Apple HomeView: The 15 Apps That Make It a Must-Have Hub

Jennifer Moore · 2026-10-14

Apple's new HomeView smart display is more than just a pretty screen for your wall. It's a full-fledged household command center, and the app lineup is what makes it tick. According to Apple's official specs, the HomeView ships with 15 built-in apps, and it can also stream or extend apps from your iPhone. That combo gives it an edge over traditional smart home panels, which often feel limited. ### The Built-In Essentials You get the basics you'd expect: FaceTime, Messages, Safari, Calendar, Reminders, and Apple Music. But there's more. The Home app manages your compatible smart devices, while Find My, Intercom, Podcasts, Weather, Alarms, Timers, World Clock, and Settings round out the 15. It's a solid foundation for daily use. FaceTime gets a boost from a 12MP Center Stage camera that pans and keeps you in frame. Pair that with a four-microphone array and custom speakers, and the HomeView becomes a capable video-calling hub for the whole family. ### Personalized for Every Household Member One standout feature: the HomeView can recognize up to six different people by face. When you walk up, the display switches from a shared household view to your personal home screen. Private stuff like Messages and Calendar stays visible only to you, and only when your unlocked iPhone is nearby. It's a smart way to keep family life organized without sacrificing privacy. ### Entertainment and Limits For fun, you've got Audiobooks, Classical Music, News, and TV apps available from your iPhone, plus supported third-party audio and video services. But here's the catch: there's no dedicated App Store on the HomeView. That means you can't freely download or install iPhone or iPad apps directly onto the device. You're limited to what's built in or streamed from your phone. > "The HomeView is designed to be a shared family hub, not a personal tablet," Apple's documentation notes. That philosophy explains the face recognition and the lack of an App Store. ### Hardware and Availability Both the tabletop and wall-mounted versions pack a 7-inch Liquid Retina touchscreen, Apple's A18 chip, and the new Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence. The display also supports Thread networking for smart home accessories, so it plays nicely with your existing setup. Pre-orders are live now, with release set for November 13. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and want a central control point that also handles calls, messages, and entertainment, the HomeView looks like a compelling option. Just don't expect it to replace your iPad. For review directory and rating platform professionals, the HomeView's app strategy is worth watching. It shows how Apple balances built-in functionality with ecosystem lock-in—a pattern that could influence how users rate and review smart home devices in the future.