Replace 12/27: Added an announcement from Apple in regards to the challenge.
When iOS 16.2 arrived final week, it introduced a number of new options, together with Apple Music Sing, iCloud Superior Knowledge Safety, and the Freeform app, in addition to a less-obvious improve to a brand new Residence structure that’s “extra dependable and environment friendly.” Nonetheless, a few week later, it seems that Apple has pulled the choice within the Residence app to improve.
When opening the Residence app in iOS 16.2, customers have been met with a “Residence Improve Out there” within the Software program Replace tab within the Residence Settings. Now that choice is gone. A help doc outlining the brand new function nonetheless says the choice has been “quickly eliminated” and doesn’t have an effect on customers who’ve already up to date to the brand new structure. In an announcement, Apple stated it’s “conscious of a problem which will impression the flexibility for customers to share the Residence inside the Residence app.”
As famous by MacRumors, a number of customers reported gadgets that have been caught in an “updating” or “configuring” standing, in addition to lacking gadgets. Apple warns that any related gadgets that aren’t utilizing the newest software program “will lose entry to the upgraded house till they’re up to date,” however this seems to be an unrelated challenge. Apple hasn’t detailed what the problem is, solely that the choice to improve will return quickly. It’s not clear whether or not it’s going to randomly seem within the app or as a part of the iOS 16.3 replace anticipated to reach early subsequent yr.
The brand new Residence structure requires a house hub resembling Apple TV (4th era or later) or HomePod to make use of superior options resembling HomeKit Safe Video and Adaptive Lighting. Anybody who was utilizing an iPad as a house hub below the earlier structure might want to change to a kind of gadgets to proceed utilizing the Residence app to manage their gadgets.