Overview
- Researchers who inspected HomeView Software 27.2 found setup text that says the device “can be used as a security camera with HomeKit Secure Video,” a discovery first shared publicly by the code sleuth pdfu and reported across outlets.
- The code lists four camera modes — Off, Detect Activity, Stream, and Stream & Allow Recording — and options to trigger detection, streaming, or recording based on home, away, or asleep states.
- Localization strings name specific protections: a green indicator light and audible cue when streaming or recording starts, notifications to household members when settings change, and a restriction that remote activation is blocked if home members are present.
- HomeView is set to begin shipping on November 13 at $299, and early units may boot older firmware and prompt an update to 27.2 during setup, so the camera feature could arrive at launch or be rolled out in a later software update.
- Separately, reporting says Apple is building a higher‑end robotic HomeView Ultra (codename J595) with a 9‑inch swivel arm whose hardware is reported largely finished but whose software disputes may delay a likely 2027–2028 launch and an expected price near $1,000.