# HM \| DCC — Revolutionary Digital Control

> Digital control system for HM7000 range model railways. (iPhone/iPad app by Hornby Hobbies Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hm-dcc/id1660757271 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Hornby Hobbies Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/870599697)
- Category: Utilities, Lifestyle
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.25/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 32 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 48 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2023-03-20
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hm-dcc/id1660757271/reviews.md

## What is HM | DCC?

The official app for setting up and controlling your HM7000 range of products. 

HM | DCC is the new model railway control system that makes it simple to build your library of locomotives and have ultimate control over them in the palm of your hand. Customise your locomotives with images, tinker, tailor & test settings on the fly to perfect your locomotive’s running style. Design your dream layout and manoeuvre locomotives through controllable points, signals, and turntables with untethered control. 

Easily set up your system. 
Log in*, link up your Bluetooth® HM devices, power-cycle and away you go. 

Control your system free of wires.
Complete wireless & untethered control of your layout. Upgrade previous systems without ripping out installed controllers and components.

Personalise your locomotives.
Fill your engine shed with your fleet of locomotives, choose the perfect photo, and programme their settings to see locomotive running styles change instantaneously.  

Enjoy completely FREE locomotive sound profiles. 
Connect your HM7000-TXS decoders to HM | DCC and relish a plethora of class locomotive sounds for download. Keep up to date with the latest releases and get more locomotive sound profiles to play with on the day of release. 

Design your dream layout. 
Use the in-built Track Builder to draw up and design the perfect layout. Then, export a list easily to know what you need to build it. 

Everyone’s included. 
Functions with OO, TT and N scale gauges. Upgrade your previous DCC products to work with HM | DCC. Upgrade “DCC ready” locomotives to HM | DCC app control with HM7000 decoders. Control locomotives fitted with non-Bluetooth® and HM7000 Bluetooth® decoders in parallel. Explore the different ways you can upgrade via the Hornby.com website.

*Please note: A Hornby.com account is required for HM | DCC app use. This can be easily created from the Hornby.com website. Internet access is required for device reset, profile download, hardware updates, app updates and app login. 

Disclaimer: Please ensure that your device is fully compatible with both the HM | DCC app and the HM7000 range of products prior to any purchase. Devices older than 5 years may work but cannot be recommended for control. If unsure, please visit the Hornby.com website or contact Hornby Hobbies customer care.

## Key features

- Wireless model railway control
- Locomotive customization
- On-the-fly setting adjustments
- Layout design tool
- Controllable points, signals, turntables
- Free locomotive sound profiles
- Bluetooth® device linking

## Recent user reviews (10 of 32)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hm-dcc/id1660757271/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Excellent well supported system

*2025-10-30, version 1.6.0*

This is an easy to use system and the app is first class easy to set up and operate - everything occasionally has glitches these are usually solved with a little bit of thought - the negative reviews, as usual,seem to be mainly from people who don’t seem to be able to have that ability or there are plenty of support resources available if it is too much to work out by self - including downloading and READING THE MANUAL from the Hornby site  which is 160 odd pages its well indexed so is an invaluable help

### 1/5 — Always giving problems

*2025-10-13, version 1.6.0*

It’s always losing my loco’s that I have installed in it and then I have to reinstall them all again.
Also it’s always having problems with most decoders initially when I install them for the first time, with a sound profile.

### 4/5 — Sometimes a bit finicky, but overall useful.

*2025-10-01, version 1.6.0*

Had some difficulty getting it to work the first time, but with updates and more experience, I’ve found it overall useful and good for what it does. Any screwups are moderately easy to fix by just resetting the effected decoder, and picking sound for locos is far easier than other systems.
There are parts for improvement when it comes to function programming and arrangement, but for HM7000s relative low price I’m more than happy.

### 3/5 — Over complicated

*2025-09-28, version 1.6.0*

Very difficult app to figure out constant error messages, frequently can’t see the device drops connection for no reason and is probably not for new starters to the hobby. I recommend stick with DC basic until it bores you and you want the huge challenges DCC presents.

### 2/5 — Will it, Won’t it

*2025-09-04, version 1.6.0*

In the beginning it worked fine, then started losing loco’s, finding them again and then ultimately asking for codes and re setting required. Gave up, gone for another control system. Product support, questionable.

### 1/5 — Works when it wants

*2025-03-27, version 1.6.0*

Since fitting the sound chip the loco runs badly stopping all the time even with the stay alive addition the loco runs fine with a standard Dcc decoder.

### 4/5 — This Is Awesome

*2025-03-20, version 1.6.0*

I use HMlDCC with an iPad Pro Gen 1 and it is my favorite app on there. Works a dream and new sound profiles and functions are being added all the time. 10/10

### 4/5 — Good features

*2025-03-19, version 1.5.0*

Lots of good features that take a bit of time to learn and understand. The track builder element needs updating to include the new TT120 scale and part numbers.

### 5/5 — Brilliant app.

*2025-02-17, version 1.5.0*

I have been using this for a long while now.  Have had no problems whatsoever.

### 5/5 — HM7000

*2025-02-17, version 1.5.0*

Works perfectly for me. I have eighteen loco’s on the system- all running from my iPhone 15. Great piece of kit.

## Frequently asked questions about HM | DCC

### What does the HM | DCC app do?

The HM | DCC app is the official control system for the HM7000 range of model railway products. It allows users to wirelessly control their locomotives, customize their settings, and design their dream railway layouts. The app provides untethered control over points, signals, and turntables, and offers free locomotive sound profiles.

### What are the key features of the HM | DCC app?

Key features include wireless control of your model railway system, the ability to build and customize a library of locomotives with custom images and running styles, on-the-fly setting adjustments, a track builder for designing layouts, and control over points, signals, and turntables. It also offers free downloadable locomotive sound profiles.

### Is the HM | DCC app free to use?

The HM | DCC app itself is free to download and use. However, it is designed to work with the HM7000 range of products, which are purchased separately. The app may offer in-app purchases for additional features or content, such as more sound profiles, though the description highlights free sound profiles.

### What devices are compatible with HM | DCC?

The app is compatible with the HM7000 range of products and uses Bluetooth® for device linking. While devices older than 5 years may work, they cannot be recommended for control. Internet access is required for certain functions like device reset, profile downloads, and app updates. It functions with OO, TT, and N scale gauges.

### How can I upgrade my existing model railway system with HM | DCC?

You can upgrade previous DCC products without ripping out installed controllers and components. The app allows you to upgrade "DCC ready" locomotives to HM | DCC app control with HM7000 decoders. You can also control locomotives fitted with non-Bluetooth® and HM7000 Bluetooth® decoders in parallel. More information on upgrading can be found on the Hornby.com website.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6.0 — 2025-03-20

Consisting – Control up to 8 locomotives together seamlessly using the HM | DCC app. 
Vertical Control – The control screen now supports a vertical layout, with options to customise the scale and position of the vertical control bar in Settings. Legacy horizontal control remains available.
Global Function Control – Full individual and global function control for all consisted locomotives, enabling smooth multi-engine operation.
Bug Fixes – Various improvements and performance enhancements for a smoother experience.

More Coming Soon – Stay tuned for exciting new features in upcoming updates!

### 1.5.0 — 2025-01-09

- Bug fixes
- Reset code changes

### 1.4.0 — 2024-06-18

- Added French, German, Spanish and Italian Languages
- Fixed a bug where the Install Locomotive Profile button was greyed out
- Further optimisation of the Profiles section
- Added more Function icons
- Made Decoder Selection more comprehensive

### 1.3.0 — 2024-02-13

Thanks for updating the HM | DCC app. This release contains various bug fixes and improvements.

### 1.1.0 — 2023-06-19

Thanks for updating the HM | DCC app. This release contains various bug fixes and improvements.

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All apps by Hornby Hobbies Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/870599697

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*
