If you’re still using the old Home app to manage HomeKit, the upcoming iOS 18.4 update might force you to shift to its latest version. In most cases, upgrades are a good thing, but the latest Home app architecture isn’t compatible with older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
The news comes via a line of code found in iOS 18.4 that reads, “Support for your current version of Apple Home will end soon. Update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories and automations.” The code was discovered by X user @aaronp613, an analyst for MacRumors.
Apple says the new architecture provides superior speed and reliability, but many users have hesitated to make the leap over stability concerns. HomeKit users found the new architecture could result in glitches that made it impossible to set up new HomeKit devices and stopped HomeKit Secure Video recording from working properly.
Either way, the code suggests you might not be left with a choice. Apple plans to release iOS 18.4 officially next month, but it isn’t clear if support will end for the older version of the Home app then or sometime later. However, it’s almost guaranteed that iOS 19 — expected to launch in September, if Apple follows its normal pattern — won’t support it.
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The timing is particularly unfortunate now that Apple is under scrutiny for its AI situation, including the potential delay of its iPad-like smart device. The HomeKit ecosystem has seen serious improvements over the past year that make it much more usable than it was a few years ago, but it still isn’t on par with systems like Amazon Alexa or Google Nest.
With those improvements in mind, perhaps switching to the newer architecture will be beneficial in the long run (as long as it remains stable). The loss of support for older devices is unfortunate, however.
