Mike Wuerthele
Not only can Apple's HomePod be used to control HomeKit devices, but it can take the role of a HomeKit hub, allowing for access and control of compatible peripherals from outside the home.
The HomePod is third class of device that can act as a HomeKit hub. The HomeKit hub feature was previously limited to the Apple TV fourth generation and newer for all HomeKit functions, or an iPad capable of running iOS 11.
What you can and can't do in HomeKit without a home hub
Without using an Apple TV, an iPad, or a HomePod as a home hub, you can organize devices together in a room, control accessories, and create a scene to control multiple accessories with a single tap when you're in range of your wireless network.
Just using an iPhone will also allow you to control these devices, rooms, or scenes with Siri.
Activating your devices manually outside of the home, sharing access to your HomeKit setup to other users, or setting up a series of HomeKit responses to do something at a certain time of day or in response to a stimulus from a sensor requires a home hub.
The third generation Apple TV can be used as a HomeKit hub, but it won't be able to be used to remotely access HomeKit cameras, change user permissions, or create automations from the device.
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
25 Comments
Yes. I need to start movie on home display when I am far away from my home. That would be "great" feature. BTW how do I deactivate microphone permanently? Should I take it apart and cut it or install physical switch?
A couple points: in my (limited) experience "home hub" is not very reliable - at least on iPad: I've set up a "When Anyone Arrives" automation and it worked nicely. But 2 weeks ago, it no longer worked. Nothing on the iPad changed, other than an iOS update. Yesterday, I also noticed that when I tried to turn on the lights from my front yard (using cellular), Siri responded that it couldn't (in typical Apple "style", it didn't give any clue why!) So I went inside and finally looked a little closer at the iPad's Home app and noticed that, for whatever reason, it had a little cloud on the app's icon - which denotes that it had been offloaded by iOS (perhaps as part of the iOS update?). I re-downloaded and opened it and everything seemed kosher. Today, I was able to remotely turn on the lights - I assume that the automation will now work again also.
But it's this little sort of thing - why the he11 is Apple offloading the Home app when it's designated a "hub" and is needed??? With usual lack of help from Siri, one is left to ones own devices to debug these things. With an iPad, at least there's a user interface, but what do you do if you designate HomePod as your hub and something goes wrong???
As an aside: are you sure the third generation Apple TV can be a home hub? This is the last version before the "Siri" enabled Apple TV, right? I have two of those - and I looked for a "hub" menu item when I started my automation journey and didn't see it. I believe I read somewhere that Apple disabled it for 3rd-gen on some upgrade to tvOS? I might be wrong - will check again once I get home.
Second aside: there's no clear tutorial on what you need to do to get geo-fenced based automation working for multiple devices. Currently, only my iPhone turns on the lights when I get home. If my wife comes home, nothing happens. Related: there's a "When Anyone Leaves Home" - why isn't there a "When Everyone has left Home" - a much more useful condition? Where is all the home automation documentation???
(Seemingly unrelated, but important): Why is Apple tanking today, when the rest of market seems to be doing fine?
(Vaguely related): Anything to do with the HomePod product launch?