You can now upgrade your Apple HomeKit smart home to a new underlying architecture, which will improve the performance and reliability of the accessories in your home.

The new foundation for Apple's smart home was announced at the beginning of the year and is part of the company's preparation for Matter, the new smart home Interoperability standard.

Apple has been working on this for a long time. The Home app was the first to come with the all-newiOS 16. Apple Home will get a ground-up rebuild with the new operating system.

It sounds exciting, especially to anyone who has trouble with notifications in the Home app and slow response times from the HomePod. There are some things to keep in mind.

If you use an iPad as your main Apple Home hub you will not be able to upgrade.

If family members have older iPhones and iPads that can't upgrade to 16.2 or Apple Watches that can't do watch OS 9.2, they won't be able to control the home if you update to the new architecture.

This upgrade is optional due to these reasons. The new Home architecture can't be upgraded to 16.2. If you would like to try out Apple's HomeKit setup, then read on.

Apple has released an entirely new platform for its smart home. Here’s how to upgrade.
Apple has released an entirely new platform for its smart home. Here’s how to upgrade.
Image: Apple

What to do before upgrading

You won't be able to update until you complete some of the steps needed to get ready for the upgrade. Only the owner of the Home app can upgrade.

If you have an Apple Home hub, you should also have an Apple TV. It's a good idea to update any Apple device that uses the Home. You can watch OS 9.2 on the Apple Watch and update to macOS Ventura on your Mac. You will get a notification if you try to upgrade without doing this first. If you don't update them, they'll lose access to Home. The Home app allows you to update your devices. You need to update your Apple TV by going to settings and selecting Update Software. To update your Apple Watch, open the watch app on your phone, select the My Watch tab, and then choose General. The devices of people you have invited to your home should be updated as well. They won't have access if you don't.

The new underlying architecture for Apple Home should improve speed and reliability.
The new underlying architecture for Apple Home should improve speed and reliability.
Image: Apple

How to upgrade

The first time you open the Home App, you should be greeted with a pop-up saying "Upgrading Home." Follow the steps after upgrading. Follow these steps if you don't see this screen or if you hit the upgrade later option.

You can open the Home app on your phone or iPad with the latest version of the operating system. There is a button in the top right corner. You can tap home settings. Pick one if you have more than one home. You will be able to update your homes. Follow the steps if you tap on the notice that says Home upgrade available learn more.

After the upgrade is complete, you should start to notice improvements to your home's stability and response times. Home settings will no longer show the upgrade home option.

If you run into any problems, such as a household member no longer having access or Automations no longer working, you can try to reprogram your Home hubs. If you want to help, sign out of the cloud, then restart your phone and sign in again.