Apple HomeKit supports Robot Vacuums over Matter in iOS 18.4 Beta

Today, Apple launched the first 18.4 Developer Beta. With a launch expected in April, they now implemented the support for Matter Robot Vacuums in Apple HomeKit. Smart Home Centre was able to successfully control the SwitchBot S10 Robot Vacuum using the Home app from Apple and Siri commands.

You can find all robot vacuums with native Matter support in our overview.

SwitchBot S10 in Apple Home

SwitchBot already updated the S10 with Matter support at the end of last year, allowing users to create a Matter pairing code in the SwitchBot app. A SwitchBot hub is not required. These are the steps to create a Matter code for the S10 and add it to Apple Home:

• Go to the settings page of the SwitchBot S10
• Go to Matter Setup (Beta)
• Choose ‘How to use Matter?’ 
• Follow the steps on screen until a Matter code is created
• Go to the Apple Home app and press to + sign
• Choose Add accessory -> More options and select the nearby found device ‘S10’. 
• Follow the instructions to add the Robot Vacuum to Apple Home

Now, the robot vacuum is added to your Home in Apple HomeKit, allowing you to control the robot vacuum within the app and integrate it with your automations.

Control Robot Vacuums in Apple Home

After the robot vacuum is added to Apple Home, you have several options to control the device over Matter. Currently, the following actions are supported:

• Start or stop a cleaning session
• Change cleaning mode (Vacuum or Vacuum and Mop)
• Set the Vacuum mode (Quit, Quick, Deep Clean or Automatic)
• Include Robot Vacuums in scenes and automations

While we are able to start a cleaning session and pause the robot vacuum, it does not return to the base station when ‘Return to Dock’ is pressed. Either on the Apple or SwitchBot side, this might need further improvement and is to be expected in a Beta release. We also noticed it sometimes takes a while to respond, especially if several requests are made in a short time period.

With support for Robot Vacuums in Apple Home, you can control your robot vacuum in the app and via Siri using some basic commands. For more detailed settings, such as cleaning specific rooms, n mapping or tasks not related to cleaning like the SwitchBot K20+ Pro announced at CES 2025 will be able to, you will still need the app from the manufacturer. The Matter standard might of course add new functionality over time, but with the many specific options for controlling and using your robot vacuum, another app will probably be necessary anyway.

Check also our other Smart Home news from this week, like the release of the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro and the Dimmer Switch H2 EU. We also offer our Smart home news, reviews and tips on our Dutch website: SmartHomeCentre.nl