Apple's new HomeView smart home hub will not have an App Store, but the device will still run third-party software through an unusual route: apps built for CarPlay. The company announced HomeView, its multimedia hub for controlling smart homes, which runs an iOS-based operating system that looks familiar but is not the same setup found on an iPhone.
Apple has not published a full list of supported apps. The HomeView page states that the device "supports compatible third-party audio and video apps from your iPhone," wording that left the scope of third-party support unclear. Apple Developer documentation indicates the company is referring to CarPlay apps.
CarPlay does not run natively in a car; it mirrors apps installed on an iPhone using a different interface. HomeView is expected to handle third-party apps the same way, making compatible apps accessible through the hub when an iPhone is nearby. Processing happens on the iPhone rather than on HomeView, and users do not download anything directly to the device or install apps separately.
For now, Apple says only CarPlay audio and video apps will be available. Several such apps already exist, including Spotify and Deezer. Apps in other categories, including messaging apps and chatbots, are excluded.
HomeView ships with preinstalled Apple apps, among them Safari, Music, Podcasts, Messages, Reminders and Calendar. Facial recognition allows the device to display different information depending on who is using it.
Developers who already offer CarPlay-compatible apps face minimal work, since those should run on HomeView with little or no effort. Audio and video streaming apps that do not currently support CarPlay would need to add that support to work with HomeView. Video illustrates the gap: iOS 27 added support for video apps on CarPlay, but none of the major players have enabled it. Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube are absent from CarPlay and will not be on HomeView either. Safari is built into HomeView, which likely means videos can be watched from the web, though the experience differs from using an app.
In the short term, HomeView gives developers new reasons to build apps for CarPlay, a benefit that would extend to both drivers and HomeView owners. Without a real App Store, it is unclear whether developers will embrace the platform. Apple's policies for distributing CarPlay apps are also much more restrictive than its policies for iOS apps, which could deter some developers.
More software news from TechManNews.
