Apple Home will gain new AI adaptive temperature in future update
Code from iOS 26 has leaked an unannounced AI feature for Apple Home users that will automatically adjust your smart thermostat.
Apple Home may be getting new predictive temperature and energy features
Apple has been working on home energy solutions for users for some time. It seems Apple's ambitions have expanded, though.
Steve Moser shared new code discoveries on Twitter that he found in iOS 26 that point to a new Adaptive Temperature tool.
This feature uses AI to adjust the thermostat in your home, based on your location or predicted location. It's similar to the AI powered Workout Buddy on Apple Watch.
Code strings were found for at home, away, adaptive temperature, and clean energy. As a basic example, the new feature could adjust your thermostat to one temperature while you're away and another when you're home.
Code snippets uncovered in the Home app and shared by Steve Mosser
There are references to additional settings for at night too, for further customization. Other smart thermostats, like Ecobee, already have similar features built in.
What will likely separate Apple's attempt is its usage of Apple Intelligence. The code mentions being able to automatically adjust when someone is predicted to arrive home.
That's similar to how Apple Maps is able to predict where you may be headed, based on your travel patterns or schedule. This same information can be used to adjust the temperature in your home.
Additionally, with knowledge of your energy provider and location, it can slowly adjust the thermostat proactively. The code says, "Home can adjust this thermostat by small amounts to help reduce electricity usage while energy sources are less clean."
Apple's home energy efforts thus far
This is only the latest energy feature that Apple has added to its platforms. It started with clean energy monitoring in the Home app with iOS 17.
That feature, called Grid Forecast, is based on your location and time of day. Depending on where you are, and when you're there, it lets you know when your're using more green energy. This is beneficial for users to plan their high-energy activities to take place when wanted, like EV charging or laundry.
Grid Forecast expanded with iOS 18, allowing users to manually link their energy provider, bringing usage and rate information into the Home app. Unfortunately, that feature is severely limited with few providers supporting it.
Ecobee among others already have some form of location-based scheduling
In June of 2025, Apple announced iOS 26 which added yet another feature, but a bit more behind the scenes. The new EnergyKit framework was made available for developers to tap into Home data to know when to use clean or less expensive energy.
Speculative timing
It's unclear when Apple intends to roll out this feature to users. Apple made a concerted effort at WWDC to not announce any new features, especially Apple Intelligence ones, that would not be ready by the public release of iOS 26.
A mockup of Apple's upcoming smart home display
More ambitious features, like Adaptive Temperature, are clearly in the works and will be released with subsequent versions of iOS. If Apple wants to save all its smart home features to announce at once, it may release it in the spring with iOS 26.4, homeOS, and its long-awaited smart display.
Rumor Score: Likely
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
There probably is a setting in the Ecobee that you have not disabled. Check or disable the Eco+ settings. There is a an option to let your utility adjust your settings based on demand on their system. My Ecobee has never once adjusted the temp setting once all the automated options were disabled.