Troughton-Smith Tours $299 Apple HomeView Software Ahead of Nov. 13 Launch

Q: Why did Apple completely ban the App Store on its new $299 HomeView smart display?

Apple appears to have left out the App Store by design, not by accident: HomeView is being positioned as a tightly controlled, shared household hub rather than a general-purpose tablet. The software preview and Apple’s own materials point in that direction. HomeView runs a tvOS-based system tailored for fixed, multi-user use in kitchens, family rooms, and entryways. It supports up to six users, uses face recognition to unlock personal content, and centers on home controls, messaging, FaceTime, media playback, timers, calendars, and Siri. That setup is closer to a smart display or Apple TV than to an iPad. The likely reasons are practical. A full App Store would turn HomeView into another app platform Apple would have to support, moderate, and secure on a device meant to be always-on, shared, and privacy-sensitive because of its built-in camera and household data access. Apple instead seems to want a simpler, predictable interface with fewer abuse, security, and content-management issues. Apple also has a workaround for third-party services. Reports indicate HomeView can surface CarPlay-enabled audio and video apps from a paired iPhone, including Apple TV, Apple News, Audiobooks, and supported third-party apps such as Spotify. That lets Apple offer outside services without opening a full native app ecosystem. So the ban is best understood as product strategy: Apple wants HomeView to be a dedicated home appliance, not an iPad on a stand.

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Oct 31

Steve Troughton-Smith showcased a virtualized HomeView build, revealing the smart hub’s home screen, Control Center, clock faces, settings, and media interfaces before Apple’s Nov. 13 launch.
The software surfaced after Apple released HomeView’s OS early, letting developers inspect features including a Liquid Glass transparency slider, QuickPath swipe typing, AirPlay pairing, and music and video playback layouts.
HomeView supports up to six users and uses its built-in camera for person recognition to unlock personal apps such as Messages, Calendar, Reminders, FaceTime, and Find My; those remained inaccessible in the virtualized demo.
Rambo and Troughton-Smith said the software is based on tvOS, while noting the virtual build showed an Ethernet menu even though the shipping device is Wi-Fi only.
Apple is already taking pre-orders for the $299 HomeView, extending a broader preview campaign that also exposed wallpapers and the setup screen a day earlier.