Replace 12/27: Added an announcement from Apple concerning the situation.

When iOS 16.2 arrived final week, it introduced a number of new options, together with Apple Music Sing, iCloud Superior Information Safety, and the Freeform app, in addition to a less-obvious improve to a brand new House structure that’s “extra dependable and environment friendly.” Nonetheless, a few week later, it seems that Apple has pulled the choice within the House app to improve.

When opening the House app in iOS 16.2, customers have been met with a “House Improve Obtainable” within the Software program Replace tab within the House Settings. Now that possibility is gone. A help doc outlining the brand new function nonetheless says the choice has been “quickly eliminated” and doesn’t have an effect on customers who’ve already up to date to the brand new structure. In an announcement, Apple stated it’s “conscious of a problem which will impression the power for customers to share the House inside the House app.”

As famous by MacRumors, a number of customers reported units that have been caught in an “updating” or “configuring” standing, in addition to lacking units. Apple warns that any linked units that aren’t utilizing the newest software program “will lose entry to the upgraded dwelling till they’re up to date,” however this seems to be an unrelated situation. Apple hasn’t detailed what the difficulty is, solely that the choice to improve will return quickly. It’s not clear whether or not it’ll randomly seem within the app or as a part of the iOS 16.3 replace anticipated to reach early subsequent 12 months.

The brand new House structure requires a house hub reminiscent of Apple TV (4th technology or later) or HomePod to make use of superior options reminiscent of HomeKit Safe Video and Adaptive Lighting. Anybody who was utilizing an iPad as a house hub below the earlier structure might want to change to a kind of units to proceed utilizing the House app to manage their units.