Apple has introduced HomeView, a smart-home hub designed to make Siri more personal and help the company compete with Amazon and Google. Unveiled in New York on Tuesday, the device uses information stored on a user’s iPhone to handle everyday tasks. During demonstrations, Siri retrieved recipes from text messages, found nearby markets for missing ingredients and updated shopping lists. It could also recognize different household members and provide personalized information, such as a visitor’s flight arrival time, while preparing connected appliances in advance.
Privacy is central to Apple’s approach. HomeView runs on the company’s A18 chip, which processes encrypted data in a protected part of the system. The user’s iPhone must be connected to the same home network, and private information is not stored directly on the hub or used for advertising. Apple says these safeguards allow Siri to deliver relevant assistance without building marketing profiles of users.
The device also addresses the challenge of serving multiple people in a shared space. HomeView can recognize up to six voices and faces, using factors such as who last interacted with the screen to determine whose information to display. Some functions, including weather and thermostat controls, remain available to everyone. The launch is an important test of Apple’s AI strategy as it seeks to make Siri more useful while maintaining its longstanding focus on privacy.
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