MacRumors: Apple reintroduces refreshed HomeKit architecture in iOS 16.4

Apple is reintroducing its revamped HomeKit architecture in iOS 16.4, MacRumors reports. The company initially released it in iOS 16.2, but pulled that back due to bugs. Apple previously said the new Home version would “return soon.”

MacRumors claims confirmed that the new HomeKit architecture will be reintroduced in iOS 16.4. Among other things, references to the new HomeKit architecture in iOS 16.4 would have appeared in the Project CHIP codebase, which later became known as smart home standard Matter. The first iOS 16.4 beta could be released within the next week.

Apple announced last year that HomeKit would be renewed. This gives the accompanying Home app a new design. The underlying architecture is also being changed. Communication between HomeKit devices and Apple devices should be more efficient and reliable after the upgrade, Apple previously claimed. The upgrade remains optional for now.

The HomeKit upgrade was already introduced in iOS 16.2 at the end of December. Users could choose to switch to the new architecture via the Home app, if all linked Apple devices are up to date. However, users suffered from bugs during the initial introduction, which, among other things, caused HomeKit devices to no longer appear in the Home app. Apple subsequently withdrew the upgrade, stating that the new architecture would be re-released “soon”.