Newly discovered Apple software has offered the clearest look yet at how users could set up HomePad, revealing a Photo Face that turns the upcoming smart home display into a personalized digital photo frame.
Code researcher pdfu discovered the setup screens inside Apple’s software and says Photo Face will be offered as part of the setup process for the company’s upcoming home device. The same feature is also being developed for StandBy on iPhone Duo.
The leaked screens show users choosing between Photos, Memories, and Shared Albums, with the finished face combining personal images with a large clock.
Photo Face requires iCloud Photos. According to pdfu, an iPhone will initially send several full-resolution photos directly to the new device so the face can begin displaying images immediately, while the remainder are subsequently downloaded from iCloud.
Users will be able to shuffle photos of specific people, pets, or places, select collections, use Featured Photos, or manually choose individual images.
The setup software currently refers to the unreleased hardware simply as “Apple device.” Pdfu says this is a fallback because Apple’s CoreTypes framework does not yet recognize the product’s eventual name.
The discovery also creates a direct software connection between HomePad and iPhone Duo. Pdfu says the Photo Face is the same one being prepared for iPhone Duo’s redesigned StandBy experience.
Apple’s unreleased software has already provided clues about upcoming hardware and features, with developers and code researchers continuing to uncover assets that aren’t yet exposed through the normal user interface.
In this case, the Photo Face assets were found in PhotosUIPrivate within the iPhone Duo simulator runtime, according to pdfu.
The assets also appear to provide further evidence for HomePad’s rumored color lineup. Preview artwork is prepared in four groups labeled Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Rose Pink, with the setup screen selecting artwork based on the hardware color reported by the device.
The Apple Post reported on those four potential HomePad finishes yesterday, and pdfu has now shared the complete set of matching Photo Face preview assets.
The new screenshots therefore add more context to the color discovery rather than simply repeating it: Apple appears to have built different imagery into the setup experience to visually complement each hardware finish.
The Photo Face itself also fits with Bloomberg’s reporting about how Apple intends HomePad to behave when it isn’t actively being used. Bloomberg has reported that the interface is built heavily around clocks and photo slideshows.
HomePad is expected to feature a roughly six-inch square display attached to a speaker base in a design reminiscent of the iMac G4, with another version designed to mount on a wall.
Apple is reportedly preparing to introduce the device on October 13 alongside HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K.