iPad Home Hub Support Apparently Being Removed in iOS 16

by

As part of its rebuilt Home app experience in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple appears to be removing support for using an iPad as a Home Hub.

ios 16 home app
For those unfamiliar with what a Home Hub does, the HomeKit framework allows you to remotely control compatible smart home devices, but some features like location-based automation require a designated Home Hub, which remains powered on and connected at your home when you're away.

For example, with a Home Hub, some thermostats can change the temperature to something more economical whenever you leave your home by using a virtual geographical boundary (geofencing). A Home Hub also allows you to use Siri to trigger actions when you're away from home.

In iOS 15, Apple lets you designate an Apple TV, HomePod, or ‌iPad‌ as a Home Hub, but in iOS 16, which is currently in beta, "Only ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌HomePod‌ are supported as home hubs," according to a footnote in Apple's iOS 16 preview webpage.

Despite this change, it should be noted that iPadOS 16 beta 1 still allows you to designate an ‌iPad‌ as a Home Hub. However, given Apple's marketing webpage for iOS 16 as well as interface notes in iPadOS 16, it's likely that this ability will be removed in a later version of the software.

ios 16 home hub ipad

iPads still available as Home Hubs in iPadOS 16 beta 1

Apple hasn't explained why ‌iPad‌ has dropped from the list of compatible Home Hub devices in iOS 16, but it could have something to do with Apple's announcement that ‌HomeKit‌ will support the upcoming Matter cross-platform compatibility smart home standard when the latter goes live.

Matter will allow ‌HomeKit‌ users to integrate more IoT device categories into their smart homes than ever before, and control them with the Home app and using ‌Siri‌. Matter is due to launch later this year, which is likely to be around the time that iOS 16 is officially released to the public in the fall.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

AMagicianNamedJOBs Avatar
AMagicianNamedJOBs
25 months ago
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).
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Think|Different Avatar
Think|Different
25 months ago
GOOD! If you use Homekit you know this is a good thing. My wired ATV hub acts differently when primary than when my OG HomePods are hubs versus when even my HomePods Minis are hubs – the wireless hubs are never as stable, even on an otherwise rock solid Eero network. NEED to be able to set a default hub or, if that is simply out of the cards, Apple's gotta prioritize wired vs wireless on the backend, come on.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agneev Avatar
Agneev
25 months ago
I don't see how this is good. I have an older iPad that I use as a hub.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gavin_ Avatar
gavin_
25 months ago

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 exist. I don't need an Apple TV and I don't want a smart speaker.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Andres Cantu Avatar
Andres Cantu
25 months ago
That rumor about the HomePod with a screen combo is looking more likely now.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
TheYayAreaLiving ?️
25 months ago
I don’t like How Apple removes these features and not say a word. Hoping people won’t find out. It would be nice if Apple can give us an explanation why it’s being removed or dropped.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 264 comments
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Read Full Article • 402 comments
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Read Full Article
iPad And Calculator App Feature

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Read Full Article • 211 comments
iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Read Full Article • 447 comments
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...
Read Full Article • 358 comments