Cloud Managed Setup

Cloud Managed lets you use Homecast without running your own relay. We operate dedicated relay instances so you can control your smart home from anywhere — no Mac required.

Requirements

• An Apple Home Hub (Apple TV 4K or HomePod) on your home network
• A Homecast account
• HomeKit-compatible devices

No Mac Needed

Cloud Managed eliminates the need for a dedicated Mac running the Homecast relay. Your Apple Home Hub handles the local HomeKit communication, and our cloud relay bridges it to Homecast.

Pricing

From $11/month (£9 in the UK). One subscription covers all your homes.

Cloud Managed includes all Standard features plus a hosted relay — no Mac required.

Setup

1. Sign Up & Choose Cloud Managed

Create a Homecast account at homecast.cloud and select Cloud Managed when prompted for your relay option.

2. Enter Your Apple Home Name

Provide the name of your Apple Home exactly as it appears in the Apple Home app. This is used to automatically connect your home once the relay detects it.

3. Invite the Provided Email

You'll receive an email address to invite to your Apple Home:

1. Open the Apple Home app on your iPhone or iPad
2. Tap the three-dot menu (top right) → Home Settings
3. Under People, tap Invite People
4. Enter the email address shown in Homecast
5. Send the invitation

4. Wait for Connection

After the invitation is accepted, Homecast automatically detects your home and connects it. You'll receive an email when your home is ready.

Invitation Acceptance

Our team manually accepts Home invitations on the managed relay. This typically happens within a few hours during business hours.

If You're Prompted for a Home ID

If multiple homes share the same name on the relay, you'll be asked to provide your HomeKit Home ID to identify the correct one.

Finding your Home ID:

• Apple Shortcuts: Create a shortcut using the "Get Details of Home" action — it reveals the Home UUID
• Third-party apps: Apps like "Controller for HomeKit" display the Home UUID in home settings

Managing Your Enrollment

View your Cloud Managed status in Homecast Settings. You can:

• Check connection status — see if your home is connected
• Cancel — removes your home from the cloud relay and cancels billing

FAQ

What if my cloud relay goes offline?

Cloud relays are monitored by our team. If a relay goes offline, we'll investigate and restore service. Your devices remain controllable via the Apple Home app during any downtime.

Can I switch to self-hosted?

Yes. Cancel your Cloud Managed enrollment and set up the Mac relay app instead. Your Homecast account and settings are preserved.

How many homes can I connect?

You can connect multiple homes — your subscription covers all of them. Each home requires a separate enrollment.

Is there a free trial?

Not currently. The self-hosted relay is free — Cloud Managed is for users who don't want to run their own Mac.