Rachio App: Quick Start Guide

Last Update: May 26 2026 5:25pm • Est. Read Time: 8 MIN

Welcome to Rachio!

This guide will show you how to navigate the Rachio app (iOS and Android) and use all of the great water-saving features. If you're looking for help installing and setting up your controller, check out the Wiring Your Sprinkler Controller - Basic and Advanced Wiring.

Initial Setup:

Getting up and running with the Rachio app is very easy:

Download the Rachio App .
Create a Rachio account.

Creating an account is required to utilize the Rachio app, but don't worry, it's free! Open the Rachio App and select "DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT?" on the sign-in page.

Adding your device.

You can skip this step if a device has been shared with you. Rachio devices are organized together into Properties – the real spaces you connect to. After selecting the device you are trying to add, you’ll be prompted to create a new property: simply enter your address, refine the location if needed, and pick a name.

If you have Rachio devices at multiple properties, you can filter through your Properties from this drop-down menu. Check out the Rachio Properties article for more information.

Account Settings

Select the icon at the top right corner of the home screen to view your account settings.

You can edit the following here:

Profile
- Name
- Email
- Phone number
- Account type (regular or for professional installers)
- Update Password
- Delete Account
Properties
- Change your properties' names and locations.
Notifications
- Change the notification Settings for all your devices and shared devices.
Measurement and Usage Units
- Select unit measurements between US Standard (°F, MPH, Inch) and Metric (°C, KPH, mm).
- Select usage units between time and gallons used/saved.
Copy your API Key.

Device Main Menu

To manage your Rachio devices, select the devices to access their settings, programming, and remote operation features.

Controller

Hose Timer

Home Tab

This tab gives you Quick Access to all the settings you'll be using most of the time with your device. At the top of the screen, you'll find the name of your device. If you have more than one device in this property, you can tap the arrow next to the device name to select another device without returning to the previous screen. Afterward, you'll see a brief calendar view with the daily forecast and drop icons below it with a number depending on the number of schedules set to run for those days. We also have a button to change the Weather Source and Thresholds. As well as the Heat Wave Boost settings (if you've purchased the feature).

Events Section

Here we can see the Upcoming and Past events (schedules, Quick Runs, and manual and Weather skips). You can check the details of future and past events by tapping on the dropdown arrow next to the name of the event. You can also Manually Skip an Upcoming Run here. A manual skip will remove or skip over the next immediate watering event (not multiple watering events). Recommended for skipping a specific schedule run. It can be used to skip watering if you decide your plants have enough water.

Usage details

At the bottom of the tab, we have the monthly usage chart, where you can see the monthly estimated usage (by tapping on the < > arrows), and the number of Weather Skips performed that month. This information can also be checked on a Zone-by-Zone basis in the Zones tab.

Usage details can be displayed in both gallons used / saved and time used/saved. We recommend sticking with the default usage setting, which reports in watering time used/saved, for the most accurate readings (usage in time reports actual usage; usage in gallons reports only estimated usage). The "Estimated Gallons" value is calculated from your zone area and nozzle precipitation rate. We recommend selecting "Time" if these settings are not correctly configured.