Apple has quietly updated its Home app webpage to reflect a delay in its highly anticipated robot vacuum control feature. Originally expected by late 2024, the feature is now slated for release in early 2025. First reported by MacRumors, the update was made in early November, with Apple revising a footnote on the Home app webpage to reflect the new timeline. The feature, when launched, will allow users to control robot vacuums using HomeKit automations, scenes, or voice commands via Siri.
What the Feature Includes
Apple has confirmed that the Home app will support key robot vacuum functions, such as:
- Vacuuming and mopping
- Power control
- Cleaning mode selection
- Monitoring charge status
This update is expected to align Apple’s smart home offerings with competitors like Google Home and Amazon Alexa Smart Home, which already provide similar robot vacuum controls in their ecosystems.
WWDC Announcement and Original Timeline
The robot vacuum control feature was originally unveiled at Apple’s Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June as part of iOS 18. Many assumed it would launch alongside iOS 18.2 in December 2024. However, Apple updated its Home app webpage footnote in early November, signaling the postponement.
Impact on the Smart Home Ecosystem
The Apple Home platform integrates smart home management into iOS devices via the Home app. This delay could provide robot vacuum manufacturers additional time to optimize their devices for compatibility with Apple’s ecosystem, ensuring tighter integration with Siri and other Apple services.
About Matter
Matter is an interoperability standard designed to enable communication between connected devices locally within the home, without relying on cloud connections. It aims to provide a secure, private, and user-friendly environment, compatible with a wide range of devices. Developed by major companies including Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, Matter supports over 30 device types and operates over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and the low-power mesh networking protocol Thread. See the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) for more details.
