Alongside the many rumors regarding possible WWDC 2025 announcements, there was an on-going rumor about Apple unveiling homeOS 26. However, as another WWDC came to a close, Apple hadn’t said a word about the new operating system, which will presumably be what powers everything home-related from the company.
On one hand, it makes sense. After all, the company hasn’t unveiled any new hardware related to people’s homes. But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the smart home OS is still in the works — we’re just going to have to wait a bit longer to see it.
According to the journalist in his Power On newsletter, “Apple never intended to unveil homeOS at WWDC.” Gurman says “the original plan was to announce this operating system in March alongside new hardware.” Since Apple didn’t hold a March event due to the delayed Siri features, the company decided to postpone the software as well.
While Gurman believes that Apple can still introduce the rumored smart home hub and the homeOS 26 software without the new Siri AI features, he says it “would degrade the user experience. In any case, it probably makes more sense to unveil homeOS at an event focused on consumers, rather than developers.”
What’s homeOS 26 all about?
homeOS has been rumored for a while now. This is Apple’s new software for everything home-related. The company is expected to create a sub-branch of tvOS to run more specific home products, such as tabletop devices, HomePods, and other smart home products.
So far, some of the products that could run this new operating system include:
- HomePod with a display: Several reports highlight a possible HomePod with a display, which would be an improvement over the current generation. It could ultimately display weather reports, music, videos, and more.
- Squared display with HomePod combo: Previous reports reveals that Apple could soon launch a product with a squared display, tabletop arms, built-in camera, and Apple Intelligence.
- Premium tabletop: Gurman claims that Apple is developing a $1,000 tabletop device as a premium alternative to the Amazon Echo Show. It’s still a few years out.
- Other smart home devices: Apple is also testing security cameras, a door lock with Face ID, and other home devices to further take over our homes.
Finally, Apple could also tweak tvOS 26 to become homeOS 26, as it could power future Apple TV and HomePod models. After all, the company wants to keep expanding its Apple Intelligence platform to all the products it can.
