Is this possible or are they automatically used as Home Hubs? I know you can disable Apple TV’s and iPads but haven’t seen the option in settings or Home app for the HomePod, unless I’m missing something. I definitely notice performance differences in what’s currently connected as the Hub and I’m trying to prevent my HomePods from automatically taking on the that task. Seems like my Ethernet connected ATV works the best.
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HomePod Disable HomePod as a Home Hub
- Thread starter Itinj24
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You really shouldn't see performance differences. The Home Hub is just the remote access to your network. ALL of the hubs are functioning to extend the range of your HomeKits reach (BT).
To directly answer your question, no you can't turn off Home functionality on the HomePod. The HomePod walks a line between AirPlay 2 and HomeKit functions when controlling TV's and speakers so its a required function.
To directly answer your question, no you can't turn off Home functionality on the HomePod. The HomePod walks a line between AirPlay 2 and HomeKit functions when controlling TV's and speakers so its a required function.
Thanks for the answer. I really want to believe there is no difference in which current device is the connected hub but after several observations over the past year or more, I noticed that when a particular Hub is connected, I would get camera sensor notifications at times when they’re supposed to be disabled, automations wouldn’t fire as intended, certain devices would show “No Response”, Logi Circle 2’s would not be viewable remotely. Coincidence? Who knows. My network has been the same the whole time. I don’t have any Bluetooth HomeKit devices currently but didn’t know they acted as an extender. That’s good to know.
Yeah I think it matters. My HomeKit stuff works more reliably without my HomePod than with. Whether that's a problem with having more than one hub or just another issue with a half baked HomePod is anyones guess.
I definitely can't argue your experience.
However Homekit accessory protocol (HAP) use existing Wifi and Bluetooth stacks to communicate to devices. A wifi device like the Logitech cameras are using your wifi network, they are just communicating via HAP.
I'll add my personal experience.
Bluetooth isn't inherent to home networks obviously. Since my door lock is HomeKit using Bluetooth I have to use a HomePod to reach it. As you can tell my HomePods are in standby, if I disconnect the right HomePod I can't talk communicate with the lock at all when I'm not home.
Interesting about the Bluetooth stuff. I was always skeptical about using Bluetooth HomeKit devices for the range deficiency. Now that you mention, my lock is Bluetooth actually... and WiFi. The Yale Assure Connected by August. Forgot about that.
I have not personally noticed any difference between what device is used as the main hub in my house....though I’ve only had my 2 HomePods for a month whereas I’ve had my 4K ATV used as the only hub prior to that for nearly a year when I first got into the hue lights.
one thing you can do though is just reboot the HomePod or homepods until your ATV becomes the main hub and that will/should remain the hub until it’s restarted....which for me only happens when doing a firmware update on the ATV.
one thing you can do though is just reboot the HomePod or homepods until your ATV becomes the main hub and that will/should remain the hub until it’s restarted....which for me only happens when doing a firmware update on the ATV.
That only works temporarily for me. I have four ATV 4Ks, two HomePods and a wall mounted iPad as Hubs. For some reason, I get awful HomeKit performance from three of the ATVs and one of them persistently insists on being the Hub. I went on a disable frenzy yesterday leaving one ATV (Ethernet connected which seems to have the best HomeKit performance in my observations) and the two HomePods (which I can’t disable). One of the HomePods latched on as the Hub last night and it actually seems to be working great for now. Always like to have multiple Hubs on standby though after my only hub at one point in time (an ATV 4 K) just bricked out of nowhere. Not sure why the difference in performance between Hubs.
I can confirm the HomePod breaks cameras. I have two homekit setups homepod at location 1 constantly takes over as the hub for location 2 over 1000 miles away. At that point everything breaks. At this point I've abandoned the homepod and just unplugged it. It's just an expensive paperweight. Apple needs to give us the ability to disable the homepod as a hub.
if the 2 HomePods are in actual separate homes , you need to have them in separate homes in the home app.
No they don’t break cameras at all. I would suggest, as pointed out above by @waw74 that you recheck your ‘home’ set up.
well that's just wrong (on apple's part)
file a report
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In the broken down palace that is the HomePod, you can’t restrict the use of homepods like you can with Apple TV. I’ve filed numerous reports via the link above and don’t even get so much as an acknowledgement. Very frustrating. HomePod is a dead to me until Apple sorts this out. Frankly, it’s unacceptable and has driven my to buy Sonos speakers in lieu of HomePods because of this problem.
I'm on sonos also, it's a much better system
I just wish Apple would "export" siri, so sonos could add her in addition to Alexa/Google on their speakers.
the only reason I have a HomePod is because I have a decent amount of homekit stuff and I like to be able to shout to siri. I haven't played with Alexa or google's home automation much, but they were lacking in comparison.
Just use your iPhone already.
Most of us use HomePod for what it was designed for- an audiophile caliber Apple Music bookshelf speaker system.
Actually, the issues with the cameras may actually be tied to the HomePod taking over as the main hub IF the HomePod is on a different wifi frequency (5GHz as opposed to 2.4GHz.) This is the issue I am having now. I have 2 HomePod minis in my Home setup and they are on the 5GHz network but my Logitech Circle View camera MUST be on 2.4GHz as well as the hub it is using.
I need to remove the HP Mini's and add them back on the 2.4GHz network, as well as make sure the AppleTV stays on 2.4 as well and that should solve my problem of the camera disconnecting.
Interesting. I’m gonna pay attention to this when my cameras go offline. I only have Circle 2’s which support both 2.4 and 5 GHz but I’m surprised the Circle View only supports 2.4 GHz.
They break mine. And I just have a single home. I have to turn them off for extended periods so that my appletv takes over the home hub job.
It is really nuts that the more capable, hard wired device (appletv) gets superseded by some low powered, generally flakey wifi connected devices (HomePod mini).
I have so many problems with my HomePod minis. I think I'm going to get rid of them.
We should absolutely have the option to select which device acts as the Hub and make it stick. I know exactly when a switch takes place. I start getting notifications for cameras/devices which shouldn’t be sending notifications at that time and lasts for a good 30 minutes until it catches up and settles with its duties. Why the random switch? Beats the heck out of me. The prior Hub was working just fine.
Last week I started getting some wonky behavior in my Home app. Just about every one of my devices went “No Response” and I had a huge banner at the top of the Home app asking me to set up my cameras using streaming only or streaming and recording. Mind you I had everything set up already. Turns out the acting Hub, an OG HomePod, was cutting in and out of Wi-Fi until I reset it. You would think this would’ve been the perfect time for the Hub to auto switch to something more reliable (I have 19 other Hubs on standby) but nope. Just stuck that one poor performing Hub even after I reset it. Had to go reset something else to force a switch.
Last week I started getting some wonky behavior in my Home app. Just about every one of my devices went “No Response” and I had a huge banner at the top of the Home app asking me to set up my cameras using streaming only or streaming and recording. Mind you I had everything set up already. Turns out the acting Hub, an OG HomePod, was cutting in and out of Wi-Fi until I reset it. You would think this would’ve been the perfect time for the Hub to auto switch to something more reliable (I have 19 other Hubs on standby) but nope. Just stuck that one poor performing Hub even after I reset it. Had to go reset something else to force a switch.
I just added a 2021 Apple TV 4K to my Home. Is there still no way to choose a hub? It’s on the list but seems to always be #2. I hope to take advantage of Thread stuff one of these days. Would that connectivity be automatic?
The only control one has over the hub is that it can be disabled but only for Apple TV’s and iPads. Other than that, the system decides which device to use as the active hub if there are multiple hubs. As for Thread, I’m guessing that the border router feature of it is an independent function of the hub feature, like how they use Wi-Fi and will always have the Thread radio enabled on all the devices that support it (ATV, HP Mini). This Matter/Thread business keeps getting pushed back so who really knows for sure how it will function.
What are the circumstances when you see the switch and the notifications?
Is it like when you get to work in the morning? Just randomly?
Little story, I was getting HomeHub disconnected and connected messages on my MBP a while back. I just ignored it. Finally after a month of I found that one of my HomePods would be the "Connected" device. This was fine when I was home with all my devices communicating directly. However when I left my house the Connected HomePod was incapable of being a HomeHub so it would fail and standby device would pick up the reigns.
I coincidentally fixed it because I noticed that HomePod wouldn't respond to Siri properly (Hey Siri set an alarm for 5am. I'm sorry something went wrong). Finally I reset it and then I noticed I stopped getting those disconnected connected messages.
On the cameras. Well I've given up on that. I have it set to notify me when if it records a clip, and only record a clip if it sees people, then set up a perimeter restricted to my porch. I still get notification from a car driving by 30 yards away.
It’s completely random far as a I can tell and usually when I’m home on Wi-Fi. I’d have the Hub performing perfectly with regards to notifications, automations, recording clips, etc. than out of nowhere I’d have most, if not all, of my HomeKit devices go “No Response”. When they eventually come to, notifications are sent for anything and everything, even with my filters set. After 30 or even more minutes, there would finally be signs of a return to normalcy.
The issue with the auto switching of Hubs is not the fact that it’s switching but that it’s not a seamless switch.
Ona side note, since you mentioned it, the activity zones with my HKSV cameras are working pretty flawlessly.
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