Updates rolling out to 2019 models only
Six short months after announcing it at CES, LG will bring HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support to its line of smart TVs tomorrow, 25 July, according to a news release from the company. The features will be available through a firmware update for 2019 LG OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs and UHD TVs with ThinQ AI capability.
The news first slipped in a tweet from LG’s Australian support account, although as many users quickly pointed out, the update will only roll out to 2019 models. Competitors Samsung and Vizio – who also announced support for HomeKit at CES, plus an iTunes app which LG won’t have – will support some of their older models. A list can be found here.
Read this: The best HomeKit devices 2019
HomeKit integration on any smart TV essentially means it will show up in your Home app and can be controlled from there: turn it on or off, control the volume, switch HDMI inputs. You will also be able to use Siri to control it, plus add it into HomeKit Scenes and Automations.
Homekit is releasing in 1 week. Users require iOS 12.4 update to do Airplay2.
LGA
— LG Australia (@LG_Australia) July 23, 2019
According to some early testing done by Macstories, HomeKit integration on LG TVs can also switch between the TV’s built-in apps, such as Netflix or Prime Video, and a TV remote app will be accessible from your iOS device’s control center.
The addition of AirPlay 2 support will let you send video content from an iPhone, iPad or Mac to your TV and mirror your screen. It also includes AirPlay audio so you can listen to music and podcasts through your TV, and pair it with other AirPlay 2-compatible speakers.
