Changing Device Names

This wiki entry explains how device names are determined and updated and why the name shown on your iOS device doesn't change when you change the "name" field in your config.json file.

A simple point to know is that you get one shot at setting a device's name in config.json. After the first start of homebridge for a device, the name must now be managed via your Apple device.

Here's what is happening . . .

1. In homebridge, every HomeKit item is tracked by a variable "uuid_base" which must be unique. Usually you don't have to specify this - the HomeSeer plugin automatically generates a "uuid_base" that is unique for each HomeSeer device. (There are a few situations where you might want to specify the uuid_base such as is described here: https://github.com/jvmahon/Homebridge-HomeSeer4/wiki/Show-the-same-device-in-multiple-rooms )

2. The first time you add a device to your config.json file, Homebridge creates an entry in its database for that device and stores the device uuid_base information along with the device's name and other information. The name that gets stored is either: (i) the name you set for the device in config.json; or (ii) if you didn't give the device a name, the plugin generates one by combining the HomeSeer Room Name with the HomeSeer Device name.

3. Once the uuid_base and name have been entered into the homebridge database in steps 1-2, the "name" value in your config.json is never used again. So, even if you change the name in config.json, that will have no effect. The only way to "reset" to the name in config.json is to either manually assign the device a unique "uuid_base" or else to delete homebridge's entire persistence database. This would "wipe out" any Automations you have set up on your iOS device and you would have to re-pair your phone with HomeBridge. I don't recommend trying this!

4. If you want to change the name after the first time that steps #1 and #2 have completed, you must do it by your iPhone / iPad. That is the only way to change the name without resetting the entire homebridge database.

There are some instructions for resetting the homebridge database in the wiki. Though not exactly on point, the general instructions are here: Devices Not Appearing or Updating After A Change to Homebridge or config.json