Apple's $299 HomeView reaches buyers on November 13 running HomeView Software 26.5. Apple's 27.2 update, out November 12, fixes nine security flaws, including the iMessage group chat bug patched on iPhone this week. Siri AI on HomeView will not unlock doors or garage doors until a December update.
If your HomeView arrives on Friday, let it install HomeView Software 27.2 during setup before you add your home, cameras or locks. The device ships on software about six months old, and Apple’s security notes for 27.2 list nine fixes, two of them in iMessage group chats and four for Bluetooth and AirPlay pairing attacks from someone nearby. Then plan on unlocking doors from the screen: Apple says Siri AI on HomeView won’t open locks or garage doors until a software update in December.
What ships on November 13
Apple’s $299 HomeView, first announced in October, goes on sale Friday, November 13, in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa, according to MacRumors. It is still not sold in the European Union, where Siri AI is unavailable. The wall-mounted version needs mounting hardware sold separately. The new $299 Apple TV 4K launches the same day.
MacRumors reports that HomeView units leave the factory on HomeView Software 26.5 and that buyers must install an update during setup. On November 12 Apple released HomeView Software 27.2, build 24V526, the second 27.2 build for the device.
What the 27.2 update fixes
Apple’s security document, dated November 12, lists nine vulnerabilities fixed in 27.2. The ones that matter most for a device that sits in your kitchen or office:
- iMessage group chats. A remote attacker could join an iMessage group chat and receive its messages (CVE-2026-113961), and a new member could read messages sent before they joined (CVE-2026-113960). These are the same flaws Apple fixed on iPhone and Mac in iOS 27.2.1 on November 9.
- Pairing from nearby. A malicious Bluetooth device could pair without user interaction (CVE-2026-113965), an attacker in Bluetooth range could get around the limit on pairing-code attempts (CVE-2026-113964 and CVE-2026-113968), and someone on the same network could do the same for AirPlay pairing codes (CVE-2026-113969).
- Memory bugs. A Bluetooth use-after-free (CVE-2026-113970), an out-of-bounds write in the brotli compression library (CVE-2026-111497), and an App Intents flaw that could let an app reach sensitive user data (CVE-2026-113963).
Apple’s notes don’t say whether any of the nine were exploited. 9to5Mac points out that the flaws are now public, which is the reason to update before you use the device.
Siri AI and your door locks
In her HomeView review, Joanna Stern found that Siri AI refused to open her garage door or unlock her front door even though HomeView had recognized her, MacRumors reports. Apple confirmed to Stern that a December update will add it. “Today users recognized by HomeView can unlock security accessories, including door locks and garage doors, directly on their HomeView screen,” an Apple spokesperson told her. Until then, open the Home app on HomeView and tap the lock control. Apple also told Stern the December update fixes a bug where Siri AI said it had no camera.
Apple said on November 12 that select Apple Home Collection accessories, the LG and Schneider Electric cameras, doorbell, lock and thermostats, can be ordered starting November 13, with deliveries beginning in December, according to MacRumors. Apple has not said which ones. The $349.95 LG Smart Deadbolt Lock is the accessory the Siri AI fix matters most for.
What to do
- Update first. During setup, accept the HomeView 27.2 update and let it finish before you sign in to iMessage or add accessories.
- Update your iPhone and Mac too. If they aren’t on iOS 27.2.1 or macOS 27.2.1 yet, the same iMessage flaw is open there.
- Don’t buy HomeView for voice unlocking yet. Treat voice control of locks and garage doors as a December feature, and use the on-screen control until it ships.
- Still deciding? Our HomeView vs HomePod mini 2 comparison covers which one fits a home office.
Voice unlocking is a December feature
This is our analysis. A $299 home hub that needs an update before first use and loses its headline voice feature for locks until December is a product that launched to hit a date. That matters less for the screen, calendar and video-call features, which work now, and more if you were buying HomeView to run the door and garage. If that is your reason, waiting a month costs little: MacRumors doesn’t expect shortages, and the December update will tell you whether Siri AI handles security accessories well enough to trust.