Apple reminds us it will soon end support for the old HomeKit architecture, with two options

6 days ago 2

Apple reminds us it will soon end support for the original HomeKit architecture, with two options | iPhone with smart home devices

Apple introduced new HomeKit architecture back in 2022, with the primary aim of making the smart home system more reliable. At the time, users could choose between upgrading or remaining on the original version of the platform.

Fast–forward to March of this year, and 9to5Mac discovered code showing that the company was planning to drop support for the old version. That was subsequently confirmed by Apple, and a further reminder has now been found in the latest iOS 18.6 beta – with a little more detail …

New HomeKit architecture

One of the biggest complaints about HomeKit was reliability issues. The “accessory is not responding” message was infuriatingly common, all the more so because there the Home app gave no explanation of why this might be, nor what the user could do about it.

The result was that you either had to wait for it to fix itself, or try power-cycling the offending device and/or your router in the hope that this would fix.

In 2022, iOS 16 saw the introduction of a redesigned Home app, and Apple explained that this reflected a whole new approach to HomeKit with the goal of making it more responsive and reliable.

Upgrading was optional at the time, but almost three years later, most HomeKit users have made the switch.

Support for original HomeKit architecture ending

It was 9to5Mac who first discovered that Apple planned to drop support for the old HomeKit architecture.

Code seen by 9to5Mac in iOS 18.4 beta 3, which was released to developers on Monday, suggests that the Home app will no longer work with the old HomeKit architecture. One of the new strings added to the system warns users that support for the old version of Apple Home “will end soon” and that they need to “update now to avoid interruptions” with accessories and automations.

This was subsequently confirmed by Apple in a support document spotted last month.

Support for the previous version of Apple Home will end in the fall of 2025. Update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories and automations.

iOS 18.6 beta points to two upgrade paths

MacRumors notes that the latest beta of iOS 18.6 contains another reminder.

Support for your current version of Apple Home will end this fall.

This message gets a little more specific, noting two potential upgrade paths.

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.

It’s likely that the upgrade will be automatic for most, but if you are using older hardware not capable of being upgraded to iOS 16 or later, it may be that Apple advises you need to upgrade hardware before you can adopt the new architecture.