iPad Home Hub Support Apparently Being Removed in iOS 16

[SolidAdamantium]

I suspect at least part of the problem is that, unlike HomePods or ATV’s iPads are portable and thus won’t actually be located in the home at all times. Which makes it unreliable as a hub. Granted there are many who have an iPad at home and use it as a hub and maybe it never leaves the premises. But between the above mentioned unreliability coupled with the all ways on requirement and obvious battery charging concerns over the years, it makes some sense to make future hubs some other type of hub.

Still wish they came out with a refreshed HomePod 2.

 

[mrat93]

Seems highly unlikely to me that this person even exists...the person who's only home hub is an iPad AND they actually rely on it in this way.

I actually considered this for my mom. She uses Google Assistant to control the TV (and YouTube TV, which can’t be controlled with Siri.) I wanted to use the iPad as a home hub to automate her lights. She has no practical use for an Apple TV or HomePod.

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

Well. It seems weird to have a mobile device be considered as a "hub" for anything. It's too bad an eero can't be designated as a hub.

 

[bsbeamer]

SmartThings was listed as a "partner" on their slide for upcoming HomeKit expansion/revisions. Hopefully the integration is superb. It is a fantastic hub for most people and has cheap battery backup built in.

 

[Aston441]

Me: "Alexa, what is an Apple Home Hub"

Alexa: "I'm not sure."

Me: "Me either Alexa, me either. Start my coffee pot please."

Alexa: "Coffee is now brewing."

 

[J05HH3YM4N]

Apple’s website states:
Matter accessories require an Apple TV or HomePod running as a home hub.

You should still be able to use iPads as home hubs, but can’t use them to control matter accessories.

 

[lkrupp]

Over the years we’ve seen many features appear, disappear, and then reappear in beta releases. So...

 

[FelixDerKater]

Enter the HomePod with some sort of screen.

 

[CapitalIdea]

dumb idea.

and not everyone uses APPLE TV

ROKU is better.

Dumb comment.

iPads do not support Matter.

Roku is data mining garbage.

 

[imola.zhp]

Yeah some guy on FB was going nuts about having to buy an additional apple device. Like you can't pick up an Apple TV used on the cheap or a $99 HomePod mini.

My iPad is usually dead, so this doesn't affect me personally, there are 5 HomePods and 3 Apple TV's in the house.

 

[csalm87]

I'm just waiting for the day they find a way to allow us to set priorities for Home Hubs. I would prefer the Apple TV connected directly to my router to be the Home Hub, since it has the most reliable connection.

 

[_Spinn_]

I always thought it was odd that Apple allowed this in the first place. This sucks for everyone that is currently using their iPads for HomeHubs though.

 

[gamerdude]

If this feature is removed in the final version then I am going to stay away from iPadOS 16. I use iPad as HomeHub because I already have Sonos speaker and Nvidia Shield.

 

[jakeowens]

Why? Home hub is not something I've seen the need to manage. It just works.

When my homehub switches to a homepod rather than an apple tv, there's a noticable difference to how fast all my lights turn on or off when using automation via a lutron switch... so I always have to make sure my apple tvs are the hubs. Just having options is a good thing no matter what

 

[brunerd]

Let's talk about this "Conservatory" room in the screenshot! It sounds so lah-dee-dah and upper crusty (and I'm totally jealous Tim's got a room dedicated to music) 😁

 

[tgwaste]

I suspect that the hubs are the problem with reliability which is the #1 problem with Home Kit. I moved to Nest and while the google home app isnt my favorite at least the cameras work every single time I look at them.

 

[ElioLugaru]

ROKU is better.

Cheaper yes. Better? Not really, its ok.
Heck, the only reason my Roku Ultra is seeing more use again is because of Airplay.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It still seems like such an own-goal to pull out of the router business..

They could have dramatically increased the number of their customers homes who had a HomeHub by default (inside an AirPort base station)

 

[AMagicianNamedJOBs]

I want an iPad with no battery. Lots of people use iPads as controllers and their batteries get ruined for no good reason. Having the base model iPad with an option to run only via cable would be amazing.

I know this isn't 100% relevant but it got me thinking that a stationary device with a battery isn't a good thing so Apple needs a product like that.

I can't remember where I came across this, but somewhere somebody recommended using Shortcuts to power cycle a smart switch. I've been doing this with my always plugged in iPad for a while and it's worked flawlessly:
Create new personal automation
When Battery level rises above 80%, turn switch power off.
When Battery level falls below 40%, turn switch power on.

Granted, you're still cycling the battery, but it's kept within the optimal range for Li-ion instead of sitting at 100% for eternity.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

So I don't have Homekit anymore, and all my swag is just gonna stop working?

This… doesn't sound right.

It still seems like such an own-goal to pull out of the router business..

They could have dramatically increased the number of their customers homes who had a HomeHub by default (inside an AirPort base station)

Gawd for real. My home audio is an Apple HiFi (they sound great!) with an Airport Express strapped to it for Airplay support.

guess I'll throw in the towel and get a HomePod OH WAIT

 

[name99]

I just want the ability to disable Homepods from acting as hubs, like you can do on Apple TV. Or at the very least set an order of preference. (I want my AppleTV 4K 2021 to always be the hub since it's connected via ethernet and on a UPS).

Hell, I'd settle for having them fix it so that "two home hubs equals twice the reliability", not the current "two home hubs equals half the reliability"...

 

[name99]

Why? Home hub is not something I've seen the need to manage. It just works.

Have you ever used HomeKit Automation? How many homekit devices do you have?

No, it does NOT "just work". It randomly fails, for no obvious reason, it multiple different ways. And has been doing so since HomeKit was released.
For the current iOS/tvOS the Automations that are supposed to run when I open my garage door don't work, along with some of the time based one. A month ago with a different version of the OS's, garage door worked, time-based lights worked, but blinds didn't work.
There is no pattern to it and it is utterly maddening.

Not to mention that it utterly stops working when you replace a hub (eg buy a new aTV) then, at some point in the next month, for god knows what reason, it starts working.
Or that the only way I have made my setup as (un)reliable as it is, is to power down my HomePod. Having both that and the aTV fighting over Automations was utterly hopeless.

 

[BobSc]

dumb idea.

and not everyone uses APPLE TV

ROKU is better.

Roku is a piece of garbage. Had two of them at different times. Both ended up in the trash. Apple TV is really great.

 

[contacos]

I want an iPad with no battery. Lots of people use iPads as controllers and their batteries get ruined for no good reason. Having the base model iPad with an option to run only via cable would be amazing.

I know this isn't 100% relevant but it got me thinking that a stationary device with a battery isn't a good thing so Apple needs a product like that.

Huh? Just leave it plugged in then? Perks: you can use it unplugged in the rare occasions that you might.

I used my old MacBook Pro from 2012 almost exclusively plugged in and the battery health is still at 93% all these years later

 

[RMo]

That text in the home app isn’t new in iOS 16 beta 1 it’s the same in 15.5

No, it's not...

[EDIT: OK, I guess their screenshot is from Home and this is from Settings; it is already phrased without "iPad" in OS 15.5 Home, and likely earlier versions, too--probably when they made the below changes. I'm not sure this has anything to do with Matter, as the article postulates.]

(But I think it *is* true that they removed this from marketing materials a while back. My assumption is because it never worked well, likely because even with this option on the iPad was still sleeping too much. Automations were very unreliable; AppleTV works much better for me.)