Apple’s HomeView offers five privacy features for shared household use

Apple said HomeView protects personal information even when members of a household share the device. The system recognizes up to six people and gives each one a separate Home Screen with personalized apps and widgets.

Shared photo albums and music can remain available to everyone in the household, including guests. Apple says personal content is kept separate for each user.

Access to Messages and Calendar

For content from Messages, Calendar and other apps to appear, HomeView must recognize the enrolled user’s face. The paired iPhone or iPad normally also needs to be nearby and recently unlocked.

Access may continue after the paired device disconnects from Wi-Fi if several conditions are met: HomeView still recognizes the user, while the iPhone or iPad was recently connected to the same Wi-Fi network, has an active cellular connection, remains in the same location and was recently unlocked.

Secure Exclaves isolate device data

HomeView’s A18 chip includes Secure Exclaves, a protected environment that processes camera and microphone data separately from the rest of the system. Apple says chip-level isolation blocks other components from accessing those environments, and that data processed there cannot be accessed by HomeView software, apps, users or Apple itself.

Siri and smart-home cameras

Siri requests can be processed on the device or through Private Cloud Compute. Apple says data handled by the cloud system is not stored and is not accessible to Apple or anyone else.

HomeView also works with compatible smart-home cameras. With a supported iCloud+ subscription, they can provide end-to-end encrypted recognition of people, familiar faces, pets, packages and vehicles.