The Home app is getting some great AI upgrades, as well as some other cool tweaks.
iOS 27 focuses on features like Siri AI, as well as overall improvements. But there’s much more to this update, especially for those with HomeKit accessories. No, Apple isn’t bringing the revamped Siri to HomePod yet, although it could happen soon. Instead, HomeKit and the Home app are getting some exciting new features.
Apple Intelligence is being integrated into the Home app for smarter notifications. Additionally, security camera images will now be much clearer thanks to 4K support. These features themselves may not seem like a big deal, but they certainly improve the HomeKit experience.
HomeKit now integrates with Apple Intelligence
Perhaps the most notable change this year is deeper integration with Apple Intelligence. HomeKit has never really taken advantage of AI features until now, but that changes with iOS 27. The Home app can now summarize important notifications, such as when someone has been seen at your door or when smoke is detected. This is especially useful for people who have multiple smart cameras and doorbells at home, as it should prevent you from having your lock screen flooded with notifications from the Home app.
Speaking of cameras, they can now use AI to better detect faces or animals. Additionally, the Home app combines images from multiple cameras to show you the same event from a different perspective. Let’s say someone walks through your house: the app will show you a sequence of images of that person in each room equipped with a camera.
The videos also come with a short AI-generated description, so you don’t need to spend minutes watching the entire clip to find out what happened. You can even search for events captured by your cameras and videos are now recorded in 4K.
Apple
Apple TV owners have another reason to update to iOS 27, as the Home app can now update the software on all of your Apple TVs at once. Additionally, the reliability of the app has been improved overall, which is always appreciated.
New home accessories from Apple are coming soon
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Some new features have not been officially announced, but they will probably arrive soon. These are related to upcoming hardware, like the rumored HomePad. If the rumors are true – and they probably are, based on internal code leaked by Apple itself – there are plenty of new home accessories on the way.
This includes a new generation of HomePod mini, as well as a new product called “HomePad”. As you might have guessed, this product is expected to combine the HomePod and iPad into one device. It would look like Apple’s version of an Amazon Echo Show. It looks like this HomePad will have its own “Faces” gallery, just like an Apple Watch. The company is also working on a tabletop robot, but that probably won’t be ready for a while.
As for the previously mentioned features, they are all part of iOS 27. If you really want to try out the latest features in advance, you can always sign up for Apple’s beta program. But since beta versions can be unstable, you should only install them on a spare device in case something goes wrong.
