connecting Home Connect appliances with the app. Experience shows that, among other things, routers of the brands AVM (Fritz! Box), Deutsche Telekom (Speedport), as well as Apple (AirPort Express) provide a very good Internet connection.

What are the Wi-Fi requirements?

Home Connect normally works with the standard Wi-Fi settings on commercially available routers. In some cases, certain settings need to be changed manually. If necessary, please check the following settings on your router. You can find information on the configuration settings in the installation instructions for your router.

If necessary, e. g. in the event of manual setup, the following tips and settings should be noted:

• Encrypt your Wi-Fi network, preferably using security level WPA2 or at least WPA. Open networks are not suitable for use with Home Connect.

• Home Connect works with the following network modes: IEEE 802.11 b, g and n. Please ensure that your router is set up accordingly. Home appliances are only compatible with a 2.4 GHz band. When you connect an appliance, please change the settings for your network accordingly.

• Home Connect does not work with Wi-Fi networks which require browser registration, e. g. where the user name and password must be entered via the web browser.

• You should have a stable Wi-Fi network with a good signal and access to the Internet.

• Turn off the "MAC Filter" on the router to prevent MAC addresses for your home appliances and communication-enabled appliances from being saved.

• The use of proxies is not recommended.

• Ports 443, 8080 and 123 must be open.

• The multicast-routing option must be enabled on the router in order to establish a connection to Home Connect appliances.

Which operating systems is Home Connect available for?

The app is available for iOS and Android.

Will the current appliance partners themselves offer a control device (tablet PC)?

No, this isn’t something that is planned because it means you will not incur extra charges in the form of an additional control device. As tablets and smartphones of all makes are on the market, we have designed Home Connect so that our solution will work with all standard models.

What will this application/app cost, and where can you download the app?

The app is free of charge and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store .

Can an app user modify and delete other users' profiles?

Yes. Users with extended user rights can see and manage the profiles of other app users. For all commonly used appliances, you can also manage the user rights of these users.

What do I need to do if I move my Home Connect appliances to another country?

According to the Home Connect Terms of Use, the country settings in your user account are to be changed accordingly when moving. Just select the appropriate country in the settings of the Home Connect app.

Please note that using the Home Connect app in another country may be subject to other terms of use and other data privacy policies. If your new country cannot be found in the list, any further use of the Home Connect app is not supported by us and is prohibited according to our Terms of Use. Furthermore, we do not support using the Home Connect app in conjunction with a home appliance for which usage in the relevant country is not allowed. Our Terms of Use do not, therefore, allow such usage. If you are not sure whether you are allowed to use the home appliance in the new country, please contact the manufacturer of your home appliance.

What do I need to do if I move my Home Connect appliances to a country on a different continent?

Please see the notes on "Moving my Home Connect appliances to another country". If you move to a different continent, your new country may not be included in the list of supported countries. In this case, please delete the Home Connect installed. Then download and install the Home Connect app for your new country from the App Store/Play Store. Reset your Home Connect appliances to their factory defaults, set up a new user account and register your home appliances in the app again.