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Summary
Home Assistant announced that its Companion app will drop support for iOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS 11 starting with version 2026.8.0, with version 2026.7.1 being the last release for those platforms. After that, the minimum supported versions will be iOS 16.4, watchOS 9, and macOS 12. The change is prompted by Apple's developer tools ending support for watchOS 8 and macOS 11 in September, and the company notes that fewer than 1% of its users run these older operating systems. Dropping the legacy versions will enable improvements to UX, stability, and performance, including Apple Watch complications and more advanced widgets. Users on older devices can still control their homes via the Home Assistant web frontend, and version 2026.7.1 will remain available on the App Store alongside the app's open-source code on GitHub.
We’re updating which Apple platforms the Home Assistant Companion app supports, and because transparency is core to how we work, we want to be upfront about what’s changing.
Starting with version 2026.8.0 of the Companion app, we will no longer support iOS 15, watchOS 8, or macOS 11. The last supported version for these platforms will be 2026.7.1.
Here’s everything you need to know:
At Home Assistant, we’re committed to helping you use your devices for the long haul. We know your hardware is something you rely on every day, which is why we try to keep the Companion app running on older devices for as long as possible. However, supporting older OS versions indefinitely comes at a cost, limiting our ability to adapt to modern technology.
From September this year, Apple’s developer tools will officially stop supporting watchOS 8 and macOS 11, making it technically difficult for us to keep building for them. With less than 1% of our users currently running these older OS versions, this update allows us to future-proof the Companion app for the vast majority of our community.
By focusing our efforts on current operating system versions, we can keep our codebase maintainable for the long term. This shift removes some long-standing constraints, since older OS versions had been limiting our ability to make UX, stability, and performance improvements, including adding features such as Apple Watch complications and more advanced widgets.
A recap of what’s changing:
Importantly, this doesn’t mean your older iOS devices will become unusable. You can still control your home using the Home Assistant frontend in your device’s web browser, which remains fully supported and receives regular monthly updates.
The last compatible Companion app version (2026.7.1) will also remain available on the App Store, and the source code will stay accessible on GitHub for any users who want to compile the app themselves.
This update means a stronger, more capable Companion app for everyone going forward, and it’s part of how we keep Home Assistant evolving. We appreciate your understanding and support through this change, and are looking forward to building what’s next.
Original article: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2026/07/07/companion-app-changing-support-for-apple-platforms/ Source: Home Assistant Blog