Apple has tried talking around the issue and even shown Apple TV screenshots, but now it's clear the new HomeView cannot play Apple TV or other video apps unless there's a CarPlay app for it.
HomeView looked at first to be great if you only wanted Apple's own apps, but now it seems you aren't even getting all of those. There are four Apple apps that have to be run on an iPhone instead:
- Apple TV
- Apple Books audiobooks
- Apple Music Classical
- Apple News+
It appears that the first three of those must be sent from the iPhone to the HomeView via AirPlay. It's not clear whether Apple News+ can be seen directly on the HomeView or will solely be read aloud by Siri AI.
So not only has Apple chosen not to allow any third-party apps at all, it's also limited itself. The lack of an App Store was already a bad decision, but now HomeView seems even more restricted.
Apple knows this is a problem
Apple's description of the new device says very prominently that "Apple HomeView keeps you engaged and entertained with music, podcasts, audiobooks, TV shows, and more."
But it obfuscates how two of those, audiobooks and TV, are not actually on the HomeView. Nor is the classical part of the Apple Music subscription.
Top: all of the native apps on the HomeView. Bottom: the significant ones that are not - image credit: Apple.
That's despite the HomeView details specifying that Apple Music and Apple News+ require subscriptions. The notes don't mention Apple TV at all.
No reason
Presumably there is a reason Apple couldn't include Apple TV, but it's hard to conceive what it could be. This isn't a safety issue as it might be with CarPlay, and even that now allows video apps when parked.
But yet, here we are. Apple is using CarPlay for the API for the HomeView.
It's not because of any deficiency in the HomeView's processor. True, HomeView has an A18 processor, which is older than the A19 in the newly updated Apple TV 4K.
Yet that A18 was used in the iPhone 16 range, and iPhones feature a native Apple TV app.
Rather than apps per se, the HomeView runs app widgets like CarPlay. The Apple TV widget on iPhone, for instance, simply opens the Apple TV app. Plus there is no Apple Music Classical widget on iPhone.
Whereas there is an overall Apple Music one and it includes a play button. So unlike many widgets, including Apple TV, it can play music without launching the app.
Apple Music therefore has what Apple calls an interactive widget. These were introduced with iOS 17 back in 2023.
However, this also points to how limited the functionality of the HomeView appears to be. It's already clear that it lacking an App Store of its own is an issue, but now even Apple's own apps are limited.
We'll see who adopts CarPlay functionality as time goes on.
Update October 13, 2:21 PM ET: The HomeView leverages CarPlay for streaming. If there's CarPlay functionality for media playback, it will work on the HomeView.
