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Apple Home recently got better in three ways, here’s what’s new

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Why This Matters

Apple Home has recently enhanced its ecosystem with features that improve energy efficiency and security, signaling a focus on smarter, more integrated smart home experiences. These updates benefit consumers by offering more convenience, better energy management, and advanced access control, while also encouraging the adoption of compatible devices. As Apple continues to expand its smart home offerings, these improvements underscore its commitment to seamless, secure, and intelligent home automation.

Key Takeaways

Apple is expected to launch a wave of new Home products later this year, after iOS 27 brings Siri’s long-awaited overhaul. But there are three ways Apple Home has recently gotten better during the iOS 26 cycle too. Here’s what’s new.

#1: Adaptive Temperature feature for smart thermostats

iOS 26 introduced a new Adaptive Temperature feature in Apple’s Home app that’s meant to boost the ‘smarts’ in smart thermostats. Here’s what it does:

Set your thermostat to automatically adjust when you’re on your way home, when you go to sleep, or when you’re away for an extended period of time. Your iPhone uses on-device intelligence to predict when you’re on your way home to bring it to the correct temperature by the time you get there, and adjusts the thermostat to save energy when you are far away from home. It also responds to the sleep schedule created on iPhone to adjust the temperature for when you go to sleep and wake up.

Even though Apple technically debuted Adaptive Temperature in iOS 26.0, the first supported smart thermostat just launched earlier this month.

The Aqara Smart Thermostat W200 debuted with full support for Adaptive Temperature, letting your home stay comfortable and energy-efficient with zero effort on your part. All you need is an Apple home hub.

Aqara’s W200 also doubles as a Matter 1.4 hub with Thread and Zigbee built in, and it pairs nicely with Aqara smart locks and video doorbells too, letting you control and view live video feeds right on the 4” touchscreen.

#2: The first smart lock with Apple Home Key and Ultra Wideband

Apple Home also benefited from the recent arrival of the first smart lock that supports Apple Home Key and Ultra Wideband (UWB).

That product is the Aqara Smart Lock U400—clearly, Aqara is going all-in on Apple integrations.

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