New Wi-Fi Router: What to Consider in Apple Home

Sometimes, you may need to replace your WLAN router, whether due to changing your internet provider, the router becoming outdated, or simply breaking down. We’ll guide you on what to keep in mind when getting a new Wi-Fi router and how to smoothly transition your Apple Home accessories.

Option 1: Keep SSID

The easiest way to move your Apple Home accessories to the new router is by keeping the SSID (Wi-Fi network name) and password from your old router. This way, the accessories will automatically connect to the new router, and you won’t need to do anything else.

Option 2: Change SSID

There might be situations where changing the SSID and password is advisable, especially if you suspect unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi or if your “new” neighbor is still using your network, even if it was only meant to be temporary. Changing the SSID is a bit more involved but manageable with the right approach.

Creating a Backup

Before making any changes to your Wi-Fi, it’s a good idea to create a backup of your Apple Home. You can find a detailed guide in this post. With just a tap, you can create a complete backup of your Apple Home installation, including devices, scenes, automations, and more, using Controller for HomeKit.

If anything goes wrong or you need to reset individual accessories, you can easily restore the backup later. This won’t affect your Wi-Fi. So, after resetting and re-adding your devices, you can confidently restore the backup to recover names, room assignments, automations, scenes, and more. The new Wi-Fi network remains intact.

Moving the Home Hub

After creating the backup, you should change the Wi-Fi network on your Home Hub. It would have been convenient if Apple automatically updated the new Wi-Fi details for all connected Apple Home accessories, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Apple TV

On your Apple TV, start by opening Settings and navigating to the “Network” section. From there, you can select the new Wi-Fi network.

HomePod (mini)

This option isn’t available for the HomePod. To change its Wi-Fi network, you’ll need to connect your iPhone or iPad to the new network first. Then, open the Apple Home app and go to the accessory settings for the HomePod. You’ll see a prompt indicating that the HomePod is connected to a different Wi-Fi network and offering you the option to move it to the new network.

Reconnect Ethernet Cables

If you have devices connected via Ethernet cables, like the Philips Hue Bridge, you can simply plug the cable into the new router. After a restart, these devices should reconnect and be accessible via Apple Home as usual.

Adjust Wi-Fi Settings in Manufacturer Apps

Before considering resetting your Apple Home accessories and potentially losing all settings, scenes, and automations, check the apps provided by the manufacturers. Some manufacturers allow you to adjust the Wi-Fi settings directly through their own apps.

Delete Network Settings

For a few specific accessories, it’s possible to delete network settings directly on the device itself. We recommend checking the user manual of each accessory for instructions.

Resetting Devices

If everything else fails, you may need to reset the affected accessories. This will result in the loss of all settings, scenes, and automations initially, but thanks to the backup created using Controller for HomeKit, it’s not as daunting.

Note: Before resetting an accessory, make sure you have the setup code. If you haven’t already saved your accessory codes, we recommend doing so. We’ve described the easiest way to do this in this post.

If your old Wi-Fi is still active, you can delete the accessories from Apple Home, connect to the new WLAN, and then re-add the accessories. Alternatively, you can restore the factory settings directly on the accessory. It’s often necessary to hold down the device’s reset button for about ten seconds. Please note that the reset process may vary, so consult the device’s user manual in such cases.

Bluetooth and Thread Accessories

All Apple Home accessories connected via Bluetooth or Thread will remain operational even after changing routers. These devices will either connect to the Home Hub or directly to your iOS device.

Restore Backup

Once you’ve moved all your Wi-Fi accessories and added back any reset accessories to Apple Home, it’s time to restore the backup using Controller for HomeKit. This will restore names, room assignments, automations, scenes, and much more. You can find detailed instructions and limitations in this article.