Apple’s newly unveiled HomeView smart display may also work as a home security camera, based on a new finding in its software.
The device already has a built-in camera for FaceTime calls and facial recognition. It could reportedly use that same hardware for motion detection, live streaming, and video recording through HomeKit Secure Video.
A Reddit user spotted the feature in the settings files of HomeView Software 27.2, according to The Verge. Apple has not officially announced anything about it. The references suggest the built-in camera may get a few more uses.
HomeView camera setting options
The most notable addition would be control over how the camera works. You could reportedly turn it off completely, enable motion detection without recording, allow live streaming, or enable both streaming and recording.
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The camera may also behave differently depending on whether people in the household are home, away, or asleep. For example, you could set the device to record activity when nobody is home and stop recording once someone returns.
There are a few privacy safeguards on the table too. A green indicator and an audible alert would reportedly let people know when the camera is being accessed or starts recording. Members of the household could also get a notification whenever the camera settings change.
Apple HomeView could work as a baby or pet monitor
Beyond working as a home security camera, I can see people using this feature as a baby monitor or a pet camera. Parents could check on a sleeping child from another room. Pet owners could keep an eye on their animals while they are away.
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The feature could make even more sense on Apple’s rumored 360-degree rotating HomeView.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing a higher-end model with a roughly 9-inch display on a robotic arm that can rotate in any direction. A design like that would make it easier to watch different parts of a room.
The feature is not active in the current software, though, and Apple has not said anything about its availability.
