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After two weeks of saying it wouldn’t work at all, Apple said the iPad would continue to function as the home hub for the iPad OS 16, but the limits aren’t entirely clear yet.
In June, Apple announced that it would rebuild HomeKit’s architecture on the iPad OS 16. The goal is to make the Home app faster and more reliable.
The promise of a better home app experience has excited many users, but Apple’s documentation first clearly stated that the iPad wouldn’t act as a home hub for the iPad OS 16.
In response, Apple has issued a statement to address user concerns.
“IOS 16 and iPad OS 16 will continue to support the iPad as a home hub without losing functionality,” Apple spokeswoman Catherine Franklin said in a statement. The Verge.
But that wasn’t the only statement.
“In addition to these releases, the Home app introduces a new architecture for a more efficient and reliable experience,” Franklin added. “The iPad is not supported as a home hub for new architectures, so users who rely on it for that purpose will not have to update their home architecture and will continue to take advantage of all their existing features.”
Therefore, based on Apple’s current statement, iPad users will not lose their existing HomeHub feature. However, it also appears that many of the new features introduced by architectural updates are not available.
This is probably centered around the new smart home standard, Matter. The exact reason isn’t clear, but Apple doesn’t seem to add full Matter compatibility to the iPad.
Formerly known as “Project Connected Homeover IP,” Matter is a standard aimed at improving integration between Internet of Things devices, rather than replacing technologies and platforms such as Apple’s HomeKit.
By ensuring that the devices under Matter work with each other, consumers are less likely to have problems communicating with other items in their existing smart home setup.
Of Apple’s current lineup, only HomePod mini and Apple TV support Matter. To get the most out of future HomeKit updates, users should purchase one of these devices.