10 HomeView Features You May Have Missed

Apple plans to launch HomeView on November 13, so we have a month before we can find out more. Right now, we’re limited to the information Apple shares and what members of the media have learned in a limited hands-on time.

We’ve rounded up some interesting information about HomeView that you may have missed.

• Recipe Walkthroughs – HomeView makes it easy to follow Safari recipes by extracting ingredients and steps. You can press a “Start Cooking” button to get step-by-step instructions that you can use while you cook. The device also supports multiple voice-activated timers.
• Siri access – You can say Siri (English only) or Hey ‌Siri‌ for hands-free access, but there are also options to activate ‌Siri‌ by swiping down from the top of the screen or using Type for ‌Siri‌.
• Apple Intelligence – HomeView integrates some Apple Intelligence features. You or members of your household can use ‌Siri‌ AI for general knowledge questions if you don’t have an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ iPhone or iPad, but you need it for any queries that involve personal context.
• Guests – Personal data is private, but customers can control smart home accessories, check the weather, set timers and listen to music. Visitors can also stream audio via AirPlay to HomeView using peer-to-peer discovery.
• Adaptable interface – HomeView can know when someone is approaching and parts of the interface will change depending on proximity. If someone is across the room, less information is displayed in a larger view. As the person approaches, the view may change to show more information.
• Faces – HomeView has several customizable faces similar to watch faces. Apple says some faces can “wake up with you in the morning and relax with you at night.” Snoopy’s face, for example, has different animations depending on the time of day, weather and holidays.
• Third-party apps – There is no App Store, but HomeView has CarPlay-like software features. It can display CarPlay audio and video apps from a linked iPhone. There are no ‌CarPlay‌ video apps except for Apple TV, so app developers will need to add support.
• To put back – You can transfer songs, podcasts, calls, videos and recipes from iPhone to HomeView.
• Live Activities – HomeView supports live activities, so if a timer is running or you receive an incoming intercom message, content will be visible while you use other apps.
• Sensors and HomeKit – The HomeView has temperature and humidity sensors that can be used in scenes and automations in the Home app. It also serves as a home hub to control HomeKit and Matter devices when you’re away from home.

HomeView is available for pre-order now and launches on November 13. It costs $299 and is available in a tabletop version with a speaker base or a wall-mounted version.