If you pre-ordered Apple HomeView, the most useful thing you can do before it ships on November 13 is turn on Siri AI on your iPhone. Apple says HomeView’s personal requests depend on it, and that turning it on puts you on a waitlist where “wait times can vary.”
Our Apple HomeView launch story covers the hardware. This guide covers the iPhone side.
Why your iPhone needs Siri AI for HomeView
HomeView has Siri AI built in, so anyone in the house can ask it general questions on day one. The personal side is different. A footnote in Apple’s HomeView press release says: “Personal context requests require a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad running the latest software version with Siri AI turned on and set to a supported language.”
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Personal context is what lets Siri on HomeView pull up an event from your Calendar, find something in your Messages or work across your apps. If Siri AI is not active on your paired iPhone, HomeView still answers, but it cannot draw on your own data.
What you need first
Check these before you start, using Apple’s Siri AI support document:
- An Apple Intelligence iPhone. Apple lists “iPhone 15 Pro models and later, iPhone 16 models or later, and iPhone Air” on iOS 27. On iPad, it is iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later on iPadOS 27.
- Matching languages. Siri AI works “when your device language and Siri language are set to the same supported language and your Apple Account is in an eligible region.” Siri AI is currently available in English.
- Free storage. Apple’s Apple Intelligence support page says Apple Intelligence needs up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, and up to 8 GB on other Apple Intelligence iPhones.
- The right software for HomeView. HomeView itself requires an iPhone with iOS 27.2 or later.
How to join the Siri AI waitlist on iPhone
- Update your iPhone in Settings > General > Software Update.
- Open Settings and tap Siri.
- If Siri is off, tap Turn On Siri first.
- Tap Try Siri AI (Beta).
- Follow the onscreen steps to pick a voice, complete voice enrollment and review your privacy settings.
- Leave it alone. Apple says this “will add you to a waitlist,” and that “Siri AI will begin to download automatically when your wait is complete.”
The steps are the same on an iPad; Apple’s document uses the same Settings > Siri path.
How long the wait lasts
Apple does not give a number. Its support document says only that “wait times can vary.” That is the main reason to join now rather than on delivery day. If your spot comes up before November 13, Siri AI will already be running on your iPhone when you set up HomeView.
Apple also notes that once Siri AI is on, “it will continue to work when you travel to other regions.”
What works on HomeView while you wait
You can set up and use HomeView without Siri AI on your iPhone. Apple says that “even users without an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad will benefit from Siri AI’s broad world knowledge; ability to have rich, natural conversations; and improved music discovery.”
Here is how the two states compare, based on Apple’s descriptions:
| Feature on HomeView | Before your wait ends | After Siri AI is on |
|---|---|---|
| General questions and conversation | Yes | Yes |
| Music discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Smart home control, timers, weather | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar, Messages and other personal context | No | Yes |
| Actions across your apps | No | Yes |
Siri AI on HomeView itself is labeled a beta. Apple says it is “available in beta in HomeView software version 27.2,” and certain features that rely on server-side models “are subject to daily usage limits.”
Do this for every adult in the house
HomeView recognizes up to six people, and each one gets their own personal experience. Personal context works per person, so each household member who wants it needs their own Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad with Siri AI turned on. One person clearing the waitlist does not cover everyone.
Each person’s content also stays private. Apple says personal content in apps like Messages and Calendar appears only when HomeView recognizes the enrolled user by face and their paired iPhone or iPad is present and recently unlocked.
Where the waitlist is not an option
Siri AI is not available for iOS or iPadOS in the European Union, which is why Apple is not selling HomeView there. Apple’s document also says Siri AI “will not currently work if your Apple Account region is in mainland China.”
HomeView launches with Siri AI in English in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK. If you are in one of those countries with a compatible iPhone, the waitlist is the one setup step you can finish before the box arrives.
