Apple Intelligence and 4K Recording Come to The Home App

As part of its WWDC26 announcements for iOS 27, Apple unveiled a number of updates for Apple Home that focus heavily on cameras and Apple Intelligence. Whilst the smart home platform didn’t receive a major redesign, the changes introduced are some of the most significant improvements to HomeKit Secure Video since its launch.

HOMEKIT SECURE VIDEO GOES 4K

Perhaps the biggest announcement for Apple Home users is that HomeKit Secure Video now supports recording and viewing footage at up to 4K resolution on compatible cameras.

Since HomeKit Secure Video first launched in 2019, recordings have been limited to 1080p, regardless of the camera’s native resolution. This has been a long-standing complaint amongst users, especially as an increasing number of HomeKit-compatible cameras have supported 2K and 4K video.

With iOS 27, Apple is finally removing this limitation, allowing compatible cameras to take advantage of their higher-resolution sensors when used with HomeKit Secure Video.

APPLE INTELLIGENCE COMES TO HOME CAMERAS

Apple is also bringing Apple Intelligence to HomeKit Secure Video, with the aim of making it easier to find and understand recorded events. One of the most useful additions is the ability for Apple Intelligence to generate descriptions of camera activity automatically. Rather than simply receiving a generic motion notification, users will be presented with a summary of what occurred in the clip. This should make it easier to determine whether an event is important without having to open and review the recording manually. What’s also noteworthy is that Apple Intelligence in relation to HSV is performed both on-device (as in your iPhone or iPad) and via the cloud, depending on the task.

NATURAL LANGUAGE SEARCH FOR CAMERA FOOTAGE

Apple is also introducing natural language search for HomeKit Secure Video recordings. Instead of scrolling through timelines and event lists, users will be able to search for specific events using everyday language. For example, users may be able to search for a package delivery, a visitor arriving at the front door, or a particular activity captured by a camera. The feature appears to build upon Apple’s broader Apple Intelligence strategy of allowing users to interact with their content in a more conversational way.

NOTEWORTHY EVENTS HIGHLIGHTED AUTOMATICALLY

The Home app will also gain a new system for surfacing noteworthy events. Important clips identified by Apple Intelligence will appear prominently within the Home app, helping users quickly find significant activity without needing to review every recorded event individually.

Whilst Apple has not detailed exactly how noteworthy events will be determined, the feature appears designed to reduce the amount of time users spend searching through camera recordings.

SMARTER NOTIFICATIONS

Notifications generated by multiple Home accessories will also become more intelligent. Rather than generating a series of separate alerts, related notifications can now be grouped into a single live activity, providing a clearer overview of what’s happening around the home.

For households with multiple cameras, sensors, and security accessories, this should result in a less cluttered notification experience.

A SIGNIFICANT UPDATE FOR CAMERA USERS

Although Apple Home was not a major focus during the WWDC26 keynote, the camera-related improvements announced for iOS 27 represent one of the largest updates to HomeKit Secure Video in years.

The addition of 4K recording support addresses one of the most frequently requested HomeKit Secure Video features, whilst Apple Intelligence introduces new ways to search, review, and understand camera footage.

However, despite the emphasis on cameras, Apple made no announcement regarding Matter camera support in Apple Home. Cameras remain one of the most notable device categories still absent from the Matter ecosystem as supported by Apple, despite ongoing development of camera support within the Matter standard itself. As a result, users will still need cameras that specifically support Apple Home and HomeKit Secure Video in order to take advantage of these new features.

For those of us invested in Apple’s smart home ecosystem, these changes could prove to be some of the most practical and useful additions arriving with iOS 27 later this year. At the same time, the absence of any notable mention of Matter cameras suggests that Apple is not yet ready to expand camera support beyond its existing HomeKit Secure Video framework.