Apple Confirms iPad Will No Longer Be Supported as a Home Hub in iOS 16

[MacRumors]

The iPad will no longer be able to be used as a home hub following the launch of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and the HomePod 16 software this fall, Apple confirmed today.

As discovered in iOS 16 code by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, Apple says that the iPad will no longer be supported as a home hub. This information will be displayed in the Home app after updating to iOS 16.

A home hub is required to take advantage of features like receiving accessory notifications and allowing other people to control your home. You will not be able to view shared homes until those homes are also upgraded to the latest HomeKit. iPad will no longer be supported as a home hub.

With Apple dropping support for the iPad as a home hub, users will need to have a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV to take advantage of features enabled by a hub, such as accessing accessories remotely with Siri and using location-based automation features.

Apple's iOS 16 preview webpage suggested that the iPad would not be able to be used as a home hub, but it was not confirmed until now because in the first iPadOS 16 beta, it was still possible to set an iPad as a home hub. "Only Apple TV and HomePod are supported as home hubs," reads the website.

The wording in the code found in the second beta of iOS 16 suggests that Apple is removing the home hub functionality from the iPad. The company has not explained why the iPad will no longer function as a home hub, but it could be related to Apple's upcoming cross-platform Matter smart home standard implementation.

Coming later this year, Matter will let HomeKit users add more smart home accessories to their HomeKit setups.

Article Link: Apple Confirms iPad Will No Longer Be Supported as a Home Hub in iOS 16

 

[trifero]

The question is WHY. C´mon, Apple, don´t make people buy Apple TV´s or Homepods just for greed.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

So, Apple is asking people to purchase Apple TV or HomePods for the functionality to make it work?

It honestly would have been beneficial if iPads were able to support Home Hub.

 

[kjvmartin2]

I don't get it.

 

[Sbstndalton]

Some people prefer a screen instead of voice.

 

[russell_314]

The company has not explained why the iPad will no longer function as a home hub, but it could be related to Apple's upcoming cross-platform Matter smart home standard implementation.

Coming later this year, Matter will let HomeKit users add more smart home accessories to their HomeKit setups.

With these replies it's almost like people didn't even read more than just the title of this post... 🤦‍♂️

 

[AJTC]

Surely this will be a cause for returns/lawsuits if customers bought an iPad because of the home hub functionality? I recently told a friend to buy some Homekit accessories instead of Amazon/Google stuff because I said she could use her iPad as the hub. That completely ruins her purchase/choice if her iPad upgrades to iOS 16.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Some people prefer a screen instead of voice.

Could still use a screen. . . just not as a hub.

 

[nutmac]

The truth of the matter is, iPad was never reliable as a HomeKit hub. Yes, there are probably few exceptions, but it is often flaky and unresponsive. $99 for HomePod mini or $179 for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) gets you far more dependable and capable HomeKit hub, with support for Thread.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

but it could be related to Apple's upcoming cross-platform Matter smart home standard implementation.

This is solely an speculation tho.

The truth of the matter is, iPad was never reliable as a HomeKit hub. Yes, there are probably few exceptions, but it is often flaky and unresponsive. $99 for HomePod mini or $179 for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) gets you far more dependable and capable HomeKit hub, with support for Thread.

So, you are saying the M1 Chip won't be compatible?

 

[PlayUltimate]

The truth of the matter is, iPad was never reliable as a HomeKit hub. Yes, there are probably few exceptions, but it is often flaky and unresponsive. $99 for HomePod mini or $179 for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) gets you far more dependable and capable HomeKit hub, with support for Thread.

I think the potential to have the iPad leave the house would be a huge problem for a home hub device. And for the price, it makes sense to use other devices.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

With these replies it's almost like people didn't even read more than just the title of this post... 🤦‍♂️

I would imagine there’s going to be Matter hubs forthcoming.

 

[CaptMarvel]

HomePad (HomePod + iPad) coming soon…

 

[apparatchik]

It’s time for Apple to finally release an AppleTV Console Edition, along with a proper strategy a la AppleTV+ for AAA gaming, they have the silicon and the war chest to take on Sony & Microsoft.

The higher-end M1 configs have PS5 level graphics and they could unite from iPhone to Mac to TV the ecosystem.

 

[contacos]

The question is WHY. C´mon, Apple, don´t make people buy Apple TV´s or Homepods just for greed.

to provide you with the best experience possible, we offer different solutions starting at only 99 dollars

 

[CarlJ]

The question is WHY. C´mon, Apple, don´t make people buy Apple TV´s or Homepods just for greed.

Despite what many here always assume, I suspect Apple’s main motivating factors for this are: it doesn’t work as well as they’d like, and the market for it is vanishingly small, so it doesn’t pay for them to throw resources into making it work better.

 

[Razorpit]

Surely this will be a cause for returns/lawsuits if customers bought an iPad because of the home hub functionality? I recently told a friend to buy some Homekit accessories instead of Amazon/Google stuff because I said she could use her iPad as the hub. That completely ruins her purchase/choice if her iPad upgrades to iOS 16.

Well her and the other person out there that actually knows about that functionality, and uses it as such, are going to be disappointed. I'm sure Apple is slated to lose a few ten's if not twenty's of dollars on that decision. 🙄

People travel and take the iPad with them. Homepods and Apple TV's generally stay at home.

 

[ccsicecoke]

Why not remove the Music app from iPhone and make music playback exclusive to iPods? Then start selling iPods again?

 

[sw1tcher]

I don't get it.

It's simple. Apple wants to sell more HomePods and Apple TVs

 

[minik]

I never understood the use of iPad acted as a home hub in the beginning. HomePod and Apple TV make more sense as they tend to be in home location and less likely to switch networks.

 

[So@So@So]

The truth of the matter is, iPad was never reliable as a HomeKit hub. Yes, there are probably few exceptions, but it is often flaky and unresponsive. $99 for HomePod mini or $179 for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) gets you far more dependable and capable HomeKit hub, with support for Thread.

iPad hardware is generally much more powerful than Apple TV hardware – so this does not make any sense to me!

 

[jav6454]

I don't get it. Makes sense to have a pad do that.

 

[fenderbass146]

Why not remove the Music app from iPhone and make music playback exclusive to iPods? Then start selling iPods again?

what a stupid analogy lol. Music was one of the three orginal purposes for the iPhone, The number of people using Homekit with an iPad as their only home hub has to be less then .5% of iPad owners.

 

[burnout8488]

~$60 on eBay for a used Homepod Mini and you're set. It also supports Thread. You're better in the long run with this.

 

[antiprotest]

Some people here will defend Apple insisting it's some technical reason or somehow better for us.