Apple HomeView code hints at security camera mode with HomeKit Secure Video

Software code inside Apple's HomeView hub appears to reference a security camera mode that has not been announced, according to The Verge. A Reddit user going by pdfu spotted the text strings in version 27.2 of the HomeView software.

The strings outline a camera mode that would handle motion detection, live viewing and recording, along with privacy controls. One setup screen described by pdfu reportedly tells users the device can serve as a camera through HomeKit Secure Video.

Privacy appears to be built into the described design. Only people listed as members of the home would be able to see the video feeds, per the code strings. An indicator light would come on and a sound would play whenever someone watches the feed or recording begins.

Household members would also receive an alert each time the Secure Video settings are modified, the strings suggest. Users would be able to choose what gets detected, streamed or recorded depending on whether they are at home, away or asleep.

Apple has not confirmed that any of this is in development. The company has said nothing publicly that points to these camera functions arriving, and the code alone does not prove a launch is planned. The discovery is the work of one Reddit user examining the software, not an official disclosure.

The finding follows questions about why Apple did not let HomeView work as a security camera when it first shipped. Given how heavily Apple promotes privacy in its marketing, the company may be holding the feature back to refine those protections before release, The Verge notes.

For now, the strings are the only signal that a Secure Video mode exists in any form. Readers should treat the details as unconfirmed until Apple makes an announcement.