Apple Home App to Introduce Support for Robot Vacuum Cleaners With iOS 18 Update

Apple Home users may be able to relay commands to robot vacuum cleaners via Siri when iOS 18 is rolled out later this year.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 11 June 2024 17:03 IST

Apple Home App to Introduce Support for Robot Vacuum Cleaners With iOS 18 Update

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Kowon vn

Control for robot vacuum cleaners will be coming to the Home app once iOS 18 is released, Apple said

Highlights

Apple Home will support robot vacuum cleaners later this year
It will allow users to use Siri and give commands to the devices
Guest users may also be able to control smart home accessories

Apple Home will gain support for robot vacuum cleaners with the upcoming iOS 18 update, the company announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 keynote on Monday. The app enables users to control their smart home accessories such as lights and security devices, using a HomePod or Apple TV as a smart hub. When the iOS 18 update arrives, the Cupertino-based tech giant will also introduce a new a guest access feature, granting users temporary access to smart home devices located in a household.

Apple Home App Updates

At WWDC 2024, Apple announced that it will soon allow users to control their robot vacuum cleaners via the Home app. After the functionality is rolled out later this year, commands may be relayed to the vacuum cleaners via Siri. These include commands to clean floors, change cleaning modes, or check the battery status.

The core functionality of robot vacuum cleaners will be supported via the Apple Home app, according to the company. These include managing power controls, setting the cleaning mode, and performing vacuum and mop cleaning, and checking charge status.”

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Guest Access on Apple Home

Device owners will be also able to provide guest access to smart home devices to those people who don't visit their homes too often. In addition to that, they can also set schedules for when guests can access their homes with smart home keys utilising the ultra wide-band (UWB) technology, it further added.

This functionality will be rolled out when iOS 18 is released to the public, which Apple says will happen in the Fall. As per the previous trends, this might coincide with the launch of the upcoming iPhone 16 series in September.

iOS 18 Eligible Devices

While iOS 18 is bringing upgrades to existing features in addition to new ones, not all iPhones will be eligible. As per the company, only the iPhone XR and newer models up to the iPhone 15 Pro Max (as of now) will receive the update. This means the iPhone models that received the iOS 17 update last year will also be updated to iOS 18.

However, the newly announced features powered by Apple Intelligence (or artificial intelligence) will only be available on handsets running on the A17 Pro SoC, which means the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, according to the company.

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Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

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NEWS

Design
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Camera
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Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

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KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

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Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

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Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A12 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 2942mAh

OS iOS 12

Resolution 828x1792 pixels

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Further reading: Apple Home, iOS 18, HomeKit, Apple, WWDC 2024, Siri

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More