Still Running Old HomeKit Architecture? Apple is Planning Automatic Upgrades

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Apple is officially ending support for the prior version of Apple Home this year, and the company has been encouraging users to update to the new HomeKit architecture by that time to avoid interruptions with accessories and automations.

homekit showdown redux
So far, Apple has warned that support for the current version of Apple Home is ending soon and asked users to upgrade, but it appears some homes that have yet to transition to the updated architecture will be moved over automatically.

In the latest beta of iOS 18.6, there is code that says automatic upgrades are coming.

Support for your current version of Apple Home will end this fall. Some homes will be automatically updated at that time, but others need to be updated manually. You can update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories, automations, and critical alerts.

Prior versions of this message did not mention the possibility of an automatic upgrade, but it makes sense for Apple to ensure that ‌HomeKit‌ users who aren't checking the Home app settings won't experience an interruption in service when iOS 26 rolls out this fall. Apple does not clarify the criteria for the automatic upgrade, so it's not clear who will need to do the manual update.

Apple first introduced the updated ‌HomeKit‌ architecture in December 2022, but users ran into issues with missing devices, home sharing invitations that didn't work, and problems with HomeKit Secure Video, so Apple pulled the update. It then rolled out again in March 2023 alongside iOS 16.4, and it has been stable since then.

The new ‌HomeKit‌ architecture does not work on devices that are running older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so this fall, some users will be unable to control their ‌HomeKit‌ setups on Apple products that aren't able to run at least iOS 16 or macOS Sonoma.

Apple's ‌HomeKit‌ upgrade adds support for guest access, robot vacuum cleaners, and Activity History. It also offers faster, more reliable performance for smart homes with a lot of ‌HomeKit‌ and Matter accessories installed.

If you haven't upgraded to the new architecture, it can be installed in the Home app by tapping on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and selecting Software Upgrade.

Tag: HomeKit Guide

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Top Rated Comments

ChrisA Avatar
ChrisA
8 months ago

This whole situation is the antithesis of simple and easy to understand.

I have a variety of HomeKit stuff and I have no clue if I have old or new or whatnot.

I had hoped that buying Apple would have saved me from this complexity and confusion.
Here is a story...


Someone build a new house. Grandma and grandpa move it, and all is fine. They like it. Then Apple pushes a software "upgrade" and the next day the kitchen light no longer work.

This is why I avoid putting Homekit in a client's home. This is why I stay with Lutron Caseta or in a streach, if needed Philips Hue. Both of these run off a dedicated "hub" that has no other fuctions and never fails

With building wiring, you want to install it and it "just works" for 30 or 50 years with no fuss. Apple is not there yet
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
8 months ago
This whole situation is the antithesis of simple and easy to understand.

I have a variety of HomeKit stuff and I have no clue if I have old or new or whatnot.

I had hoped that buying Apple would have saved me from this complexity and confusion.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Henrikr Avatar
Henrikr
8 months ago
I invested £2,000 in Apple HomeKit-certified devices, including cameras and other smart home equipment, only to be met with constant issues. The cameras frequently disconnected, the apps regularly froze, and the overall HomeKit experience felt unstable and unreliable. The Home app itself was extremely buggy—more like a beta product than something ready for public release.

Eventually, I gave up, removed everything, and switched to the TP-Link Tapo ecosystem instead. It has worked flawlessly ever since. Frankly, Apple does not seem serious about home automation. HomeKit feels more like a marketing concept than a genuinely useful, user-focused product.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
now i see it
8 months ago
next up - "Apple just bricked my home"
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ledgem Avatar
Ledgem
8 months ago

This whole situation is the antithesis of simple and easy to understand.

I have a variety of HomeKit stuff and I have no clue if I have old or new or whatnot.

I had hoped that buying Apple would have saved me from this complexity and confusion.
The updated architecture was made available about 2-3 years ago at this point, and it was optional about whether to update or not. If you open the Home app you'll likely see a message about updating, if you haven't already. This isn't terribly different from knowing whether you have an OS update available for the device you're reading this from.


I invested £2,000 in Apple HomeKit-certified devices, including cameras and other smart home equipment, only to be met with constant issues. The cameras frequently disconnected, the apps regularly froze, and the overall HomeKit experience felt unstable and unreliable. The Home app itself was extremely buggy—more like a beta product than something ready for public release.

Eventually, I gave up, removed everything, and switched to the TP-Link Tapo ecosystem instead. It has worked flawlessly ever since.

Frankly, Apple does not seem serious about home automation. HomeKit feels more like a marketing concept than a genuinely useful, user-focused product.
I think HomeKit could be better, but it is very useful. I have about 60-80 HomeKit devices in my home, a mixture of Thread-connected devices and Wifi-connected devices, now with a few Matter devices. I experienced stability issues when I used Synology for my network routers, and those issues went away just about entirely when I switched to UniFi for my networking equipment. (There's a device that still gives me issues, but it's an issue with the wifi chipset on the device, itself.)

There's a lot that can go wrong with the IoT segment. It's a shame that Apple ceded control over the networking space when they abandoned their Airport line of routers. If they had full control over the router side of things, I'd guess that HomeKit would be more stable, and for more people. There are a lot of variables in place right now, and those are things beyond Apple's control. It makes things more complicated for people who want things to "just work."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vantelimus Avatar
vantelimus
8 months ago
HomeKit is definitely an area where the Apple experience is nothing short of awful. Device disconnects are all too common. Pairing can be a nightmare, requiring multiple attempts with failures for no apparent reason. The problems must be on Apple’s side because the devices work reliably with the iPhone apps provided by the manufacturer.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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