Ikea 2026 Matter lineup, Apple updates, smart home maintenance

On this week’s episode of the HomeKit Insider podcast, your host talks about the massive Ikea Matter smarthome launch, reviews Apple’s new OS updates, and gives some maintenance tips for your smart home.

Since the last HomeKit Insider episode, Apple released all of its 26.1 OS updates. And, we got the first betas for the 26.2 versions of all the different platforms too!

With the 26.1 update, Apple introduced a rebrand for Apple TV+, getting rid of the plus sign. There is a new intro bumper for Apple TV content that was shot with practical effects, and a colorful new app icon to go with the rebrand.

Then with the 26.2 round, Apple made a few changes to profiles for Apple TV. Accounts can be created without requiring an Apple ID, such as for a roommate or child that may not have one.

Additionally, if marked as a child account, Apple TV will automatically hide any inappropriate content that’s outside their age rating. This continues Apple’s push to make profiles more useful, like how the profile selector will automatically show on wake with tvOS 26.

Also in these updates were leaked code snippets pointing to possible new devices. There were new strings called “IsFirstParty” in the Home app, which could reference Apple’s rumored video doorbell or cameras.

Outside of Apple’s updates, Ikea finally announced its new Matter over Thread lineup with 21 new devices. This has been long expected ahead of the 2026 rollout.

In the lineup is a collection of bulbs, sensors, and remotes that will fill most needs for the smart home. They will all work with Apple Home out of the box and won’t require the Ikea Dirigera hub.

Finally, the remainder of the episode is devoted to smart home maintenance. Your host goes through some of the obligatory tasks he’s undertaken to clean up his home.

We walk through clearing out old devices that are no longer useful, organizing rooms and layouts, replacing or recharging battery powered devices, and more. Plus, installing some new devices like the Nanoleaf Skylight.

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