Apple’s HomeView Code Hints at a Bedtime Camera Mode HomeKit Never Had
Settings-file references in HomeView Software 27.2 describe four camera modes with home, away and bedtime rules, plus a green indicator, though Apple has confirmed none of it.
A Reddit user known as “pdfu” posted on r/HomeKit on November 1 that HomeView Software 27.2 contains settings suggesting Apple’s smart display could double as a HomeKit security camera, Apple Insider notes.
Apple HomeView, announced on October 13, already has a 12-megapixel camera for FaceTime and facial recognition. The find points to a wider use of it, and Apple has not said anything about it.
The more interesting detail is not the camera itself but the rules wrapped around it.
Four Camera Modes From Off to Stream and Record
According to Apple Insider, the discovered text describes four choices.
Off disables motion detection, streaming, and recording. Detect Activity spots movement and sends alerts without capturing video.
The third, Stream, lets household members watch live without saving anything, while Stream & Allow Recording adds automatic recording.
Digital Trends adds that recording could start when nobody is home and stop when someone returns.
The references point to HomeKit Secure Video, with HomeView acting as the security camera instead of a separate indoor unit.
None of the reports say whether an iCloud+ plan would be needed, and reports say the feature is not active in current software.
Bedtime Becomes a Third Setting Next to Home and Away
Each mode could be set separately for home, away and bedtime, whereas HomeKit Secure Video previously offered only home and away, Apple Insider reports.
That fits a device meant for living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, where the sensible setting at 11 pm differs from the one at noon.
A camera that changes behaviour by time of day is also a bigger privacy question than a fixed one. The privacy measures in the code speak to that, and they are the part worth watching.
The Reported Safeguards Include a Green Light and Local Control
The code reportedly shows a green indicator whenever someone opens the live stream or recording starts and plays an audible alert when streaming begins, Apple Insider reported.
The Verge also says that only authorised home members would have access to live streams and recordings, and household members would be notified when monitoring settings change.
An unconfirmed report also adds that streaming and recording could be enabled only on the HomeView unit itself, so no one could switch them on remotely.
Apple has set no date, and reports mentioning a possible 27.3 update are just guesses. Until Apple says more, this is a description in a settings file, not a product.
