sunset automation stopped working in home app since iOS 18.2

Question

Level 1

16 points

sunset automation stopped working in home app since iOS 18.2

I have my blinds set to open at 8.30am and close 15 minutes after sunset. The 8.30am one works fine at a specific time, but the sunset one has stopped working. I have deleted the automation and recreated and still doesn't work. if I set it to a specific time then it works, but that's not the point of a sunset automation at this time of year when the evenings are getting lighter. any ideas?

it stopped working in iOS 18.2 and still doesn't work in 18.3

HomePod, 18

Posted on Feb 14, 2025 2:52 AM

Reply

Answer 1

benmully Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 21, 2025 11:51 AM in response to Vancouver22

OK so turned off location settings, rebooted and turned on again. Blinds still didn't close at sunset :-(

I rebooted the entire wifi network, router and all HomePods too.

The Hub in charge of my Home setup is the HomePod in the lounge, and if you ask what time sunset is, it knows it was 17:31 today. Also when asking my iPhone it knows. So no idea why the automations aren't triggering now.

Reply

Answer 2

Vancouver22

Level 8

36,926 points

Feb 21, 2025 6:57 PM in response to benmully

Well that’s strange when you say sunrise works?

You will need to submit a bug report in the hopes they fix it: Feedback - HomePod - Apple

My sunset automations for lights work.

Do you have the manufacturer’s App for the blinds to set it up on that instead? If you do then you see if there’s a setting to sync with Apple Home.

Reply

Answer 3

Vancouver22

Level 8

36,926 points

Feb 15, 2025 2:03 PM in response to benmully

Can you try recreating it to just use sunset and not 15 mins after it?

It needs access to your precise location to know sunset times. Check in settings on your primary device ( iPhone) then in the Home App - at the top, three dots … Home Settings. Scroll down to Location Services to enable that.

if it was enabled, toggle off then back on again.

Then test again

Reply

Answer 4

benmully Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 16, 2025 9:59 AM in response to Vancouver22

Did all that last night, and also went into Location settings in my iPhone settings and got the following error below! Needless to say the curtains didn't close again at sunset today. Any other ideas what that error could be?

Reply

Answer 5

Vancouver22

Level 8

36,926 points

Feb 20, 2025 3:12 PM in response to benmully

The location error might have been due to an iCloud outage. I believe there was one the other day.

Go back to your iPhone. In settings at the top - Your Name. - scroll down to Find My. Share my location must be turned on. If it was on, toggle it off, restart your phone, then toggle back on after it restarts and test tonight.

Reply

Answer 6

benmully Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 18, 2025 9:45 AM in response to benmully

OK, so clearing the error about not being able to connect to location server still didn't trigger sunset closing the curtains. So I switched my shared location over to my iPad, which didn't show the location error, and still not sunset closing today. Any other ideas?

Reply

Answer 7

Feb 25, 2025 4:59 PM in response to benmully

There are recent discussions about problems with Home Hubs. It is possible that your default hub is misbehaving and failing to work at sunset. However, it is strange that the sunrise automation works.

Try selecting another device as the Home Hub (in the Home app settings).

Reply

Answer 8

Vancouver22

Level 8

36,926 points

Feb 26, 2025 12:22 AM in response to Vancouver22

I meant to say If you have the manufacturer’s App (download from the App Store) for the blinds to set it up on that instead and then you see if there’s a setting to sync with Apple Home. Sometimes it helps if you can get it going on its own App first, then copy it by syncing to Apple Home/HomeKit.