The older Apple Home architecture will live for a few more months. Apple previously planned on phasing out the architecture in late 2025.
Instead, the HomeKit architecture will stop functioning on February 10, 2026.
Old HomeKit setup gets an extended lease
Apple initially rolled out the new HomeKit architecture with iOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 in late 2022. But it pulled the change soon after following reports of user complaints.
The company again reintroduced the upgraded Home architecture with iOS 16.4 in March 2023.
Users were greeted with the opt-in upgrade when they opened the Home app post-installing iOS 16.4. Since then, Apple has supported both architectures simultaneously.
As noted in an Apple Support document, that will now change in February 2026, as the company will stop supporting the older architecture then.
Support for the previous version of Apple Home will end on February 10, 2026.
Apple has not extensively detailed the upgrade. It only mentions that the new architecture promises improved performance and reliability for controlling your HomeKit-compatible devices. Plus, it adds support for more features and smart home devices, such as robot vacuum cleaners, guest support, etc.
Upgrade to the new Home architecture
If you haven’t already, you can upgrade to the new Home architecture from the Home app. Just tap the More button → Home Settings → select your Home → Software Update → and then tap Update Now.
Even if you don’t use HomeKit, upgrade to the new version as Apple will drop support for the older version by February 2026. And if you have devices linked to your Home app, you must upgrade; otherwise, these devices will stop working.
The new Home architecture is only compatible with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1 and later.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
