Homekit hubs appear in multiple homes - with separate networks, making devices not reachable. (homepod minis)

This has been a persistent issue for a couple years now based upon other threads I’ve seen. It is extremely frustrating that Apple hasn’t addressed it. It makes the ability to even create separate homes useless and also creates what would seem to be serious security problems (a HomePod can be physically located elsewhere and on separate network, yet it is available as a hub on different network and in a different location. Scary.)

Hubs physically located in separate homes and different networks not only show up as hubs for other homes, the ‘connected’ hub randomly switches to a hub located in a different home. This then renders HomeKit devices in the homes ‘unreachable, etc.’ Security cameras stop working, lights, everything. As so many others have mentioned, completely taking down the homes, removing devices, resetting HomePods and then setting up everything again only works temporarily and sometimes literally for only an hour or so.

If Apple can (and has) provided option to disable an Apple TV device, a simple fix would seem to be allowing users to ‘set’ a hub/hubs to a specific home and disable it for all others.

I’ve called and spoken to local Apple tech twice who just suggested resetting HomePods, etc. after checking basics such as if two-factor and iCloud key chain are enabled. They said they would create a ticket to alert department heads, but that was a year ago and then six months ago.

Apple please find a solution!

Is this issue now fixed for you? Or has the problem reoccurred? I ended up creating a second Apple ID for my second home.

Hello SMTKSMTK,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you're having an issue with HomeKit hubs. We're happy to provide some information to get you in the right direction to assist.

The article here: Set up your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a home hub does mention "Check that the device that you set up as a home hub is in your home, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and powered on."

"If your home hub isn't working as expected

• Check that your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, or iPad is up to date. 
• Make sure that the user signed in to iCloud is the primary Home app user, and not an invited user. 
• Turn on iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication for your Apple ID.
• Check that the device that you set up as a home hub is in your home, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and powered on."

We'd also recommend checking and customizing the security based on which home you're in: Use routers secured with HomeKit

There's also some helpful third-party information for using HomeKit with multiple homes here: How to Add a Second Home to Apple HomeKit

If you continue to have an issue, hopefully others can post their personal experience. If not, reach out to Apple Support directly to further assist.

Contact Apple Support

Best.

Same issue here. Simple setup, home and office. Periodically, my Home HomeKit hub appears as the hub at the office. I should be able to have two homes and not have the Hub get confused right? I remove the hub from my AppleID/iCloud account, and eventually the other location will fail back to an appropriate hub. But in the meantime - no - it's not staying that way. It'll pickup another device at my Home, and then all the Office devices will fall offline. Seems like a huge bug, and security risk.

@OrigamiFan1, none of the links you provided address the question that was asked.

I have the same basic problem. Mine is a little different in that I don’t want the HomePod mini’s to take control of homekit.

Also, the HomePod mini in one location is being ‘Connected’ to control the OTHER location, making it unusable remotely.

The answer is that Apple needs to give the user a little control over which hubs can and cant connect to different homes.

I have an Apple TV hub in my home and an iPod mini hub in my garage. Both on separate routers meaning Wi-Fi and only one will work at any given time. If the garage works then the home doesn’t work and vice versa.

I have updated, restarted, reprogrammed everything you name it. Google home works fine with everything, I just like the convenience with the home kit when it works.

I’ve noticed that my garage hub is thrown in together with my home hub and my garage is on standby which it shouldn’t be. ???????????

I seem to have fixed my issue. On my Apple TV, I was able to disable the hub that is in my garage so it wouldn’t try to connect to it even though it is no way in range. This way it only has the two Apple TV’s to connect to in the house. It has been working ever since.

I’m not home now, but on the Apple TV I went into the settings and there is a hub selection. I forgot the exact wording, but I was able to take my garage off and my house and garage have been working flawlessly. My garage is not attached to my home and I have two different routers. A mini on the garage and two Apple TV’s in the house. I took the mini off the Apple TV so it only has the two Apple TV’s to connect to. I also turned off my hub on my iPad cause that was getting screwed up when the battery died.

Apple TV allowed you select a specific “home” to use as a hub, but iPads and HomePods you can not. I would have an iPad as a hub and it would be the used in a different home. Easy fix for apple. Have the same ability to select which home you want it to connect with like Apple TV

I have the same issue when the homepod was first set up, it was set up in my primary home and then moved to the secondary home. Maybe it still remembers the first home? I will try to take the home pod back to the primary home and see if it appears in accessories and delete it from there. Will keep you posted when I do it.

I have the case you produced with disconnecting the cable:

ATV is on wifi1 in home1 homepod mini is on wifi2 in home2 (40km away from each other).

Even though homepod shows up in home1 next to ATV and is the active one. ATV is on standby in home1.

So I pray for you but I doubt you'll be happy longterm 🤯

My problem is back, although my AppleTV is now connected wirelessly. This contradicts the explanation and temporary workaround offered by Apple second-level support.

I fear there is no definitive solution as long as you have a HomePod/Homepod mini somewhere into one of your homes.

The real pain is that this problem is affecting thousands of users with second homes. Although not a majority, I guess we are over-represented in the Homekit community because this is the best way to manage security and energy in a second home.

But Apple does not listen and does not even seem to know. The configuration is so easy for them to test: set up two test homes include a HomePod in one and there you go.

So I had this same issue start yesterday 05/10/2022 for the first time.

I have an Apple TV at my office that is a hub for that "home." Somehow it is now showing up as the "connected" hub for my residence "home" that is in a completely different location and on a different network.

I do not understand how this randomly happens or how Apple hasn't addressed this.

I have had this for about 4 weeks. Bought a new aTV. Moved old one from ‘Home 1’ to ‘Home 2’. When ever I set it up regardless of setting up in 2, it always defaults to 1.

many calls with apple tec. They don’t care and said not taking any more accounts on this not referring to senior tec.

updated to 15.5 today. Still the same problem. What a crock of s**t.

not acceptable apple!!!

Apple are u listening? TVos gives the user the ability to select what “home” to select and enable for HomeKit. No other device, iOS, iPadOS allow this and it causes connection problems. Install that same tvOS feature on the other OS’s.