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Apple may have accidentally revealed what’s next for Apple TV and HomePod

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Shimul Sood / Digital Trends

Apple’s big AI push has reached the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but a couple of noticeable devices are missing from the conversation. The Apple TV and HomePod have largely been left watching from the sidelines, despite Siri being such an important part of how you interact with both. That could finally change.

With iOS 27 getting closer to its public release, the latest beta appears to contain another clue that Apple is preparing to bring Apple Intelligence features to its living room devices. As spotted by Apple Home Authority, the Home app now includes a new menu called “Apple Intelligence Report” for compatible Apple TV and HomePod devices running beta software. On its own, a menu buried inside a beta might not sound particularly exciting. But considering neither the Apple TV nor HomePod currently supports Apple Intelligence, its appearance raises some interesting questions about what Apple has planned for later this year.

Siri could finally get smarter in your living room

The strongest possibility here is an upgraded version of Siri. Apple has been pushing toward a more consistent Siri experience across its ecosystem, which makes the current situation a little awkward. You could eventually have a much smarter assistant on your iPhone while asking the HomePod sitting a few feet away the same question and getting a far more limited response.

Bringing the newer Siri experience to the HomePod and Apple TV would help close that gap. On a HomePod, that could make everyday voice requests more useful, particularly when you don’t have another Apple device in your hand. The Apple TV could similarly benefit from a smarter assistant for finding something to watch, answering questions, or navigating content without forcing you to phrase every request carefully. There is an important catch, though. Simply installing iOS 27 on your iPhone isn’t enough to make the new Apple Intelligence Report appear. According to the discovery, the connected Apple TV or HomePod also needs to be running the tvOS 27 or HomePod 27 beta. That makes this look like more than an iPhone feature accidentally referencing other devices.

New hardware may be the missing piece

The bigger question is whether current Apple TV and HomePod models will actually get these AI features. Apple Intelligence has relatively demanding hardware requirements elsewhere in Apple’s lineup, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the company needed new chips inside its home devices before bringing its latest AI features over. Previous rumors have already pointed toward refreshed Apple TV 4K and HomePod hardware, making the timing of this new discovery particularly interesting.

Some existing devices may still receive at least part of the new functionality. The menu’s appearance doesn’t tell us which models will be supported, and Apple hasn’t officially announced Apple Intelligence support for either product yet. Fortunately, we may not have to wait much longer for answers. Apple is expected to hold its next major event on September 9, where it could finally explain why Apple TV and HomePod were so quiet during its earlier software announcements. If that happens, your iPhone might not be the only Apple device getting a much smarter Siri this fall; the little speaker in the corner of your room could finally be joining the AI party, too.

Shimul Sood
Shimul is a contributor at Digital Trends, with over five years of experience in the tech space.
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