Use Apple TV as Home Hub without paying for TV+?

Question

Use Apple TV as Home Hub without paying for TV+?

Hi,

My 2022 iPad has been disconnected by Apple from being a home hub controller and won't function as a Home Hub any more (it is used to monitor a CCTV). I have a few lights that I control with Home Hub. So my automations will not work. I have two options: buy a HomePod speaker or buy an Apple TV box. I don't want Siri at all and I don't want another TV source. So it reduces to buying a TV box but without paying for TV+.

Will the Apple TV box then sit there comfortably just acting as a Home hub? Will I be able to control it with a Mac or an iPad?

iPad, iPadOS 15

Posted on Apr 23, 2023 3:57 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Vancouver22

Level 8

37,634 points

Apr 30, 2023 8:03 PM in response to Tim Powys-Lybbe

If you had updated to the new home architecture, which was optional and it sounds like you did, iPad is no longer a hub as you’ve discovered. If you want a HomeKit hub you now need an Apple TV or HomePod.

Upgrade to the new Home architecture - Apple Support

if you get an Apple TV it will become a hub but you can only use Homekit via the Home App and the Home App is only going to work on devices running the latest software. I believe your Mac needs MacOS 13.3.1 and the iPad needs 16.2 or later. If your iPad is ipadOS 15, it won’t work to control Homekit but you must have some device that allowed you to upgrade. Do you have an iPhone on iOS 16? If you do, then you can use the Home App on that (but still need the aforementioned hub) . The upgrade alerted you to devices that needed to have a later software.

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Answer 2

Apr 30, 2023 10:34 AM in response to Rudegar

Thanks. I bought the box and it works fine, though the Remote did not work and had to be replaced.

The response time from the Home application is now noticeably faster.

It took me a bit of a while to work out how to turn off the old Home Hub on the iPad. The Help was not clear to me.

Tim

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Answer 3

Rudegar

Level 10

180,264 points

Apr 23, 2023 6:03 AM in response to Tim Powys-Lybbe

the appletv box is just 1 means to view appletv+ it's not a requirement for any of it's operations both in terms of homekit and in terms of you being able to get apps and even rent or purchase media on it on app store

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Use Apple TV as Home Hub without paying for TV+?

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