iOS 16 Introduces Entirely Overhauled Home App to Focus More on Reliability and Ease of Use

[MacRumors]

The Home app on iOS is getting a major overhaul with iOS 16, with Apple saying it's doubling down on reliability and ease of use.

Apple says it has made changes to the "underlying architecture" of the Home app to enable "faster, more reliable performance, especially for homes with many smart accessories."

With the new Home app redesign, all users' rooms are displayed on one single page, with easily glanceable widgets that showcase current accessories and their status. Pressing on a room takes users to a dedicated space with more details and controls.

Along the top of the Home app, users get quick information at categories, such as how many lights are currently on, the temperature range across their house, what doors are unlocked, and more.

Categories are even more helpful, however, when they're tapped. When users tap on a specific category, such as security and cameras, they're shown all the active cameras around their entire home on a single page.

The Home app is also gaining new Lock Screen widgets that provide easy information right on the Lock Screen. iOS 16 is currently available to developers and will be available to all users this fall.

Article Link: iOS 16 Introduces Entirely Overhauled Home App to Focus More on Reliability and Ease of Use

 

[Rychiar]

Can’t wait

 

[fwmireault]

This app redesign was long overdue

 

[xpxp2002]

I'm more excited about this "rearchitected" Home app that's supposed to be more reliable than anything else in iOS 16. Not only is it long overdue, but reliability is probably the single biggest problem holding back HomeKit. I'd love to showcase more HomeKit stuff to friends and family, but it's embarrassing when Siri goes into one of her states where she refuses to execute automations or won't respond to requests.

 

[huges84]

I am an early tech adopter, built many PCs, have been using an iPhone since the 3G. And still, I struggled to grasp the design of the existing home app. Even at first glance this redesign seems way better. Hopefully it really is. With this and the Matter support, we may see Apple-compatible smart home devices take off

 

[CheffyDude]

The overhaul is useless without a Siri overhaul. I get tired of asking Siri to turn on "all lights" and then she plays The Thermadors song "All Blights" Siri is so stupid.

 

[0194839]

It looks cool. Now let’s hope that the revamped Home app works effortlessly and flawlessly.

 

[NightFox]

I know there's always an adjustment time needed for major UI updates to anything, but already I'm getting annoyed at having to scroll down the home screen just to get to a particular room rather than just be able to select it from a list. Maybe I'm missing something though?

 

[alexandr]

Curious if you'll be able to control home from the lock screen, or just get info.

 

[idmean]

Responsiveness — I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[synched]

Amazon was listed as a partner on the list for HomeKit support in yesterday’s presentation. I wonder is Ring will ever be brought over as they have been saying so since 2019.

 

[contacos]

Does Control Center finally prioritize the lamps which are actually on instead of showing me random lights and I have to dig deeper to finally turn them off?

 

[jlc1978]

With this and the Matter support, we may see Apple-compatible smart home devices take off

To me Matter support is key; assuming it is adopted by the major device manufacturers since one of teh problem with HomeKit is the lack of components that support it. Compare to Alexa and Goggle, HomeKit is a distant third in support. Will Amazon make Matter available for Ring? Ring promised HomeKit support but it hasn't happened yet. Feit has some stuff that works with Siri and I'd guess they'd adopt Matter since they sell accessories and want as broad a reach as possible.

Apple also needs to introduce HomePod devices that compete with the Echo Dot in price and features. Great sound is nice but in many Applications all you need is a way to operate devices and get notifications such as the doorbell senses motion or a light does. When you can get 2 Echos for one HomePod the economics don't make sense for a lot of people. Add in Amazon's frequent promotions and the price delta gets larger.

One advantage Apple has is the Siri Remote's ability to control devices via HomeKit; which means you do not need a device where you have an Apple TV. However, you need to get the remote to do that; building Siri intractability into Apple TV would be one way to compete with Echo/Google in a more cost effective way since a separate purchase would not be needed and you'd still have the same functionality as those devices.

I'd swap Alexa for HomeKit but right now it simply doesn't offer the same functionality or cost profile.

 

[chrono1081]

Thank God, the old one is an embarrassment. Easily one of the worst apps I've used.

 

[macphreak2011]

My whole thing is:
1. Quicker notifications (using Eufy cameras, I get quicker notifications from Eufy native than when connected to HomeKit).
2. Continuous video recording of cameras

 

[Apple_Robert]

Good move. The Home app needs help in being reliable. Almost every day it poses a problem with my minis.

 

[jlc1978]

The overhaul is useless without a Siri overhaul. I get tired of asking Siri to turn on "all lights" and then she plays The Thermadors song "All Blights" Siri is so stupid.

Yea. I say play KQED and get something by Kiki Dee on Spotify, or that it can't find Kikki Dee in Apple music; instead of launching the KQED app and playing NPR.

Amazon was listed as a partner on the list for HomeKit support in yesterday’s presentation. I wonder is Ring will ever be brought over as they have been saying so since 2019.

Wold be nice but I won't hold my breath. Likely to be new Matter capable devices, though software upgrades to existing would be nice.

 

[EdT]

I could go on a long rant about Home but I’ll try to keep it short:

1) I’ve had problems finding out if a product is Home compatible. The packaging will tell you it’s compatible with Alexa and Google but it frequently won’t say anything about Apple Home.

2) I have problems finding out if a ‘Home compatible’ product really should have an asterisk displayed because you actually need to use the manufacturers control box and software to really use it, even if only for set up.

3) Few ‘experts’ at an Apple store can help with Home questions, and that shrinks to no one at a lighting or Home Depot type store.

It’s actually been a while since I’ve looked at smart home products. Too much information about how to use Google and Alexa and too little about Apple made me quit bothering to look.

 

[t0rqx]

Stability and reliability needs to be priority. It is weird that using Apple Watch to give commands i have to tap to confirm, while directly using iPhone it executes the command with just one voice command.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I was pleased to read the Apple Doublespeak indicating they’re going to actually fix it.

”re-architected to work even faster!” aka maybe Siri will stop telling me my Hue hub is offline as an excuse for its own failings.

 

[steve09090]

I'm more excited about this "rearchitected" Home app that's supposed to be more reliable than anything else in iOS 16. Not only is it long overdue, but reliability is probably the single biggest problem holding back HomeKit. I'd love to showcase more HomeKit stuff to friends and family, but it's embarrassing when Siri goes into one of her states where she refuses to execute automations or won't respond to requests.

I have found, most reliability issues are with the hardware, not the app. Good quality products in my home setup haven’t skipped a beat. But that’s my experience anyway, others may be different. Using 2 x Eero 6, Eve, Nanoleaf, Meross and Eufy.

I was pleased to read the Apple Doublespeak indicating they’re going to actually fix it.

”re-architected to work even faster!” aka maybe Siri will stop telling me my Hue hub is offline as an excuse for its own failings.

Could that be a problem with the Philips Hub?

 

[TonyC28]

Thank God, the old one is an embarrassment. Easily one of the worst apps I've used.

Check out Google’s Home app if you want to appreciate Apple’s a little more.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

It does seem snappier, but the navigation is far, far worse. In the old home app, if I tapped on a light or a group of lights, it either turned off or turned on remember its previous settings. Now if I tap a light or group of lights, it brings up the dimmer & Apples color picker. This is completely useless if you use scenes to set your lights.

And as far as I’m aware, there STILL isn’t a category for smart vacuums.

 

[joecomo]

That is an App, that has still lots of room for improvement.
However already now with Homebrigde and other tools available,
Homekit is the best framework available for those in the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Macropanda]

Good move. The Home app needs help in being reliable. Almost every day it poses a problem with my minis.

Same here. HomePods are useless when there is a 50/50 chance they won’t even be able to do something simple like turn on lights.