Craig Federighi introducing HomeKit Safe Routers at WWDC 2019
Apple’s HomeKit Safe Routers had been introduced in 2019 however by no means actually taken up by producers, and now some distributors are claiming Apple is not pursuing the expertise.
Throughout CES 2024, two router distributors individually advised AppleInsider that Apple is not accepting new routers into its program. If that declare is appropriate — and it in all probability is, because it got here from the identical rejected producers — given the shortage of HomeKit Safe Routers in the marketplace, it seems that Apple has deserted the thought.
Notice that AppleInsider can’t completely affirm what the distributors declare. And Apple nonetheless has energetic assist pages on the matter.
However, it nonetheless has assist pages on AirPort routers too, and people are as useless as a doornail.
Apple’s unique proposition
The concept was that “with HomeKit on the router, we’ll mechanically firewall-off every of your equipment.” So “even when one had been to be compromised, it would not be capable to entry your different units.”
“Many equipment do not simply join by way of HomeKit,” Federighi mentioned in 2019, “additionally they join by way of the web and thru your router, and sadly, this could go away them open to assault.”
“We wish to guarantee that this could’t occur,” he continued. “And so we’re bringing HomeKit to routers.”
At this 2019 launch, Apple mentioned that “the primary HomeKit-enabled routers will probably be coming from Linksys, eero, and web service suppliers like Constitution Spectrum.”
HomeKit Safe Routers have been deserted in all however identify
Even when these unrelated distributors had been each mistaken, and Apple has not deserted HomeKit Safe Routers, it successfully has.
Greater than 4 years later, Apple at present lists two HomeKit Routers on its website. They’re the Linksys Velop AX4200 and the AmpliFi Alien.
At the moment, eero has a discover saying that its eero Professional 6E and eero 6+ don’t assist Apple House Equipment,” and in addition that “we’ve got no plans to supply Apple House Equipment’s router performance on eero Professional 6 E and eero 6+.
LinkSys Velop AX4200 router
Linksys has up to now ignored requests to remark. An eero spokesperson did supply a remark, however did not reply AppleInsider‘s query.
“HomeKit units can hook up with eero over Wi-Fi and Thread,” mentioned the eero spokesperson, “however we don’t supply Apple’s HomeKit router performance on our newest units”
Whereas eero is not going to say why it has dropped HomeKit Safe Routers, there would not seem like any plan to reintroduce them.
We requested Apple immediately about it. We acquired a response — however we weren’t allowed to make use of in any method, and it did not comprise any substance in regards to the product line as an entire anyway.
Of Apple’s two remaining HomeKit Safe Routers listed on its website, the Linksys Velop AX4200 and the AmpliFi Alien, AmpliFi’s personal description would not point out HomeKit. The present Linksys itemizing does state that it really works with HomeKit, however would not point out HomeKit Safe.
In order that’s one among Apple’s 2019 launch companions gone and one other diminished to a single under-promoted product. Even at that 2019 launch, the Constitution Spectrum partnership appeared a little bit of a stretch, and at this time it is laborious to show it ever launched a product.
That is an deserted customary, proper there.
Apple hasn’t closed this system, however it’s successfully useless and stinks of vendor disinterest. Maybe there could possibly be extra distributors signing up, or possibly Apple has huge plans.
In spite of everything these years of the road being inert, although, it appears unlikely.
Apple may itself make such a router, because it used to make them lengthy earlier than the thought of HomeKit Safe Routers was introduced. Nonetheless, it discontinued its final such AirPort in April 2018, the 12 months earlier than it introduced this HomeKit Safe Routers program.
