This week, Apple introduced a brand new Home app for its HomeKit smart home platform at WWDC. Apple will announce the new application with the release of iOS 16 later this year.

Apple has stated that the app has been designed from the ground up to make it more efficient and reliable, particularly for households with multiple accessories. The navigation has also been redesigned to make finding, organizing, and adjusting devices easier.

New categories have been added to make it easier to see the climate, lighting, speakers, TVs, water (sprinklers, faucets), and security devices in one location. This should make it simpler to shut off all the lights or lock all the doors, even if they are in different rooms.

In the Home tab, Rooms are now visualized alongside your Favorites, so you can see your entire home at a glance. On the main Home tab, you will see four security cameras.

As you scroll sideways, more cameras will appear. It makes it easier to get to where you want by allowing you to scroll horizontally instead of having to scroll through a lot of accessories or multiple views.

In addition, accessory tiles have been redesigned to use color and shape to display the status of each device. Through the icon, you will be able to control them directly, and by tapping the accessory name, you can gain detailed control

There are new HomeKit lock screen widgets that allow you to get to your accessories faster and view the status of devices.

Also mentioned was Matter, Apple's smart home connectivity standard that allows devices to work together across platforms. Matter is scheduled for release later this year, possibly around the same time iOS 16 launches. Home app will support the standard under the new OS, according to Apple.

Corey Wang, Apple's chief operating officer, said that HomeKit is the 'foundation of this new standard' and that Matter supports some of HomeKit's core principles, including the highest levels of security and privacy.

Matter will allow HomeKit users to select from more compatible smart home accessories and control them with the Home app and Siri, she said, adding that users can integrate more device categories into their smart homes using Matter.

There are currently a number of categories in the smart home that aren't available through HomeKit, including robotic vacuums and pet feeders. Apple's iOS 16 will be available to developers as a preview starting today, followed by a public beta next month and a full release this fall.

All iPhone 8 and later models, as well as the iPad (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), as well as all iPad Pro models will be supported.