Apple has introduced many new features in the new operating systems and it has been impossible to demonstrate all the capabilities and point out all the changes in a presentation of just 2 hours. Because of this, the developers are revealing, thanks to the developer betas released last Monday, all the new features that appear in the new operating systems and that did not have space in the inaugural keynote of the WDC24. One of those novelties lies in iOS 18 and the possibility of choose which Apple TV or HomePod in our home acts as a hub or accessory center to control the rest of the accessories in our home. We tell you all the implications and context of this change below.
Years of fighting for iOS 18 to allow modifying the default hub
Home automation has become one of the most important elements for Apple in recent years, especially after incorporating the HomePod and Apple TV into its network of products. To control HomeKit and Matter accessories when we are not at home need a hub or accessory center that allows connection and knowing what is happening in our house. This hub can be any HomePod or any Apple TV (from the 4th generation, included).
Hitherto, iOS automatically chose the device and this sometimes caused it to choose the oldest device or one with a poorer connection, which made it difficult for the entire network of accessories connected to our devices to operate optically. Thanks to iOS 18 that will change since introduces the possibility of manually choosing which Apple TV or HomePod in our home will act as a hub or accessory center.
It is important to emphasize that to do all this it is necessary that all devices involved (iPad, iPhone, Apple TV or HomePod) have installed beta versions of new operating systems to be able to have this function available. Even so, many users comment that they do not have this function available within the Home app settings, so it is possible that in beta 2 of iOS 18 Apple will improve the system and solve this problem.