Fix "No home hubs responding" and hubs stuck on standby
Updated 2 July 2026
A home hub (an Apple TV or a HomePod) is what runs your automations and relays remote access. When the Home app says "No home hubs responding", or every hub sits on "Standby" with none "Connected", automations stop firing and the home is unreachable when you are away – even though every accessory still works locally.
The usual causes: a hub got stuck after a software update, multiple hubs are fighting over the connected role, or the iCloud account state on an Apple TV has gone stale.
The fix, in order
- 1
Check hub status
Open the Home app → Home Settings → Home Hubs & Bridges. Exactly one hub should show "Connected"; any others show "Standby". If none is connected, continue.
- 2
Unplug all hubs at the same time
This is the key step. Rebooting hubs one at a time while the others keep running often does not fix it, because the stuck election state survives. Unplug every Apple TV and HomePod together, wait 30 seconds, and plug them all back in.
- 3
Update every hub
Version mismatches between hubs cause flapping and stuck standby states. Update tvOS on every Apple TV and HomePod software on every HomePod, then power-cycle again if needed.
- 4
For a stubborn Apple TV: reset the accounts
On the Apple TV go to Settings → Users and Accounts, remove the iCloud user, sign out of Home Sharing, restart, then sign back into both. Stale account state on the Apple TV is a known cause of a hub that never reconnects.
You cannot choose which hub is active
Apple picks the connected hub automatically, and there is no setting to prefer one hub over another. If you want a specific device to be the hub (say, the wired Apple TV rather than a HomePod mini in a far room), the only lever you have is what is plugged in: hubs on Ethernet with strong network positions tend to win the election, and removing a problematic hub from the home takes it out of the rotation entirely.
What breaks when no hub is connected
- All automations stop running – they execute on the hub, not on your iPhone.
- Remote access fails: accessories show "No response" whenever you leave home.
- HomeKit Secure Video stops recording, because the hub does the recording and encrypted upload.
- Sharing your home with other people remotely stops working.
Frequently asked questions
What does "No home hubs responding" mean?
None of your Apple TVs or HomePods is currently acting as the home hub. Automations, remote access, and HomeKit Secure Video recording all depend on a connected hub, so they stop working until one reconnects.
How do I change my active home hub?
You cannot – Apple selects the connected hub automatically and offers no setting to override it. Wired hubs in good network positions tend to be chosen. The only way to exclude a hub is to remove it from the home.
Why is my home hub stuck on standby?
Most often a stuck election after an update. Unplug all hubs simultaneously (not one at a time), wait 30 seconds, and plug them back in. If an Apple TV still refuses to connect, remove and re-add its iCloud and Home Sharing accounts.
Can a Mac or iPad be a home hub?
No. Only an Apple TV (4th generation or later) or a HomePod / HomePod mini can be a home hub. iPads lost hub support with the new Home architecture, and Macs never had it.
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