[Updated] Homekit support is coming to Linksys routers soon

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Linksys Velop router on a small drawer
Linksys Velop router on a small drawer (Image credit: Linksys)

What you need to know

  • Linksys announced that their HomeKit integration is coming in the next few days soon.
  • Users will be able to connect their tri-band Velop router to the Home app.
  • The company says that a firmware update will trigger an invitation in the Linksys app.

[Update] Lynksys has contacted us to confirm that the originally reported information is incorrect. Here is the company's official statement.

Inaccurate verbiage on timing and availability of Linksys HomeKit-enabled routers was shared on our website today. We are excited to bring these features to market soon, and will reach out when we're ready to announce availability.

As reported by HomeKitNews, the company says that it will be releasing a firmware update to their Velop mesh system routers over the next few days that, when updated, will now allow you to add your router to the Home app.

According to Linksys, you must have the Linksys iOS app on your iPhone in order to set up the integration with Apple's HomeKit and that, once your firmware update goes through, you should see an invitation in the app to connect your router to the Home app.

"We're rolling out a firmware update to your Velop system in the next several days. Once your system updates*, the next time you open the Linksys app, it will invite you to link with Apple Home. All of your Velop nodes must be tri-band for this integration to work."

One of the unfortunate announcements is that HomeKit support is only coming to tri-band Velop mesh systems for now. If you have one of the following models, you have a tri-band Velop router and will be able to set your router up with the Home app:

  • A03
  • WHW0301
  • WHW0301B
  • WHW0302
  • WHW0302B
  • WHW0303
  • WHW0303B

Apple originally announced HomeKit for Routers at WWDC 2019. The feature allows your router to set up firewalls across all of the devices on your network so that, if one device was compromised, it would not be able to affect the other devices in your home. It basically brings firewalling as a default method of security for everything in your home that is connected to your router and is a great way to make security easy for consumers.

Eero has also announced support for HomeKit, but it has yet to set a specific release date for the feature.

Joe Wituschek
Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.