The HomeView 27.2 update adds a Siri AI beta that can use your paired iPhone to find items such as an emailed recipe, and the display now recognizes up to six people by face and voice. Each recognized person gets their own Home Screen layout, widgets and content, while guests can still play media and control accessories.
Apple published the details a day after it released the build with nine security fixes. Siri AI is English only for now, and the sections below cover what each change lets you do and where the limits are.
Siri AI Beta Uses Your iPhone
The Siri AI beta is a more capable, conversational Siri that helps you find things and get tasks done on the display. When your paired iPhone has Apple Intelligence turned on, Siri AI draws on personal context from that phone, so it can find an item such as a recipe someone emailed you.
Siri AI also answers questions on almost any topic in detail using broad world knowledge. You can ask for music and podcasts in plain language instead of searching for them.
HomeView 27.2 Update Recognizes Six People
The display recognizes people by face and voice, and it shows each of up to six people their own Home Screen layout, widgets and content. Personal content such as Messages and Calendar stays hidden until HomeView recognizes an enrolled user, so what you see depends on whether the display knows you.
People HomeView does not recognize can still play media and control smart home accessories, but they cannot open personal content. You can also customize the faces on the display with curated photos, modular home controls and animations such as Snoopy.
Safari Cooking and Nine Camera Feeds
The rest of the update covers home control, calls and browsing, and entertainment.
Home control
- The Home Camera face livestreams up to nine camera feeds at once.
- The Home Modular face gives you a short, glanceable view of your home accessories.
- The Home app works as a dashboard for controlling accessories and activating scenes across the house.
- HomeView acts as a home hub for your HomeKit and Matter accessories.
- The hub also gives you remote home control and automations.
- Sound Recognition listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and sends an alert to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.
Calls, messages and browsing
- FaceTime calls are hands-free, and Center Stage keeps you in frame as you move.
- You can read and reply to Messages with Siri, the onscreen keyboard or Tapback.
- Intercom broadcasts to the whole home, specific rooms or your personal Apple devices.
- Safari lets you browse the web on the display.
- A new cooking experience in Safari detects supported recipes and reformats them with step-by-step instructions and inline timers.
- Find My shows where friends and family are and helps you locate misplaced Apple devices and AirTags.
- Handoff moves audio, video, websites or calls from your iPhone to HomeView.
Entertainment
- Apple Music shows animated lyrics and supports Spatial Audio.
- You can search and browse Apple Music on the display.
- The Podcasts app plays audio and video shows with transcripts and personalized recommendations.
- Apple TV, Apple News and Audiobooks run through your iPhone.
- Supported third-party audio and video apps installed on your iPhone appear on the display automatically.
- Multiroom audio keeps playback and control in sync across HomeView, HomePod and AirPlay speakers.
Siri AI Beta Has Limits
Siri AI works in English only for now, and the iPhone or iPad you pair must use the same English variant. Apple says Spanish support is coming later, and the features still vary by region, language and device.
Personal context needs a paired iPhone or iPad on the latest software with Siri AI turned on and a supported language. Some server-based Apple Intelligence features have daily usage limits, and Apple says expanded access will cost a fee in the future. The Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions apply to these server-based features.
Personal content on the display also needs your iPhone or iPad to have been unlocked recently and to be on the same Wi-Fi network. If Wi-Fi is unavailable, the device needs an active cellular connection in the same location and a recent connection to that network.
Apple has confirmed a separate HomeView software update for December that fixes two Siri AI problems from early HomeView reviews, including voice unlocking of door locks and garage doors. Until then, you can use the on-screen controls in the Home app for those accessories, and Apple has not given a day or a version number for the update.
