HomeKit It's that time of the week again. HomeKit has stopped working again...

[BF1M]

I can't control any devices when on cellular. My iPad Pro and my wife's XS Max can however. Literally nothing has changed in the setup from two days ago when it was working. All devices just sit on updating.

Anyone else having this issue? Already tried the same standard crap we try every time it stops working. Signing out, etc

Got to say I'm just so tired of holding HomeKit's hand. I have over $10,000 in devices and at least once a month it all comes falling down like a deck of cards and has to be pieced back together. Asking Apple for help is worthless since it's the same 3 ideas over and over. Reset your phone, reset network settings, sign back into iCloud yada yada

 

[Itinj24]

Very annoying. I had this issue with my iPhone and discovered that killing background apps, more especially safari, cleared the problem. I wonder if it had to do with the iOS 13 RAM issues because it started happening with iOS 13. Mine seems to have stabilized since 13.3.1.

 

[BF1M]

Very annoying. I had this issue with my iPhone and discovered that killing background apps, more especially safari, cleared the problem. I wonder if it had to do with the iOS 13 RAM issues because it started happening with iOS 13. Mine seems to have stabilized since 13.3.1.

At this point I just don't know how much more energy I want to put into HomeKit as a platform. I spoke to Apple at length today and they gave me the standard replies. Told me other people have been having the issue, ran their diagnostics and promised to get back to me....which they hardly ever do.

It's just such an odd problem. My phone is identical in software and settings to my wife's. Mine doesn't work but her's does. Odd.

 

[Itinj24]

At this point I just don't know how much more energy I want to put into HomeKit as a platform. I spoke to Apple at length today and they gave me the standard replies. Told me other people have been having the issue, ran their diagnostics and promised to get back to me....which they hardly ever do.

It's just such an odd problem. My phone is identical in software and settings to my wife's. Mine doesn't work but her's does. Odd.

Same here. Worked on my iPad Pro and my wife’s iPhone 11 Pro. Which iOS are you running? Can you try killing the background apps to see if that helps? Curious if we have the same issue. My Home app would get very laggy, everything would say updating, and my phone would heat up.

 

[BF1M]

Same here. Worked on my iPad Pro and my wife’s iPhone 11 Pro. Which iOS are you running? Can you try killing the background apps to see if that helps? Curious if we have the same issue. My Home app would get very laggy, everything would say updating, and my phone would heat up.

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried and no joy.

We both have XS Max’s running the latest. Hers works as well as my iPad Pro 3rd on the latest. Just not my phone.

 

[Itinj24]

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried and no joy.

We both have XS Max’s running the latest. Hers works as well as my iPad Pro 3rd on the latest. Just not my phone.

Sorry to hear that. HomeKit is annoyingly unstable. You would think with the strict requirements they have for 3rd parties, it would be flawless. Still waiting for the Netatmo Video doorbell that was announced over a year ago and I guarantee it will still have issues when (if) it’s released.

 

[malcky77]

@BF1M I am sure you will have done this, but seeing as its just your phone that is having the issue.....have you re-started your phone as part of the troubleshooting? I am going to assume that you have got remote access enabled in the home app for yourself too?....just in case it toggled off for some reason?
Also....what are you using as the main home hub?

 

[BF1M]

Yes, I tried resetting the phone. The router, the bridges. All the normal stuff we have to do every few weeks when HomeKit just stops working. Literally nothing has changed on my phone, the network or in the Home. The only two things I haven't tried, and won't on principle, is deleting the Home and reinstalling all the devices and starting the iPhone over from scratch. I'm confident that won't do anything and it would literally take me 12 hours to set up the devices; from the cameras to the thermostats, sensors, lights etc

Our main Home Hub is the HomePod of which we have several. The Apple TV 4K's as well as my iPad Pro can also work as Hubs. All are current on software. As far as remote access the person who set up the home initially always has remote access turned on; it can't be turned off if you wanted to. I did try to reset the network settings on iPhone as well thinking maybe there were some carrier settings I missed, no joy. The Home App still has permission to use data. Nothing has changed in the setup at all.

All I did to displease the gods of HomeKit was go for a run in the rain. And for my trouble I got to stand outside for 30 mins until I could reach my wife to let me in the house. The neighbors were wondering what I did this time...

 

[bp328i]

Yes, I tried resetting the phone. The router, the bridges. All the normal stuff we have to do every few weeks when HomeKit just stops working. Literally nothing has changed on my phone, the network or in the Home. The only two things I haven't tried, and won't on principle, is deleting the Home and reinstalling all the devices and starting the iPhone over from scratch. I'm confident that won't do anything and it would literally take me 12 hours to set up the devices; from the cameras to the thermostats, sensors, lights etc

Our main Home Hub is the HomePod of which we have several. The Apple TV 4K's as well as my iPad Pro can also work as Hubs. All are current on software. As far as remote access the person who set up the home initially always has remote access turned on; it can't be turned off if you wanted to. I did try to reset the network settings on iPhone as well thinking maybe there were some carrier settings I missed, no joy. The Home App still has permission to use data. Nothing has changed in the setup at all.

All I did to displease the gods of HomeKit was go for a run in the rain. And for my trouble I got to stand outside for 30 mins until I could reach my wife to let me in the house. The neighbors were wondering what I did this time...

Not sure if you tried this or not but I would randomly have issues similar to yours until I turned off all home hubs except my HomePod. So now the only device I have as a home hub is my HomPod and ever since it's been rock solid.

Worth a try if you haven't yet.

 

[BF1M]

Not sure if you tried this or not but I would randomly have issues similar to yours until I turned off all home hubs except my HomePod. So now the only device I have as a home hub is my HomPod and ever since it's been rock solid.

Worth a try if you haven't yet.

Thanks, I tried that. I tried to isolate each hub(except HomePod because you can't not use it as a potential Hub if it's part of your home) and no change.

Literally nothing has changed. You name it, I've tried it. I even broke down today and deleted the whole home and added every single device back, added the automations etc. Luckily I labeled the devices with a label maker and typed out a handy spreadsheet last time this crap happened so it didn't take too long. Still no joy.

The only thing I've not tried is starting my iPhone over from fresh and I absolutely refuse to do that. I'll switch to Android before I do that again. I must have had to do that at least half a dozen times over the last 18 months or so and no more.

I just don't understand why my wife's phone, which is identical in hardware and software, as well as my iPad all work but not my phone.

 

[Itinj24]

Thanks, I tried that. I tried to isolate each hub(except HomePod because you can't not use it as a potential Hub if it's part of your home) and no change.

Literally nothing has changed. You name it, I've tried it. I even broke down today and deleted the whole home and added every single device back, added the automations etc. Luckily I labeled the devices with a label maker and typed out a handy spreadsheet last time this crap happened so it didn't take too long. Still no joy.

The only thing I've not tried is starting my iPhone over from fresh and I absolutely refuse to do that. I'll switch to Android before I do that again. I must have had to do that at least half a dozen times over the last 18 months or so and no more.

I just don't understand why my wife's phone, which is identical in hardware and software, as well as my iPad all work but not my phone.

Two apps to consider:
“Controller” for HomeKit. You can create and save full HomeKit setup backups
“HomePass”. Keeps a nice and neat easy to read database for your devices and HomeKit codes for each device. Has a watch app too for quick reference of the codes.

 

[BF1M]

Two apps to consider:
“Controller” for HomeKit. You can create and save full HomeKit setup backups
“HomePass”. Keeps a nice and neat easy to read database for your devices and HomeKit codes for each device. Has a watch app too for quick reference of the codes.

Oh yea? Nice, thanks I'll look into those. The first sounds very useful. Something that should be built into iOS...

 

[malcky77]

How many other native apps have you got for the products in your house...such as the Philips hue app or maybe the eve app for example?

I’m now wondering if perhaps there is a conflict with one of your products native apps and the home app....and something to do with remote access, seeing as I’m sure you said everything works on your phone when inside the house.

 

[BF1M]

Hue, August, Honeywell. Only Hue and Honeywell allow remote access through it’s native app. They both work on cellular and WiFi.

I’m out of ideas really. Apple has been less then useless with things to try beyond the standard reset, sign out crap we always get. I’m more upset than I would normally be given that my iPad and wife’s phone work as it should.

 

[BF1M]

Oh and even more funny is that Siri no longer can tell the difference between the word “lamp” and “light”. They mean the same thing to her now.

Take this scenario. You have one room in your whole Home. 4 bulbs in said room. Two over head and two lamps on desks or end tables or whatever. Previously if you had the two overhead bulbs in a group named “Lights” and the two bulbs on the desks in a group named “Lamps” you could say Hey Siri, Turn on the X room lamps“ or “lights” and the appropriate group would turn on. Now it turns on all bulbs in the room. You have to be more specific now. ”End table lamps” “overhead lights.

It’s just all getting to be so ridiculously complicated and frustrating.

 

[cynics]

This may sound like an odd question but is there any possibility your wife is experiencing the same thing but doesn't use it as often to notice?

You said the it just endlessly says updating? It will never goto "No Response"? Does the accessories native app work?

Is it specific devices (or device types)?

What brand and model router do you have? What version is the routers firmware?

What do you have to do to temporarily fix it? Can you try just power cycling the router first and testing it. Then power cycle your phone and test it. Then power cycle the accessory. And finally power cycle the HomePod.

The HomeKit protocol (HAP) makes it a little tricky to narrow down the issue because everything that can go wrong will exhibit the same symptoms.

I'm not trying to sound like an Apple apologist however I've helped friends fix there issues with other SmartHome brands. Usually power cycling the accessory fixes those and they are cheap sketchy Chinese products that I have no doubt are the issue.

 

[BF1M]

I tried it with her phone outside the house personally and on cellular in the house, it works. So does my iPad which I used extensively at work on a cellular connection. Both work well.

They eventually go to "No Response"; the hubs however are in contact on cellular. Apple called me back to day to check that even though I had thought of it myself. The phone can talk to the Hubs, they just can't talk to the devices through the hubs. Of the native apps that allow remote access, they all work as well. ie) I can control my thermostat through the Lyric app just not through Home.

I've tried all the power on\off, resets. I appreciate the input but again nothing in the set up changed. It literally just happened when I left the house one night.

As far as which device types, its lights, thermostat, cameras, motion detectors. The Hubs themselves are in contact so HomePod and Apple TV's are ok in the Home app but they have never allowed for remote access anyway. That narrows it down to me as a problem with the Hubs talking to the devices through my phone when on LTE. I'm 99.9% confident it's a problem with iCloud and not any of the devices. In the past when a firmware update slips past me it just cut that device out of the loop; not the whole Home.

HomeKit has never been stable and what makes that so infuriating is the large cost to buy into the premise.

 

[Itinj24]

I’m gonna have to agree with BF1M. HomeKit is a very unstable platform. Everyday I have to wonder to myself, which automation is not going to work, why this scene is not highlighted showing all accessories within that scene went on or which accessory is going to show “No Response.” Constantly monitoring the app to see what’s going on or what’s not going on. Shouldn’t be that way. It’s home automation. Should be a set and forget.
What I believe is going on is that this is at the extreme bottom of Apple’s priority list. What profit are they making off HomeKit other than the three Hubs? And even then, the Home Hub portion of their functionality is secondary to what they were designed for. Amazon, Google, Samsung all have accessories that they manufacture or own companies that manufacture the accessories. They have a higher interest in making sure everything works properly or it cuts into their profits. Just my thoughts.

 

[BF1M]

The worst part about all of this is Apple's attitude about fixing it. They are two steps beyond worthless and that's not how it used to be. Calling them is now a waste of time.

"Hello, thanks for calling Apple. What seems to be the problem?"

"Um, yea my iMac spontaneously burst into flames....."

"Did you try signing out of iCloud?"

 

[BF1M]

So...I was able to fix this finally. I have no clue how it happened but the automatic time setting on my iPhone was turned off. It was only pure chance I noticed that the time on my iPhone and the time on thermostat were not matching. Turned on ”Set Automatically”, reset the phone and I’m back in business.


I would have had no reason ever ever ever to have turned that off so....whatever...

 

[malcky77]

Just so we are all clear....you have turned on “set automatically” the time on your phone and this is now allowing you to control your devices using cellular on the phone? When it wouldn’t before as per your original post.

 

[BF1M]

Just so we are all clear....you have turned on “set automatically” the time on your phone and this is now allowing you to control your devices using cellular on the phone? When it wouldn’t before as per your original post.

Yep...the phone was 2 or 3 mins behind on time. How that got turned off I have no clue..

 

[malcky77]

That has to be the strangest fix I have ever heard of.....glad you found it though, even if it was a fluke. lol

 

[BF1M]

That has to be the strangest fix I have ever heard of.....glad you found it though, even if it was a fluke. lol

Yea, it makes no sense. Even on WiFi the time would have been incorrect and yet it worked. And again, how the hell did it get turned off? I would never have a reason to have ever done that.