One of the more confusing parts of getting started with Apple Home is the home hub. An iPhone can already control compatible lights, locks, cameras and other accessories, so it is reasonable to wonder why another device might be needed.
A home hub serves a different purpose. It stays connected at home and helps Apple Home continue handling certain functions even when the homeowner's iPhone is somewhere else.
For a basic Apple Home setup, a home hub may not be the first thing someone thinks about. As the system grows, however, it becomes an important part of features such as remote access and Automations.
A home hub gives Apple Home a device that stays at home, even when your iPhone leaves with you.
What Is an Apple Home Hub?
An Apple home hub is a compatible Apple device that remains connected to the home network and Apple Home.
Today, compatible HomePod and Apple TV devices can serve this role. In many cases, there is very little for the homeowner to manage once the device has been added to the same Apple Home.
The home hub works in the background. It is not something the homeowner normally needs to interact with every time a light is turned on or a Scene is activated.
Its value becomes more apparent when the homeowner leaves the property or wants Apple Home to perform actions without relying on an iPhone being present.
Control Your Home While You Are Away
One of the main reasons to have a home hub is remote access.
When you are at home, an iPhone can communicate with compatible accessories through the home network and the technologies those devices support. When you leave, your iPhone is no longer on that local network.
A home hub provides the connection that allows supported Apple Home accessories to remain accessible remotely.
This can allow a homeowner to check or control compatible devices while at work, traveling or simply away from the property.
For example, someone could check whether a compatible garage door is closed or control an outdoor light from another location.
Home Hubs Help Run Automations
A home hub is also important for Apple Home Automations.
An Automation tells Apple Home to perform an action when something happens. A light might turn on at sunset, selected devices might change when everyone leaves home or a motion sensor might trigger another accessory.
These actions should not depend on someone's iPhone remaining inside the house.
The home hub provides a device that stays behind and helps Apple Home carry out those Automations.
Control the home while away
A home hub helps provide remote access to supported Apple Home accessories when your iPhone is away from the home network.
Keep routines running
The home hub helps Apple Home perform configured Automations without requiring an iPhone to remain at home.
HomePod Can Be a Home Hub
A HomePod or HomePod mini can serve as an Apple home hub.
For someone who already uses a HomePod for music or Siri, this means the same device can also perform an important role behind the scenes in Apple Home.
Once properly configured with the same Apple Account and Home, the HomePod can handle the home-hub role without requiring a separate dedicated hub.
This is one reason someone may already have a functioning home hub without realizing it.
Apple TV Can Be a Home Hub Too
Compatible Apple TV models can also serve as Apple home hubs.
When an Apple TV is properly configured and added to a room in Apple Home, it can provide home-hub functionality while continuing to serve its normal purpose as a streaming device.
For households that already have an Apple TV connected to a television, this can make adding home-hub functionality relatively straightforward.
The homeowner does not necessarily need to purchase a device used only as a smart-home hub.
What About Thread and Matter?
Home hubs can also play a role in newer smart-home technologies such as Thread and Matter.
Matter is a smart-home standard designed to improve compatibility among major ecosystems. Thread is a low-power networking technology used by some connected devices.
Certain Apple devices can provide the additional networking capabilities needed by Thread-based accessories. The exact requirements depend on the accessory and the Apple hardware being used.
For someone getting started, there is no need to understand all of the underlying networking technology. The practical point is that the home hub can do more than provide remote access. Depending on the hardware, it can also help connect and manage some of the technologies used by newer smart-home accessories.
What Does a Home Hub Mean for Outdoor Devices?
The benefits of a home hub apply outside the house as well.
Consider a Channel Master Pro-Floodlight connected to Apple Home. When someone is at home, the light can be controlled through Apple Home over the local network.
With the appropriate Apple Home setup and home hub, the homeowner can also use features such as remote access and Automations.
A Pro-Floodlight could be included in an Automation that turns outdoor lighting on at sunset. A compatible motion sensor could be used to trigger the light after dark. The homeowner could also control supported devices while away from the property.
The home hub does not replace the Wi-Fi connection used by the light. Instead, it helps Apple Home coordinate the connected home and provide features beyond basic local control.
Do You Need a Home Hub?
Not every Apple Home user needs to begin by purchasing a home hub.
If the goal is simply to control a compatible device from an iPhone while at home, basic local control may be all that is needed.
A home hub becomes more important when the homeowner wants to use features such as remote access, Automations or accessories that depend on specific hub capabilities.
Before buying anything, check whether the home already has a compatible Apple TV, HomePod or HomePod mini. It may already have the hardware needed.
You may already own an Apple home hub without thinking of it as one.
Where Should a Home Hub Be Located?
Because a home hub depends on the home network, reliable connectivity is important.
A HomePod should be located where it has a dependable network connection. An Apple TV connected by Ethernet can provide a wired network connection when the model and home network support it.
For homes using Thread accessories, the location and capabilities of Thread-enabled Apple devices can also influence the connected-home network.
As with other smart-home products, a strong home network provides a better foundation for reliable operation.
Home Hub, Scenes and Automations Work Together
It can help to think of the major Apple Home features as having different jobs.
Accessories are the individual lights, locks, sensors, cameras and other connected devices.
Scenes set several compatible accessories to preferred settings together.
Automations determine when actions should happen based on time, location, sensors or other triggers.
The home hub stays at the property and helps Apple Home provide remote access and carry out those Automations.
Homeowners do not need to understand the technical details behind every interaction. For most people, the important question is simply which Apple Home features they want to use.
If those features include controlling the home while away or having devices respond automatically throughout the day, a home hub becomes an important part of the system.