According to PCWorld, Apple just extended the deadline for switching to its new Home architecture from fall 2025 to February 10, 2026. The company originally planned to drop support for the legacy platform this season, which is pretty much right now. This updated Home framework launched back in December 2022 promising more reliable smart home operation, but the initial rollout was so problematic that Apple actually pulled the update entirely. The retooled version released in February 2023 has been running relatively smoothly, but many users still haven’t made the switch due to compatibility concerns and the loss of iPad home hub functionality.
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Why Everyone’s Still Nervous
Here’s the thing – that disastrous 2022 launch left some serious scars. When Apple first rolled out the new Home architecture, users reported everything from unresponsive hubs to devices stuck in perpetual “updating” mode. Basically, people’s smart homes stopped working properly. And when your lights won’t turn on or your thermostat goes haywire, that’s not just an inconvenience – it breaks the entire promise of home automation.
So can you really blame people for being cautious? Even though Apple fixed the worst issues in the February 2023 relaunch, that initial experience made many users understandably gun-shy. Once burned, twice shy, as they say.
The iPad Problem
But there’s another huge reason people are dragging their feet: the iPad situation. With the old Home architecture, you could use any iPad as your home hub. That was perfect for people who already had an iPad sitting around or who preferred the tablet interface. Now? Only Apple TV 4K or HomePod devices work as hubs.
That’s not just an inconvenience – it’s potentially hundreds of dollars in additional hardware costs. If your entire smart home ecosystem relied on that iPad hub, switching architectures means you’re suddenly in the market for new Apple hardware. And let’s be real, Apple products don’t come cheap.
What’s Really Going On Here
Now, why would Apple extend the deadline now? The timing is interesting. There are strong rumors about redesigned HomePod minis and Apple TV 4K models coming soon, potentially with Apple Intelligence and that long-promised AI-enhanced Siri. Could Apple be waiting until more people have upgraded to the newer hub hardware before forcing the architecture switch?
It makes business sense, honestly. The more people using modern Apple TV and HomePod devices as hubs, the smoother this transition will go. And let’s not forget – Apple still needs to prove this new architecture is truly stable. The initial problems were significant enough that they’re probably being extra cautious this time around.
So should you update now or wait until 2026? If you’re already using an Apple TV or HomePod as your hub and your devices are relatively modern, the switch is probably safe. But if you’re still relying on that iPad? You’ve got some thinking to do – and now you’ve got more time to do it.
