tvOS’s hidden touch interface adds further evidence of a HomePod with a screen

Over the past year, there have been plenty of rumors that Apple is working on a HomePod with a display. Apple’s answer to the Nest Hub or Echo Show, such a device would be able to show you views from HomeKit-enabled cameras or doorbells, visually display calendar or weather information, hold FaceTime conversations, and more.

Investigators at 9to5Mac have found what may be the best evidence yet that such a device is on the way. Hidden within tvOS 18 developer beta 3 is an interface that’s clearly designed for touchscreens, something you wouldn’t normally find in an operating system designed for Apple TV.

9to5Mac

9to5Mac

9to5Mac

This system shell, called the “PlasterBoard,” is suspected to be the working interface of a HomePod with a display. HomePods currently run an operating system based on tvOS, so it makes sense to find this interface there.

PlasterBoard, at least in tvOS Beta 3, doesn’t offer much more than a lock screen interface with a number pad similar to what you’d find on an iPhone or iPad. But internal development is reportedly much further along — the fact that all of this is hidden in a beta that’s been made public (even a developer beta) likely means there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

We expect such a device to be released in 2025, but if software development is further along than we think, that could potentially make it a surprise this fall.

To take advantage of Apple’s AI, a new HomePod would be needed, with or without a screen, because the processor in current HomePods is not capable of running the required AI models. To be able to use Apple’s AI, this new device would have to have at least an M1 or A17 Pro processor with 8GB of RAM.