Apple Lets HomeView Run CarPlay Apps, but Bars App Store Installs on 1 New Hub
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Oct 26
Apple Lets HomeView Run CarPlay Apps, but Bars App Store Installs on 1 New Hub
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Oct 26
Summary
HomeView will access third-party audio and video apps through CarPlay mirroring from a nearby iPhone, with processing staying on the phone rather than the smart-home hub itself.
No App Store is available on the device, so users cannot install standalone apps; Apple instead ships preloaded apps including Safari, Music, Podcasts, Messages, Reminders and Calendar.
CarPlay developers face little extra work to reach HomeView, but streaming services without CarPlay support must add it first.
iOS 27 added CarPlay video apps, yet major services such as Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube still do not support them, limiting HomeView's launch app lineup.
Apple's tighter CarPlay distribution rules and the lack of a native app marketplace could slow broader developer adoption even as HomeView creates a new reason to build for CarPlay.
Will developers boycott HomeView's restricted CarPlay mirroring model, leaving the highly anticipated smart hub completely devoid of popular third-party apps?
Why is Apple forcing users to rely on their iPhones to power a $299 smart display instead of making it standalone?