Code discovered in the iOS 27. 3 beta suggests Apple is laying the groundwork for chatbot apps on its upcoming HomeView smart home hub, according to the code investigator known as pdfu . The software HomeView uses to display apps from a connected iPhone or iPad is said to have gained a " Conversational Apps " category in the latest beta. The update also reportedly adds preparations for two-way audio routing, session management, and interruptions, but pdfu notes that it is "still not fully wired up." Apple hasn’t announced chatbot apps for HomeView, and the code doesn’t show which apps could use the category or when it could launch, so support for ChatGPT, Claude, or other chatbots is unconfirmed. It’s not the first time the possibility has been floated: pdfu suggested on Sunday that chatbot apps might follow based on an unused flag in HomeView’s software. Anti-Spoofing Protection
In a separate finding, pdfu also discovered that HomeView includes anti-spoofing protection . Apparently, after three spoof attempts for a profile, the user must authenticate with an iPhone to see personal data, and the protection is enabled in HomeView software 27. 2. Apple is also said to be working on a lockout cooldown system, similar to what happens when you enter the wrong passcode on an iPhone. A first lockout can be cleared immediately, but a second lockout brings a one-hour wait, a third a four-hour wait, and a fourth (or any further) lockout an eight-hour wait. pdfu adds that the lockout cooldown periods are still in development, so for now any lockout can be cleared immediately by authenticating with an iPhone. Apple hasn’t described either feature in its press materials. HomeView Launches Next Week
HomeView launches on November 13 for $299, in both desktop and wall-mounted versions…
