Apple’s upcoming HomeView smart home hub could also work as a HomeKit secure camera, according to settings strings discovered in the device’s software by code sleuth pdfu.
The strings were found in the HomeView 27.2 software and feature four camera modes, including Off, Detect Activity, Stream, and “Stream and Allow Recording,” along with scheduling options for when users are home, away, or sleeping.
Notably, pdfu says there’s also a HomeView-specific configuration for 1080p/30fps video and microphone input, which the software selects for HomeKit Secure Video sessions.
Other strings suggest that only house members will be able to view streams and recordings. They also indicate that a green light appears and a sound plays when a stream is displayed or recording starts, and users will be notified when camera settings change.
Scheduling options include an away mode, but the strings suggest that streaming and recording can only be enabled by HomeView itself while people are at home. Facial recognition and activity zones will be set up in the Home app on iPhone.
Elsewhere, pdfu highlighted a related Home app string that suggests that when the Home app is open on a member’s device, HomeView can take photos to update the camera preview, and these will also be accompanied by a green light.
Apple has not announced a camera feature for HomeView, and the presence of code strings in the device’s software does not confirm that it will be available to users at launch. HomeView launches on Friday, November 13, starting at $299. Apple’s early release of the device’s software has already given us a preview of features like wallpapers, revealing other details we didn’t know before.
