Your iPad Stopped Being a Home Hub, Here's the Fix
An iPad can't be your Home hub anymore. Add an Apple TV 4K or a HomePod / HomePod mini on the same iCloud account, check that it reads Connected under Home Settings > Home Hubs, and automations and remote access resume on their own.
Apple’s HomeKit architecture cutover on February 10, 2026 ended iPad home-hub support. If your automations stopped firing this year and remote access broke, that’s the cause.
Why this happened
The new architecture moved hub duties to always-on devices that stay in the house: an Apple TV 4K or a HomePod / HomePod mini. The Thread-capable models also act as Thread border routers. An iPad leaves the house and isn’t always on the network.
The fix, step by step
- Make sure you have an Apple TV 4K or a HomePod on the same iCloud account and network.
- On your iPhone, open Home → Home Settings → Home Hubs & Bridges.
- Confirm at least one device reads Connected. If no hub shows Connected, restart the Apple TV or HomePod and check again.
- Re-test one automation (e.g. a scheduled light) to confirm the hub is live.
What you don’t need to redo
Scenes, automations, and HomeKit Secure Video settings belong to the home. Nothing needs rebuilding; once a supported hub is connected, all of it is back.
Common questions
Can an iPad still be a HomeKit home hub?
No. Hub duty now requires an Apple TV 4K or a HomePod / HomePod mini; iPads were dropped when Apple retired the original HomeKit architecture in early 2026.
Will I lose my scenes and automations when I change hubs?
No. HomeKit stores scenes, automations, and Secure Video settings at the home level, so a replacement hub picks them up without any re-setup.
Runs the homekit.reviews test home, a real mixed Matter/Thread/HomeKit house. Everything reviewed here was set up, paired, and lived with. See how I test →