Summary

  • Apple’s first developer beta of iOS 18.4 introduces initial support for smart home devices, including robot vacuums, via the Matter standardised protocol.
  • Device management controls for robot vacuums are present within the Apple Home app, including options to select cleaning modes and send the device to its dock.
  • Robot vacuum makers including Samsung (Botnavi), Ecovacs (Deebot), and iRobot (Roomba) have confirmed that their devices will support Matter.
  • The new iOS version also includes an ambient music Control Center option, a “sketch” style in Image Playground, Priority Notifications, and the ability to set a default translation app.
  • It had been expected that Apple would introduce support for robot vacuum brands via Matter in 2022, but this only materialised in the iOS 18.4 beta.

By Wes Davis

Original Article