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TP-Link cancels plan to add Apple HomeKit support to its smart plugs

TP-Link cancels plan to add Apple HomeKit support to its smart plugs

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TP-Link no longer plans to update its Kasa smart plug with support for Apple’s HomeKit system, despite announcing plans to support the smart home feature back in January. It’s not clear what’s changed, but Apple Insider spotted a note posted to TP-Link’s website this morning saying that its Smart Plug Mini would no longer get the update.

HomeKit support is being canceled “due to changes in our roadmap,” TP-Link writes. The note doesn’t say whether HomeKit support is planned for other products, just that TP-Link remains “committed to the development of innovative smart home solutions,” despite the cancellation. We’ve reached out to TP-Link for more information.

It’s a surprising change, especially since Apple has made it far easier for devices to support HomeKit. Two years ago, it began allowing devices to support the smart home system using software only, no longer requiring the hardware chip that was previously needed. After the hardware requirement was dropped, a number of existing devices were quickly updated. More updates have been promised in the time since, the Kasa Smart Plug Mini included.

TP-Link’s smart plug is one of the better options out there for smart plugs. You can get a pair for under $40, and TP-Link’s app makes it easy to remotely turn them on or off, identify which plug is which, and set schedules for when things should run. That said, if you’re on an iOS device, there’s little reason to buy a smart home device that doesn’t support HomeKit since Apple’s system makes it so much easier to control and synchronize devices throughout a home. I’d still recommend the Smart Plug Mini if you use Android, but for iPhone owners, it’s now a tougher sell.