I set up Apple HomeView before launch. My kitchen got a karaoke upgrade.

I first tried Apple’s new smart display in Tribeca. Then I brought one home and gave it a spot in my kitchen. From my morning debrief to dinner prep, here’s what I actually used it for.

I was going to film a video showing how to set up Apple HomeView. Then I plugged it in, held my iPhone in front of it, tapped through a couple of prompts and realized there wasn’t much of a video left to make. Click, click, boom. By dinner, I’d already moved my music from my phone to the kitchen and pulled up a recipe on the display. The real question was whether I’d keep reaching for it once the novelty wore off.

I’d first tried HomeView at Apple’s Welcome Home event in Tribeca, where it got the biggest cheer of the day. We covered that first look at View the VIBE. Getting an early unit ahead of its Canadian launch on November 13 gave me a chance to answer a different question: Does this thing deserve counter space in my own home?

The setup video I never made

One practical tip: update your iPhone before you unbox it. You’ll need the latest compatible software for setup. Once I had that sorted, I plugged in the HomeView, brought my phone close and followed the prompts. That was it.

I went with the stand model and set it up in the kitchen. The seven-inch square screen looks compact at a demo station, but I appreciated the size more once it was sharing a counter with the things we actually use. I could glance at it from across the kitchen, and it didn’t look like I’d propped up an iPad and forgotten to put it away.

My morning debrief, with a side of vacation envy

I call it my morning debrief: an executive summary of what needs my attention before I get pulled into the day. With Siri and ChatGPT as part of that workflow, I can get a rundown of the emails and work I need to tackle while I’m getting started in the kitchen. It’s a small thing, but I like getting my bearings before I sit down and open every tab I left up the night before.

The feature I didn’t expect to care about as much? Photos. I’d look over and catch a reminder of a sunny trip or a vacation I’d already half-forgotten about in the rush of getting back to work. On a grey Toronto morning, it’s a nice little reminder that I’ve been somewhere warm before and, ideally, will be again.

I also liked how quickly I could switch from photos to the controls we already use at home. I could check the humidity, adjust the temperature or fan, and turn off the lights from the same spot. None of that was new to our home. Having it within reach while I was already in the kitchen was what made the difference.

If you’re looking to add cameras to your setup, Apple says orders open November 13 for three Apple Home Collection accessories: the LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In and LG Video Doorbell Wired. All three start arriving in December, with other accessories rolling out in December and early 2027.

Dinner prep now comes with a soundtrack

The first thing I did before dinner was hand off the music playing on my iPhone. I brought the phone up to HomeView and picked up where I’d left off. If I wasn’t following a recipe, I’d put the lyrics on screen. At that point, chopping vegetables became a perfectly reasonable excuse for a solo karaoke set.

Following a recipe was the bigger win for me. I could leave the steps up where I could see them instead of unlocking my phone and scrolling back to the right spot every time I needed to check what came next. I live with a chef, but I’m still the guy who wants to double-check whether the garlic goes in now or after the onions. Having the instructions right there made cooking feel a little less like juggling.

That’s the part I kept coming back to. HomeView can do a lot, but the reason I wanted it in the kitchen was simple: I could keep doing what I was doing. The recipe stayed where I needed it. The music kept playing. My phone could stay out of the way.

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What we’re cooking next

Trying HomeView at home got us thinking about the recipes we share across our platforms, too. We’re planning to curate more that you can pull up on HomeView and follow while you cook.

If you’re skipping the usual winter cuffing season agenda and getting a head start on next summer, we’ve got you (coming soon). If your winter plans involve a tray of holiday cookies, we’ve got you there, too. Same kitchen. Different playlist.

At $429 in Canada, HomeView is a considered purchase. I’m still early in my time with it, and I’m curious which habits will stick after a few weeks. But I’ve already stopped wondering what I’d use it for. It’s the screen I reach for when I’m making dinner, which is more than I expected to say after seeing it in Tribeca.

The singing, unfortunately for anyone within earshot, is probably here to stay.

Follow along as I make use of it in my day to day, over on my Instagram @mr.stevenbranco.