The footnote reads, “Sharing a house and receiving Residence notifications require a house hub. Solely Apple TV and HomePod are supported as residence hubs,” which explicitly leaves iPads out of the image. On some degree, it is sensible as a result of iPads are supposed to be cellular, and a wise residence hub is supposed to remain at residence. Making the Apple TV and HomePod the one supported residence hubs ensures that you do not by chance take your iPad “Good Show” out with you and take down your good residence setup.

On the similar time, using iPads as residence hubs could possibly be a option to lengthen the usage of an iPad that’s now not “mobile-worthy” for one purpose or one other. These tablets usually keep at residence, maybe for household use, and provide a devoted Residence Hub show that frees your iPhone and iPad for normal use. As nicely, Apple nonetheless lists the iPad as a tool that can be utilized as a house hub on a assist net web page, as proven within the screenshot beneath; it is unclear why the corporate would change its thoughts about this explicit utilization. Regardless, these previous iPads would possibly immediately discover themselves with out a function, even when they’re able to operating iPadOS 16.

Apple

HomeKit itself is not altering a lot in iOS 16 and feels extra like an incremental improve than one thing utterly revolutionary. That features a new Residence app with a extra streamlined consumer interface in addition to a brand new view that exhibits all of your rooms and equipment at a look. It does set the stage for supporting the brand new Matter cross-platform good residence customary, however that, too, will run solely on Apple TVs and HomePods when it arrives later this 12 months.