The Home app gets four additions in iOS 27, according to Apple’s iOS 27 page: activity notifications, video descriptions, AI clip search and 4K recording support. They arrive with the free update on Monday, September 14, on iPhone 11 and later, and three of the four are about home cameras rather than lights and locks.
Apple’s page lists the features without a manual, so here is what each one is described as doing, how they fit together, which may depend on Apple Intelligence, and where Apple has left gaps.
Activity notifications, video descriptions and AI clip search
Activity notifications are the plainest of the four: the Home app alerts you when something happens at home. Apple has not said whether that means camera motion, accessory state changes such as a door unlocking, or both, and it has not said whether the alerts can be filtered by room or accessory.
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Video descriptions and AI clip search work as a pair. The first has the Home app describe what a camera recorded, so a notification or clip carries a short account of what happened rather than a thumbnail alone. The second lets you search recorded clips by what is in them, which is what the description generates. Apple has not said whether either runs on-device, through Private Cloud Compute or on a home hub.
4K recording support
Until now, HomeKit Secure Video recording has been limited below 4K. Apple’s iOS 27 page says the Home app adds 4K recording support, which lets a compatible camera store full-resolution clips. Apple has not named the cameras that qualify, said whether existing cameras get it through a firmware update, or stated how 4K clips count against iCloud storage.
| Home app feature | What Apple’s iOS 27 page says | Not published by Apple |
|---|---|---|
| Activity notifications | Alerts for activity at home | Which events qualify, filtering options |
| Video descriptions | Describes what a camera recorded | Where processing happens, Apple Intelligence requirement |
| AI clip search | Search recordings by content | Whether it needs a home hub, Apple Intelligence requirement |
| 4K recording support | Full-resolution recording for compatible cameras | Supported cameras, iCloud storage impact |
Apple’s June announcement grouped video descriptions and clip search with its Apple Intelligence features. If that holds for the September release, they will need iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 and later, while activity notifications and 4K recording should reach any iPhone 11 or later on iOS 27. Apple has not confirmed the split on the iOS 27 page.
How to turn on the new Home features
These steps follow Apple’s published description of the feature on its iOS 27 page. The exact button names and menu positions may shift when iOS 27 ships on September 14, so treat them as a guide rather than a script.
- Install iOS 27 from Settings, General, Software Update on or after September 14.
- Open the Home app and tap the More button, then Home Settings, to check that your home hub is online. Camera recording features have always needed a hub.
- For activity notifications, open Home Settings, then Notifications, and enable alerts for the accessories or cameras you want to hear about.
- For 4K recording, open a camera’s settings in the Home app, find the recording options and select 4K if the camera offers it. If the option is missing, the camera does not yet support it.
- For video descriptions and clip search, open a camera, scroll through recent clips and look for the description text and a search field. Apple has not said whether these need a switch of their own.
What the iPhone 18 Pro adds for the smart home
The iPhone 18 Pro carries Apple’s N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, the low-power radio many newer smart home accessories use. Apple has not said the Home app’s new features need Thread or the N1, and iOS 27 runs the same Home app on older phones.
Where the new phone does matter is 4K playback: its 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 display and the Pro Max’s 6.9-inch 2868 x 1320 panel, both at 460 ppi, are the sharpest screens Apple sells for reviewing full-resolution clips. The A20 Pro chip handles on-device Apple Intelligence with a dual 16-core Neural Engine.
Apple has not stated a release hour for iOS 27; it usually ships iOS updates around 10 a.m. Pacific. The iOS 27 release date guide has the timing and the event recap has the rest of the announcements.
