Apple planning to release another HomeKit update soon

When iOS 16.2 was introduced, one of the features was a revamped Apple HomeKit experience. HomeKit is Apple's smart home technology, which connects smart devices in your home – like a smart speaker or a smart plug – allowing you to control them via the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. 

The update was short-lived though, as users noted a host of issues with the app. These ranged from "I can't install the update", right through to "nothing in my house works anymore" and led to Apple removing the update while it worked on a fix.

That fix appears to be nearing completion, as a couple of eagle-eyed Twitter users spotted a V2 update in some backend code. As reported by MacRumors, the duo found code relating to V2 of "hh2", believed to mean "home hub 2".

There's currently no timeframe given for the update to go live, but many have guessed that it could form part of an iOS 16.4 update. If so, it's been speculated that a beta version could be live shortly. 

Other commentators have echoed similar statements. Sigmund Judge, founder of screentimes.net, suggested that the tvOS update was being held up due to the re-release of HomeKit architecture. However, the update was released ahead of schedule, and without any change to HomeKit.

The release of the Apple HomePod (2nd Generation) earlier this week, brought focus back onto Apple's smart home offering. One of the headline features was Sound Recognition, enabling the smart speaker to detect when a smoke alarm or a carbon monoxide alarm is going off and alert you via your iPhone.

The small print for the release did note that the feature would come in a later update this spring, and relied on the updated Home architecture. It's reasonable to expect, then, that a full release for the HomeKit architecture is set for before spring this year.