iOS 16 update will boast a redesign of Apple’s Home app
Apple revealed that its iOS 16 updates will include a makeover of the Apple Home app, making it easier for Apple users to handle their smart home devices, during its WWDC event on June 6, 2022. The update is in preparation for the open-source protocol Matter’s introduction. Apple is one of the companies that collaborated on Matter, a platform that aims to solve the problem of brand-specific walled gardens that prevent smart home items from interacting. Among the other companies engaged are Amazon, Google, and Samsung SmartThings, to mention a few.
If you buy a Matter-compatible smart home device from any brand after it launches, all of your devices should be able to communicate and work together smoothly. Consumers will have fewer apps to choose from and more options when it comes to purchasing the devices they desire, rather than being locked into a certain smart home ecosystem once they’ve purchased one product. When Matter launches in autumn 2022, the revamped Home app will make it easier to identify, move between, and operate smart home devices, and it will include support for Matter.
Furthermore, iOS 16’s improved iPhone lock screen capabilities will provide users with more options for displaying smart home widgets as well as better control and visibility over relevant notifications, potentially making Apple’s smart home app more valuable to consumers.
When is iOS 16 going to be released?
iOS 16 will be available as a free software upgrade in the autumn – likely September – for people with an iPhone 8 or later, following a developer preview that begins today and a public beta for iOS users that begins in July.
