Apple has postponed its plans to introduce support for robot vacuums in HomeKit, pushing the feature's release to early 2025. Initially announced as part of iOS 18, the update was expected by the end of 2024. However, changes to Apple’s HomeKit webpage, first noticed by MacRumors, confirm the delay. While some had speculated the feature might appear in the iOS 18.2 update this month, users eager to control their robot vacuums via Siri will need to wait a bit longer.

The update will eventually allow Siri to handle core functionalities of robot vacuums, including power control, cleaning modes, mopping, and charge status. Integration with automations, scenes, and AppleHome is also planned. This enhancement likely ties into Apple’s support for the Matter smart home standard, which added robot vacuum compatibility with its Matter 1.2 update.

This isn’t the first delay for Apple’s iOS 18 features. Earlier this year, several Apple Intelligence capabilities unveiled at WWDC were also pushed back. While iOS 18.1 introduced a redesigned Siri in October, iOS 18.2, expected this month, will bring additional Apple Intelligence updates. Apple has also hinted at significant Siri improvements in the near future.

For those looking forward to automating cleaning routines with Siri, the wait continues—but the feature promises to be a significant upgrade once it arrives.