Shelly: "Device belongs to another user" – check the device ID and fix it properly

What you see: When adding a device in the Shelly app you get "Device belongs to another user" (in German: «Das Gerät gehört bereits einem anderen Benutzer»), even though you bought the device new or used and may already have reset it.

What it means: In the Shelly Cloud the device is already assigned to another account by its device ID. There are two possible reasons:

• The device is really still in the previous owner's account (or in a second account of your own).
• On older devices with a short 6-character ID, shelly.guide says there can be an ID collision: another device has the same short ID.

Cost: €0 / CHF 0.

Step 1: Read the device ID 5 min

Open the device locally (see Shelly offline and Wi-Fi, step 1) and query the ID, as described in the Shelly forum:

• Gen1: http://<IP address>/settings – device ID field
• Gen2 and newer: http://<IP address>/rpc/Shelly.GetDeviceInfo – field id or mac

Count the characters of the unique identifier (without the model name).

Step 2a – Short ID (6 characters): use the long ID (5 min)

According to Shelly support:

1. Open http://<IP address>/longifyid in a browser.
2. If that doesn't work, update the firmware and add the device again.

Step 2b – Long ID (12 characters): ask the previous owner (depends on the reply)

According to Shelly support, with a 12-character ID the previous owner has to remove the device from their account. Then you can add it normally.

Do you perhaps have two accounts yourself (e.g. an old email address)? Check there first and delete the device there.

Step 3: Support ticket if the previous owner can't be reached 10 min

Open a ticket with Shelly support, including:

• Device ID (from step 1)
• Proof of purchase (invoice)

Shelly support names these as required so it can check the assignment.

What doesn't help

• Factory reset: doesn't change the cloud assignment (Shelly forum, shelly.guide).
• Creating a new account: the device stays assigned to the previous account.

When to contact support

• The ID has 12 characters and the previous owner is unknown or doesn't respond.
• The ID has 6 characters and neither /longifyid nor a firmware update helps.
• You bought the device new and still get the message.

Shelly support: open a ticket

Sources

• Shelly support (German): Ich kann mein Shelly-Gerät nicht zur Cloud hinzufügen und erhalte die Fehlermeldung «Gerät gehört einem anderen Benutzer» – 6-character ID: /longifyid or firmware update; 12-character ID: previous owner removes device, or support with device ID and invoice
• Shelly Forum (German), lexicon: device already belongs to another user account – what to do? – factory reset doesn't help, ticket link, reading the ID via /settings (Gen1) and /rpc/Shelly.GetDeviceInfo (Gen2+)
• shelly.guide: Device owned by another user – ID collision with short Gen1 IDs, advice for second-hand devices (guide project by Shelly staff)
• Shelly Gen2+ API documentation: changelog – current firmware versions