Release update Ecosystems
Apple Home 2025.12: multipack accessory pairing arrives
iOS 26.2 adds one quiet but useful upgrade to the Home app: pairing every accessory in a multipack with a single setup code, instead of one by one.
Part of Apple Home updates, our monthly release series
Every release
2025.12 Released 15 December 2025
Update now The headline: pairing a multipack of smart plugs or bulbs now takes one setup code instead of one per accessory.
In this release 1 smaller wins · 0 integrations added · 0 removed · no breaking changes
Check first
Nothing to check. Every setup is clear to update.
The headline feature: one setup code for the whole multipack
If you've ever bought a four-pack of smart plugs or a box of Matter light bulbs, you'll know the pairing ritual: scan a code, wait, name the accessory, repeat three more times. iOS 26.2 fixes that. The Home app now recognises when accessories are sold as a set and lets you enrol the whole bundle with the same setup code, rather than working through each one individually.
Apple's own release notes put it plainly: "Multipack accessory pairing in the Home app lets you use the same setup code to easily enrol multiple accessories when sold together." Reviewers pointed to Meross's four-pack smart plugs as an early real-world example. Buy the bundle, scan once, and all four show up ready to name and assign to rooms.
It's a small change, but it targets a real friction point as more people buy smart home gear in bulk rather than one device at a time.
One smaller win
The changes most people will notice day to day. Scan the tags for the areas you use.
Setup
Multipack accessory pairing
Scan one code and every accessory in the box enrols together, a fix for anyone who has muttered their way through pairing a four-pack of smart plugs one at a time.
Breaking changes
No breaking changes this month
Nothing is removed or renamed in 2025.12. Update whenever suits you.
Should you update?
Our verdict Update now
There's nothing to weigh up here. Multipack pairing only ever helps: it doesn't change how existing accessories behave, and there's no migration step. Update whenever it's convenient; you'll notice it the next time you buy a bundle of accessories.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything to use multipack pairing?
No. Update to iOS 26.2 or later and the Home app will offer to pair every accessory in a compatible multipack once you scan the first setup code.
Does this work with any smart home brand?
It works with any Matter-compatible bundle that ships with a shared setup code. Apple hasn't restricted it to specific brands, though so far only a handful of multipacks (Meross's smart plug bundles among them) have been confirmed pairing this way.
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