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Code in HomeView Software 27.2 suggests Apple's HomeView smart display could work as a security camera through HomeKit Secure Video. Reddit user pdfu reported the strings, according to The Verge, in coverage published on November 1. Apple has not announced the feature.
Key facts
- The software is HomeView Software 27.2, which MacRumors reports Apple released on October 30.
- The HomeView costs $299 and can be pre-ordered from Apple's website.
- It launches on November 13, alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
- The strings describe a security camera mode with motion detection, live streaming and recording.
- Apple has not said whether or when the feature will ship.
What the code describes
Per The Verge, the strings outline a camera mode with options for what to detect, stream or record. Those options change depending on whether household members are home, away or asleep.
Digital Trends lists the likely settings: camera off, motion detection without recording, live streaming, or streaming plus recording. It gives an example of a device that records when nobody is home and stops once someone returns.
Privacy safeguards appear in the strings too. Video feeds would be visible only to home members. A light indicator and a sound would signal when someone is watching the feed or when recording starts. Home members would also be notified whenever the Secure Video settings change.
The outlets describe the find slightly differently. The Verge calls them code strings, while Digital Trends says the references sit in settings files. Both attribute the discovery to a Reddit user.
Why it matters
The HomeView already includes a built-in camera for FaceTime calls and facial recognition, according to Digital Trends. Reusing that hardware for security would give buyers a second job for a $299 device, and it would tie the display more closely to HomeKit Secure Video.
The Verge notes that some people questioned why Apple did not let HomeView double as a security camera at launch. It suggests Apple may be refining the feature first, given how central privacy is to the company's marketing. That is an interpretation, not something Apple has stated.
Digital Trends also points to a possible fit with a rumored higher-end model. Citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, it says Apple is developing a version with a roughly 9-inch display on a robotic arm that can rotate in any direction. A moving camera could cover more of a room. Digital Trends says that capability is not active in the current software.
