Apple to Re-Release Revamped HomeKit Architecture in iOS 16.4

Apple in its upcoming iOS 16.4 update will re-introduce the revamped HomeKit architecture it originally pulled in December due to widespread issues, MacRumors can confirm.

homekit showdown 2 thumb
Backend code indicates that Apple is ready to re-introduce the updated Home architecture that was released with the iOS 16.2 update, only to be pulled a week after launch because of bugs and installation issues.

At the time, Apple said the removal was temporary and that the upgrade option would "return soon," but new code references discovered by Nicolás Álvarez (@nicolas09F9) indicate that the architecture will indeed return with the release of iOS 16.4, beginning with the first beta that could arrive as soon as this week.

Apple says that the update improves the reliability and efficiency of communication between smart home accessories and Apple devices, and it is something that Apple has been working on since iOS 16 was announced at WWDC in June 2022.

When the Home architecture was first released, it caused some ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ devices to disappear from ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ setups or to become stuck with a "configuring/updating" status. It also resulted in invitations to share the Home with others failing, and it broke ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ Secure video recording for some users.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 27, 2024 5:05 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in early December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as...
iphone 16 pro models 1

12 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday November 29, 2024 5:17 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Rectangle Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 8 New Features

Wednesday November 27, 2024 12:19 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
General Black Friday Deals 24 Blue Snowmen

The Best 50+ Black Friday Apple Deals Still Available on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Thursday November 28, 2024 1:01 pm PST by
Black Friday 2024 is over, but you can still find great deals on numerous Apple devices this weekend. Right now, this includes big savings on AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, in...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17 Designs Revealed!

Friday November 29, 2024 9:34 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the recently leaked design of the iPhone 17 "Air" and iPhone 17 Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, a report from The Information's Wayne Ma revealed that the iPhone 17 Air will have a thickness of between 5mm and 6mm, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever. In comparison, iPhone ...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
new streaming black friday

Cyber Monday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock

Friday November 29, 2024 5:38 am PST by
Black Friday is over, but you can still find great savings on streaming memberships this weekend as we head into Cyber Monday. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a...
Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3

Apple Expected to Launch This All-New Device Next Year

Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Black Friday iPad Deals Still Available

Friday November 29, 2024 4:48 am PST by
Black Friday is over, but you can still find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Best iPad Deals 9th Gen iPad (64GB Wi-Fi) - $199.99...

Top Rated Comments

airwalk331 Avatar
24 months ago
Final_HomeKitArchitecture_final_v2x_finalfinal.pkg
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nt5672 Avatar
24 months ago
If iCould is any example, then it will take about 5 years for HomeKit to work anywhere near what we expect.

I really wish Apple fans would refuse to put up with Apple's poor quality software releases.

Apple has the resources to get it right the first time, but for some reason they don't. Sure there may be missing features, but what they release should, outside of corner cases, just work.

It is almost like they are outsourcing software development to high schoolers and totally ignoring testing.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightFox Avatar
24 months ago
I could (almost) forgive Apple for releasing an update that borked HomeKit - if they'd had a solution or rollback available within a matter of hours. However, the fact that they've so far taken weeks to fix what has been a catastrophic failure for some users has probably done irreparable reputational damage to HomeKit and home automation itself.

It also gives a very clear message on how serious Apple is about HomeKit.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
24 months ago

It is almost like they are outsourcing software development to high schoolers and totally ignoring testing.
That's leetcode interviews for you, and Apple (and other big guys) do them. They favor people (generally college grads) who can answer tricky questions (since tricky questions are how you learn to code) over people who build real world, scalable systems each day for years. People doing the real work generally don't have the time to go back and review tricky questions just for interview purposes.

It's really stupid how the software dev field has become.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siddavis Avatar
24 months ago

I haven't been able to invite people to my Home since 16.2 dropped. I really hope this fixes it.
I'm in the same boat, but since 16.1. That and a whole slew of issues with Home, and I did not even update to the new architecture. None of my automations work, and all of my scenes only work halfway - always get a "failed" message.

Everything in my Apple ecosystem is a complete mess right now. I ask Siri on my Apple Watch to turn on X lights, and it tells me that I have no Homekit items set up yet. Funny, I have probably 20+ in Home. I always get notifications that I left my Airpod Pros behind even when I'm using them. Then I get notifications that an unknown Airpod Pro is with me... yeah, mine!

Don't even try to contact Apple Support. They are clueless and make promises that they simply have not intention and cannot keep. Since 16.1 and not being able to add anyone to my Home (even my son that is in my Family Share!), they told me engineers would look into it and I would get a phone call back. That was 5-6 weeks ago.

Then there's the promised "features" that either never materialize or come 6-12 months later.

Their SW releases are becoming a complete joke.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
24 months ago

If one has successfully upgraded their architecture in 16.2 - no need to do it again in 16.4, right?
I don't think this is the case. 16.2 has some serious flaws. Many people had no issues but the rest of us did. I can't plug in a HomePod without it bringing down my entire network.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)