HomeKit automations not running: how to fix them
Updated 2 July 2026
HomeKit automations do not run on your iPhone. Every automation – time-based, sunset, sensor-triggered, or presence-based – executes on your home hub (an Apple TV or HomePod). That single fact explains most "my automations stopped working" cases: if no hub is connected, nothing fires, no matter what your phone shows.
The other common causes are disabled system location services (which break time zone and sunrise/sunset math) and automation records corrupted by an iOS update.
The fix, in order
- 1
Confirm a hub is connected
Home app → Home Settings → Home Hubs & Bridges. One hub must show "Connected". If none does, unplug all hubs simultaneously for 30 seconds and plug them back in – see the hub guide for the full procedure.
- 2
Check time zone and location services
On your iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → System Services → enable "Setting Time Zone" and "HomeKit". Then Settings → General → Date & Time → set automatically. Sunrise and sunset automations depend on the home knowing where and when it is.
- 3
Recreate broken automations
After iOS updates, individual automations sometimes stop firing even though they look fine. Editing them rarely helps – delete the affected automation and recreate it from scratch. This is the consensus fix for post-update breakage, especially for sunrise/sunset and time-based automations.
- 4
Check "Ask Before Running"
Arrival automations that involve locks or security systems prompt for confirmation on your phone by design – if you miss the notification, the automation appears to have silently failed. Where Apple allows it, disable "Ask Before Running" per automation, or move security actions out of presence automations.
- 5
Reboot everything once
If a specific automation still misbehaves, power-cycle all hubs and the accessories involved. Stale characteristic state on a bridge can make a trigger never fire.
Conditions HomeKit cannot express
Apple's Home app can only build simple automations, and its editor silently destroys conditions created in other apps. If you have automations with multi-condition logic made in Eve, Controller, or Home+, editing them in Apple Home wipes those conditions. Itsyhome's automation editor preserves foreign triggers and conditions on save, shows them in the editor, and lets you build multi-condition automations (time window + presence + any number of accessory state conditions, including numeric thresholds like "temperature ≥ 21°C") from scratch on iPhone and iPad.
Some conditions HomeKit simply cannot compute at all – "door open for 15 minutes" being the classic. See the guide on door-left-open alerts for how to do it with virtual sensors.
Frequently asked questions
Do HomeKit automations need a home hub?
Yes. All automations execute on a connected Apple TV or HomePod hub, not on your iPhone. With no connected hub, no automation runs – time-based, sensor-based, or presence-based.
Why did my automations stop working after an iOS update?
Updates occasionally corrupt automation records. The reliable fix is to delete the affected automations and recreate them – editing them in place usually does not help. Also re-check that a hub shows Connected after the update.
Why don't my sunset automations trigger at the right time?
Sunrise/sunset times come from the home's location and time zone. Enable Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → System Services → "Setting Time Zone" and "HomeKit", and set Date & Time to automatic.
Can I edit automations made in Eve or Home+ without breaking them?
Not in Apple's Home app – its editor discards conditions it cannot display. Itsyhome preserves multi-condition predicates, extra triggers, and end events from other apps when you save, and can edit or build multi-condition automations directly.
Related guides
Control HomeKit from iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV
Itsyhome is a fast, native smart home controller with live cameras, sensor history, automations, and Home Assistant support on Mac. Free on Mac, one-time Pro unlock across all platforms – no subscription.
Download Itsyhome