Apple’s new HomeView smart home display launched today and the release notes for HomeView software version 27.2 are now available in a support document.
Since these are the first HomeView release notes that Apple has publicly shared, they go over a lot of the device’s basic features and functionality:
HomeView software delivers powerful, personalized experiences to enjoy entertainment, stay connected, and manage your smart home. It features a conversational Siri AI that helps you find what you need and get things done. And with multiuser recognition, customizable faces, and deep Apple ecosystem integration, up to six members of your household get content and controls tailored just for them.
Siri AI
- A more capable and conversational version of Siri that helps you find what you need and get more done
- Personal context understanding draws on your Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone to help you find what you’re looking for, like that recipe your mother emailed you
- Broad world knowledge lets you ask questions about virtually any topic and get a detailed answer
- Rich content discovery makes it easy to find new music and podcasts using natural language
- HomeView and Siri AI on HomeView are available in English, and require your paired iPhone or iPad to be set to the same English variant¹,²
Entertainment
- Apple Music lets you enjoy your favorite songs with animated lyrics and Spatial Audio support, alongside easy search and browse capabilities
- Podcasts lets you enjoy audio and video shows with transcripts and personalized recommendations
- Apple TV, Apple News, and Audiobooks let you use your iPhone to enjoy your favorite shows, catch up on daily audio stories, or get lost in a good book
- Supported third-party audio and video apps installed on your iPhone automatically appear on HomeView
- Multiroom audio allows you to play and control music in sync across multiple HomeView, HomePod, and AirPlay speakers
Connection
- FaceTime makes it easy to connect with loved ones hands-free, using Center Stage to keep you perfectly framed even as you move around the room
- Messages lets you easily read and reply to texts using Siri, the onscreen keyboard, or Tapback
- Intercom allows you to broadcast messages across your home, to specific rooms, or to personal Apple devices
- Safari lets you browse the web and includes a new Cooking experience that auto-detects supported recipes, reformatting them with step-by-step instructions and inline timers
- Find My lets you view the location of friends and family, or locate misplaced Apple devices and AirTags
- Handoff makes it easy to seamlessly move audio, video, websites, or calls directly from your iPhone to HomeView
Home Control
- Home Modular face offers a concise, glanceable look at your home accessories
- Home Camera face allows you to livestream up to nine simultaneous camera feeds
- Home app gives you a dedicated dashboard to control accessories and activate scenes across your entire house
- Home hub capabilities keep you connected to your HomeKit and Matter accessories, allow you to control your home while away, and enable automations
- Sound Recognition detects the sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and alerts you on personal devices like your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch
Personalized Experiences
- Customizable faces let you personalize your space with curated photos, modular home controls, and playful animations like Snoopy
- Seamless recognition identifies up to six different users by face and voice, instantly displaying their specific Home Screen layout, widgets, and personal content
- Personal content³ like Messages and Calendar is designed to stay private and be displayed when an enrolled user is recognized, and their recently unlocked iPhone or iPad is present and on the same network
- Guest experience lets unrecognized people play media and control smart home accessories without accessing a user’s personal content
1. Available in English. Spanish language support to come.
2. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in HomeView software version 27.2. Personal context requests require a paired Apple Intelligence–enabled iPhone or iPad running the latest software version with Siri AI turned on and set to a supported language. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions. Learn more.
3. Requires the user to be recognized by their face, and the paired iPhone or iPad must be recently unlocked and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If disconnected from Wi-Fi, the device must have an active cellular connection in the same location and have recently connected to the same network.
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