Apple has finally unveiled HomeView, its new multimedia hub designed to control smart‑home devices. The device runs an iOS‑based operating system and looks much like an iPad, but it does not include an App Store on its home screen. Instead, Apple has chosen to bring third‑party apps to HomeView through CarPlay.
When an iPhone is nearby, HomeView can display compatible CarPlay audio and video apps, mirroring the experience you get when your phone is connected to a CarPlay system. All processing still occurs on the iPhone, not on the HomeView itself. At launch, the hub will support existing CarPlay audio and video services such as Spotify and Deezer, while messaging apps and chatbots will be unavailable.
HomeView comes preloaded with a selection of Apple applications, including Safari, Music, Podcasts, Messages, Reminders and Calendar. Facial recognition allows the device to tailor the displayed information to the individual user.
For developers, the transition is straightforward if their apps already support CarPlay; they should work on HomeView with little or no modification. Apps that lack CarPlay compatibility—especially video streaming services—would need to add that support to appear on the hub. Although iOS 27 introduced CarPlay video capability, major platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube have not yet enabled it, meaning they will not be available on HomeView. Users can still watch web videos through Safari, but the experience differs from a native app.
In the short term, HomeView gives developers an incentive to expand CarPlay support, which could benefit both drivers and HomeView owners. However, the absence of a dedicated App Store and Apple’s stricter CarPlay distribution policies may make some developers hesitant to invest in the platform.