apple tv squareApple's HomeKit framework allows you to easily control compatible connected smart devices you have installed in your home using the Home app on iOS. However, there are some features of ‌HomeKit‌ that require you to designate a device as a Home Hub, which remains powered on and connected at your home when you're away.

The main benefit of setting up a Home Hub is that it allows you to use location-based automation features if your ‌HomeKit‌ devices support them. For example, 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. For instance, if you're leaving the office, you could ask ‌Siri‌ to increase the temperature of a connected thermostat at home so that it's nice and cozy when you arrive.

You can use an Apple TV as a Home Hub (just like you can use an iPad or HomePod), and the setup process is incredibly easy. Simply follow the steps below.

How to Set Up Your Apple TV as a Home Hub

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌Apple TV‌.
  2. Select Accounts.
    apple tv settings accounts home hub

  3. Make sure that you're signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID as your iOS device.
    apple tv settings accounts home hub 1

  4. Once you've signed in to ‌iCloud‌, your ‌Apple TV‌ automatically sets itself up as a Home Hub.

You can check your ‌Apple TV‌'s Home Hub status by looking in Settings -> Accounts -> iCloud, where you should see the name of the home that it's connected to.

apple tv connected as home hub
You can also check the status of your home hub to if it's connected in the Home app on your iOS device. Tap the Home icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. (If you have multiple homes set up, tap Home Settings next, then tap a home.) Look under Home Hubs to see if your home hub is connected.

check homekit home hubsOnce you've set up your home hub, you'll need to enable two-factor authentication on your iCloud account, otherwise you won't be able to remotely access your ‌HomeKit‌ accessories.

Now that you have everything set up, the next time you're away from home you can give Siri commands on your iOS device to trigger actions, which will obviously depend on the sort of accessories you have installed.

A couple of examples might be "Turn on the living room light" or "Open the garage door," or you could ask ‌Siri‌ to check the temperature of a thermostat, for example. You can find Apple's regularly updated list of all HomeKit-compatible devices.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple Teases Its Next Major Product Launch

Friday February 14, 2025 9:38 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos In a social media post on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...