Apple's HomeView smart display may be able to work as a HomeKit Secure Video security camera, according to code strings found in its software. Apple has not announced any such feature, and the reports published on November 1 and 2, 2026 rest entirely on unreleased code.
What the strings say
MacRumors and 9to5Mac credit the discovery to a code sleuth named pdfu, who posted on X, while HomeKit News attributes it to a Reddit user of the same handle. The strings sit in HomeView Software 27.2. MacRumors lists four camera modes, named Off, Detect Activity, Stream, and Stream and Allow Recording, along with schedules for Home, Away and Asleep.
According to MacRumors, there is also a HomeView-specific setting for 1080p video at 30 frames per second with microphone input, used for HomeKit Secure Video sessions. Only members of the home could view streams and recordings, and a green light and a sound would signal that a stream is being watched or recording has started. The device would notify users when camera settings change, and streaming or recording could be turned on only from the HomeView itself while people are home. HomeKit News quotes one string verbatim: "Your HomeView can be used as a security camera with HomeKit Secure Video." It is the only outlet we read that quotes it.
What is not confirmed
Apple has not announced a security camera feature for HomeView, and the strings do not say whether it will arrive at launch. Digital Trends says the features are not active in the current software. HomeKit News lists open questions, including how the Asleep schedule is detected, whether security functions would be on by default, and whether the light and sound appear every time an image is captured. Some of what has been written is the authors' opinion, such as 9to5Mac's view that the home-only restriction is meant to prevent misuse. MacRumors' expectation that face recognition and activity zones will be set up on iPhone is also an inference.
What Apple has said
Apple's pages describe the camera as a 12MP Center Stage camera, and say the A18 chip uses Secure Exclaves to process camera and microphone data. They say HomeView can monitor an entryway and describe HomeKit Secure Video recording, noting that recognition needs iCloud+ and compatible cameras. Apple does not call HomeView a security camera.
India pricing and availability
HomeView was announced on October 13, 2026, with pre-orders opening the same day and sales starting on November 13. In India it costs Rs 39,900 for both the tabletop and wall-mounted versions, according to Digit, Beebom, News24 and T2 Online. Apple's India page says the display is available from November 13 but shows no price amount, so the rupee figure comes from the Indian outlets. In the US it costs $299 for both versions, per Apple's newsroom and store page.
| Feature | HomeView |
|---|---|
| Display | 7-inch Liquid Retina with True Tone |
| Chip | A18 with Secure Exclaves |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage |
| Microphones | Four beamforming microphones |
| US price | $299 |
| India price | Rs 39,900 |
| On sale | November 13 |
Apple's newsroom says the tabletop model comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray, and the wall-mounted model in space gray and silver. Wall mounts from Schneider Home are sold separately from $59.95 in the US. Apple says HomeView will not be sold in the EU for now because Siri AI is not available there, and the company is working with the EU.
Why it matters
A display with a camera and microphones already in the living room could replace a separate indoor camera for some households, and HomeKit Secure Video would keep recordings in iCloud rather than on a third-party server. The privacy design described in the strings, with indicator lights and restrictions on who can view footage, would matter for a camera in a shared room.
What to watch next
The first thing to watch is whether Apple confirms the feature before or at the November 13 launch, and whether it needs a software update. Reviews once units ship should show how the camera behaves and what the indicator light looks like in use. Apple's newsroom also says cameras in its Home collection arrive in December, so any camera announcement could come then.
Published November 3, 2026. Gadgets365 will update this article as more information becomes available.
