“Apple Intelligence for Home requires an iCloud+ subscription starting at 2TB.” That line appears in Apple’s release notes for iOS & iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and tvOS 27, and in the US the smallest plan that meets it, 2TB, costs $9.99 a month.
The note is one sentence long. It doesn’t list which Home features it covers, so here is exactly what Apple says in each place, and how to check your plan.
What the release notes say
In all three sets of developer notes, the requirement sits under HomeKit, in the New Features section. The entry directly above it reads: “When Apple Intelligence in the Home app is enabled, your HomeKit Secure Video recordings are processed on-device and through Private Cloud Compute for video descriptions and search.”
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“Starting at 2TB” also takes in Apple’s 6TB and 12TB plans. Beyond that, the notes add no detail on the requirement.
What Apple’s update pages list
Apple’s consumer “About iOS 27 Updates” page lists three Home features under Apple Intelligence:
- “Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification”
- “Video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video recordings summarize what’s happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers”
- “Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home app or Spotlight when on an eligible iCloud+ plan”
The iPadOS 27 page uses the same wording. The visionOS 27 page lists the same three features, with clip search in the Home app only. None of these pages names a storage tier for “eligible.”
What 2TB costs, and what smaller plans keep
Apple’s iCloud+ plans and pricing page, dated September 15, lists five US tiers: 50GB for $0.99, 200GB for $2.99, 2TB for $9.99, 6TB for $29.99, and 12TB for $59.99 a month.
Recording is unchanged. The page lists HomeKit Secure Video recording “for one camera” on 50GB, “for up to five cameras” on 200GB, and “for an unlimited number of cameras” on 2TB and up. Apple’s iPhone User Guide adds that subscribers can view the last 10 days of activity, and that “Video content doesn’t count against your iCloud storage limit.”
So a household recording two cameras on a 200GB plan keeps recording as before. Apple Intelligence for Home, by the release notes, needs a plan of 2TB or more.
What else you need
The plan is one requirement among several. Apple’s plans page says HomeKit Secure Video “requires a supported iCloud plan, compatible HomeKit-enabled security camera, and a supported device running as a home hub.” The iPhone User Guide names Apple TV 4K and HomePod as hub devices, and tvOS 27 for Apple TV 4K shipped alongside iOS 27.
You also need a device that runs Apple Intelligence. Apple’s iOS 27 notes list “All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max” for Apple Intelligence across apps, which is where the Home features appear, and its iPadOS 27 notes list “iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 and later.”
How to check or change your iCloud+ plan
Apple’s iPhone User Guide gives these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
- Tap Storage, tap Manage Plan, then follow the onscreen instructions.
If your plan is already 2TB or larger, you meet the requirement Apple published. For the rest of the update, see our iOS 27 feature guide.
