Apple TV not only provides one of the best OTA streaming experiences but also doubles as a Home Hub for all the many HomeKit devices in your portfolio.
But what will you do when the status tile on your Home app reads Not Connected under the Apple TV?
One Sunday evening, my Apple TV got switched to standby mode and stopped acting as my primary hub. I went online and read through several user forums to figure out why this was happening.
To fix Apple TV Home Hub that is not connected, refresh the Apple TV and iOS, check network status, and update the Apple TV and Home app. If the issue persists, enable the iCloud keychain and two-factor authentication on iOS. You could also try removing and re-adding Apple TV on iCloud. If none of these works, factory reset the TV.
With that said, here's a comprehensive troubleshooting guide on how to fix Apple TV Home Hub not connected issue.
Refresh Apple TV and iOS
Even for issues with very high degrees of severity, such as the one at hand, there exists a simple fix - System Refresh.
Latent bugs and errors may have sneaked their way into your device and interfere with the working of your system, making it glitchy at times.
Now, you can cleanse your system of such malignants in various ways. But the most simple yet effective one is to refresh it.
And in our case, a power cycle test will do just fine.
The power cycle test remains one of the most reliable and effective modes of system reboot since it also drains the system of any pent-up static charges apart from refreshing the system.
Start by unplugging your device (Apple TV) from the power supply.
Leave it idle for a few seconds or a minute or so.
Plug back in the power supply and power ON the device. Check for the issue now.
You could also restart the Apple TV through interface commands. Follow these steps to do so:
1. Press and hold the Back button (2nd gen Siri Remote)/Select Button (1st gen Siri Remote) and the TV button together until the status LEDs on the Remote starts flashing.
2. Then, unplug the device from the power source and plug it back in after a good few seconds.
3. Switch on your Apple TV and open the Settings tab.
4. Navigate to the System tile and select the Restart option.
Refresh the Home App
And while you're at it, better restart the Home app too.
Sharing an almost similar vulnerability to bugs and errors as the Apple TV, the Home app, too, can get besieged by these interlopers.
And so, it's recommended to refresh your Home app/iOS devices as well in times of distress.
A system device restart will do for now.
To restart your Apple iOS device, follow these steps:
1. Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up/Down button together until the Power OFF slider appears on the screen.
In the case of older iOS devices (iPhone SE/8 and earlier), press and hold the Power button alone until the slider appears.
2. Power OFF your device and power it back ON after a few seconds.
Open the app and check the status of your connection.
To check the status of the Apple TV Home Hub of your Home app, follow these steps:
1. Open the Home app and tap open the Home icon towards the top left.
2. Open the Home Settings tab and select Hubs and Bridges.
3. On the next screen, you can find the status of various Home Hub devices.
4. The device with the 'Connected' status acts as the primary Hub. The rest of the Hubs will be either switched to 'Stand By' or 'Disconnected' status modes.
Check the Status of the Network
Network characteristics pretty much make or break the deal with Smart Home gadgets.
Even an insignificant variation in signal strength or an acute dip in network speed can hinder the optimal working of your HomeKit accessories.
And one such issue found with accessories is the Nanoleaf not connecting to the HomeKit issue.
Hence, try not to turn a blind eye to the status of your network in dire times like with the issue at hand.
Get to know the status of your network by conducting a network speed test.
Available by the handful on the App Store or directly via a speed testing site, a speed testing application will let you know the various parameters of your network and their current status.
Once you get the results, check for any possible variations in network parameters. Wavering signal strengths or dipping network speeds should get you started.
If you notice any such variations, maybe it's high time you refresh your network.
A power cycle test, which we adopted to reboot the Apple TV earlier, should do just fine here too.
Here's how to do so:
- Unplug the Router and leave it idle for a few seconds.
- Press and hold the various buttons on your router (preferably the Power button) for a good second or two. Repeat this step a couple of times.
- Plug back in the power supply and power ON the Router.
Run the speed test once more on the network and check the status. If everything looks good with the results, proceed to connect the devices back to the network. Check for the issue now.
If you still experience the issues, check the next fix down below.
Switch the Network to a Wider Bandwidth
If the status still reads 'disconnected' under your Apple TV Home Hub tile on the Home app even after refreshing the network, better switch the network to the wider 5 GHz band.
While the 2.4 GHz band does reign supreme over the 5 GHz band in terms of reliability and compatibility, it's in no way perfect.
For starters, the band starts showing its true colors by becoming irrationally unstable with faltering speeds and blooming latency once the traffic on the network exceeds the limit.
Apple chooses the primary Hub device based on signal strength. And so, you lose the hierarchy of signal strength distribution on the 2.4 GHz band in times of high network activity.
The 5 GHz band hosts no such issues and remains stable even under heavy traffic.
Hence, the best way to remedy this issue is to switch network bands.
To switch the network on your Apple TV, follow these steps:
1. Open the Setting menu on your Apple TV and open the Network tab.
2. Select the WiFi option and choose the 5 GHz band.
3. Enter the Password to complete the process.
Change the network band on your iOS device also before checking the status.
Alternatively, you could also opt for a wired alternative over the wireless mode for better network characteristics and less interference.
Follow these steps on the Apple TV to switch the network to the wired mode:
1. Connect the Ethernet cable to your Apple TV.
2. Open the Settings menu and click open the Network tile.
3. Choose the Wired option.
Wait for the device to detect the Ethernet cable.
Update Apple TV and Home App
Next, try updating the firmware on your Apple TV and Home app.
Outdated apps and firmware versions virtually lack the necessary defense against most malicious bugs and errors waiting to infest your device.
Updates ensure that your device is up to date and immune to all the many errors and stale files popping up by the hour on the internet.
And so, in times of adversity, do your Apple TV a favor and check for updates for your devices.
To update your Apple TV, follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings menu and click open the System option.
2. Navigate to the Software Update tile and choose Update Software.
3. Select Download and Install to initiate the update process.
The status LEDs will start to pulse once the update initiates.
You could also turn ON automatic updates on your Apple TV.
Go to Settings> System> Software Update> Automatically update to enable it.
To update the Home app on your Apple iOS device, follow these steps:
1. Open the App Store on your device and tap open the Account icon towards the top right.
2. Scroll down to the Available updates section and navigate to the Home app tile.
3. Click on Update to initiate the update process.
Running the Home app on outdated firmware can also cause issues on client devices. HomeKit becoming unresponsive on Roku devices is one prime example.
Enable iCloud Keychain and Two-Factor Authentication on iOS
Apple recommends checking and enabling Keychain and Two-factor authentication when facing issues with Home Hub connections on your Home app.
These features help enhance the connection and improve the protection and accessibility aspect of the pairing.
Usually, you'll be prompted to set up these two features on the initial setup of your iOS device. If you decided to skip them then, better do it now.
With iCloud Keychain, you won't have to worry about syncing all your passwords and preferences across devices anymore.
To enable Keychain on your iOS device (if you haven't already done so), follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings menu on your iOS device and tap on the Account tile.
2. Select iCloud and choose Keychain.
3. Provide your iCloud Login credentials and follow the onscreen prompts to complete the setup.
Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection for your device and iCloud Account.
To enable Two-Factor Authentication on your device/account, follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings tab and tap open the Account tile.
2. Select Passwords & Security and turn ON the feature.
3. Tap Continue. Proceed to enter the Phone Number you wish to receive the security verification code.
4. Enter the Code hence received to complete the process.
You might as well refresh the iCloud on your iOS device while tinkering with these settings.
To do so, all you have to do is to sign out and sign back into your iCloud account.
Go to Settings> Account> Log out (bottom).
Restart your device and return to the Settings tab to log back into your iCloud Account.
Remove and Re-add Apple TV on iCloud
Issues with iCloud may very well have led you to this marl pit of disconnectivity issues.
And a suitable fix for this issue is to refresh the iCloud connection on your Apple TV.
Whether from bugs and errors or due to an oversaturation of synced devices, iCloud can host issues and hinder the proper working of your Apple TV.
Hence, the refresh.
Follow these steps to remove your Apple TV from iCloud on your iOS device:
1. Open the Settings tab and tap open your Account tile.
2. Select the iCloud tile and scroll down to your Apple TV device tile.
3. Open the tile and click on the Remove from Account option down below.
4. Confirm your selection by tapping on the Remove option.
Exit from the menu and restart your device.
Before pairing back the device again to your iCloud account, it's recommended to factory reset your Apple TV as an added measure.
Once you have reset the device, follow these steps to pair back your Apple TV to iCloud:
1. On your Apple TV, open the Settings menu and select the Users & Account option.
2. Click on the iCloud option. Then choose Sign In.
3. Enter the login credentials to sign in to iCloud.
Don't forget to enable the Home Hub settings after setting up your iCloud account on your Apple TV.
To do so, go to Settings> Airplay & HomeKit Settings> Apple TV as Home Hub.
Factory Reset Apple TV
If the issue remains stubborn and fails to nudge out of its comfort zone, try factory resetting your Apple TV.
Do note: factory resetting will prompt the device to delete all user preferences and downloaded content.
The device will essentially revert to its factory defaults.
The process is a bit time-consuming, so do be patient while resetting.
Factory Resetting Apple TV will also make it sign out of your Apple iCloud Account.
To initiate the reset, follow these steps on your Apple TV:
1. Click open the Settings menu and navigate to the System option.
2. Choose Reset.
3. You can now either choose Reset or Reset and Update. Reset and Update will also update the Apple TV to its most current firmware version.
Wait for the reset to finish. Once completed, reconfigure Apple TV to your liking and login back to your iCloud Account.
On older third-generation Apple TVs, go to [Setting> General> Reset] to perform a factory reset.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, a comprehensive guide comprising of the many fixes and troubleshooting steps to help you resolve connectivity issues with Apple TV Home Hub.
Apart from the fixes mentioned above, you may also delete any unnecessary Hubs from the Home app to make the connection a bit more streamlined.
You may also consider moving the Router closer to the Apple TV to amplify the signal strength. Doing so will limit environmental-based interference too.
Better contact the customer services of Apple if none of these fixes seems to alleviate the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I connect my Apple TV to my Home Hub?
If you have logged your Apple TV into your iCloud account, Apple TV will automatically be set as a Home Hub device. You check the status of your connection by going to Settings>Accounts>iCloud>Home Hub.
How do I change HomeKit hubs?
If you want to switch HomeKit Hub to a different device, first, you'll have to disable Home Hub capabilities on your current primary Hub. In the case of Apple TV, go to Settings>Airplay & HomeKit>Apple TV as Home Hub> tap on the device name tile.
How do I make Apple TV discoverable?
To enable pairing on your Apple TV, you'll have to enable Bluetooth. Go to Settings>Remotes & Devices>Bluetooth. Choose your desired device to pair with from the Other Devices tab.
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