Apple’s $299 HomeView is designed to become a screen everyone in the house can use, whether they’re cooking dinner, checking who’s at the front door, or catching up on messages.
Some of its most useful capabilities are easy to overlook. The display changes as you approach it, knows which family member is using it, and can pick up tasks you started on your iPhone.
Here are eight features worth knowing about before HomeView arrives on November 13.
1. Follow recipes without scrolling through cluttered websites
HomeView can turn recipes you find in Safari into step-by-step cooking instructions.
Tap Start Cooking, and the display pulls out the ingredients and directions so you can follow along without repeatedly scrolling through the original webpage.
You can also set multiple timers using Siri and keep them visible while you’re following a recipe. It’s particularly useful when you’re preparing several dishes at once.
2. The screen knows when you walk up to it
HomeView automatically changes what appears on screen depending on how far away you’re standing.
From across the room, it shows larger information that’s easier to read. Move closer, and additional details and controls appear.
The display can also recognize up to six household members, giving each person access to a personalized Home Screen.
Personal information stays private, while guests can still use shared features such as music, weather, and smart home controls.
3. Pick up where you left off on your iPhone
HomeView supports Handoff, letting you move supported content from your iPhone to the smart display.
You could find a recipe on your phone while sitting on the couch, then continue following it on HomeView when you get to the kitchen.
The same feature supports transferring music, podcasts, calls, and videos, saving you from starting everything over on another device.
4. Ask Siri questions, type requests, or use the screen
HomeView offers several ways to interact with Siri. You can speak to it, swipe down from the top of the display, or type a request when you’d rather stay quiet.
Siri AI can answer general questions directly on HomeView. Requests involving personal information, however, require a paired Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone or iPad.
The device also supports Live Activities, so active timers and incoming Intercom messages can appear while you’re using other apps.
5. Turn the display into an animated clock or photo frame
HomeView includes customizable display faces that make the screen useful even when nobody is actively using it.
The Snoopy face features animations that change with the time of day, weather, and holidays. There’s also a Photos face for displaying pictures and a Flow face with animations that respond to movement.
Other faces can show calendars, weather, or favorite smart home controls.
6. Use Spotify and other compatible iPhone apps
HomeView doesn’t have an App Store, but it can display certain apps from a paired iPhone through a system similar to CarPlay.
Supported services include Spotify and Apple Music Classical, along with select Apple apps.
Video support is more limited, with Apple TV currently the only confirmed compatible video app. Developers will need to add support before more services become available.
7. Monitor your home’s temperature and humidity
HomeView has built-in temperature and humidity sensors, allowing it to measure conditions in the room where it’s installed.
Compatible thermostats can use those readings for heating and cooling adjustments through the Home app.
That could be especially useful in homes where the thermostat is located in a hallway but the rooms people actually spend time in have different temperatures.
8. Control your home remotely and let guests use shared features
HomeView acts as a home hub for compatible HomeKit and Matter accessories, allowing you to control supported devices even when you’re away.
Guests can also operate smart home accessories, set timers, check the weather, and play music without accessing anyone’s private information.
Visitors can use peer-to-peer AirPlay discovery to send audio to HomeView, making it easier to share music without giving them access to a household member’s account.
HomeView is available for preorder in tabletop and wall-mounted configurations, both starting at $299. Apple will begin delivering the device on November 13.
