GoKawiilApple's HomeView smart display can't natively run Apple TV or News Plus apps
Apple's new HomeView smart home hub, powered by an A18 chip, does not natively support several of Apple's own apps including Apple TV, Apple Books audiobooks, Apple Music Classical, and Apple News Plus. Instead, those services require AirPlay streaming from a nearby paired iPhone, a limitation Apple discloses only in small print on its announcement page.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The restriction puts HomeView behind rivals like Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub, which can stream Prime Video and YouTube natively without a phone. Because HomeView lacks an App Store and functions more like CarPlay than iOS, developers may find it easier to build apps that rely on phone-based projection rather than native support, which could shape how third parties approach the platform at launch.
- HomeView requires a nearby iPhone via AirPlay to run Apple TV, Apple Books audiobooks, Apple Music Classical, and Apple News Plus.
- It runs on the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, so the restriction appears to be a software choice rather than a hardware limitation.
- Unlike Echo Show or Nest Hub, HomeView has no App Store, making its CarPlay-like phone dependency central to third-party app support.
Source: theverge.com — Jess Weatherbed, 2026-10-14
Published there as: “HomeView doesn’t natively support any video apps yet — not even Apple’s”
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