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At WWDC 2026, Apple unveiled new artificial intelligence features for the Home app. The company demonstrated, among other things, intelligent search of camera footage, automatic event summaries and better management of camera monitoring. However, it did not disclose which iCloud+ plans will get access to these new features. The answer only appeared in the documentation for the latest macOS beta. That may be a major disappointment for many users.
New AI features only for higher-tier subscriptions
Apple has confirmed that Home AI features will be available only to users with an iCloud+ plan of at least 2 TB. That means people on the cheaper 50 GB and 200 GB tiers will not get access to the new capabilities. It's a surprising decision, because the 200 GB plan already supports up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras. Those kinds of setups would benefit most from intelligent search of camera footage and automatic event summaries. Apple has decided the AI features will remain reserved for higher-tier subscribers. To use them, you'll need to pay for a plan costing $9.99 per month or more. The new features include intelligent camera search, automatic person tracking, combining footage from multiple cameras and higher-quality recording. These features use artificial intelligence running within the Apple Home ecosystem. The company's decision quickly sparked discussion among users.
Users accuse Apple of trying to boost revenue
Many commenters believe that restricting AI features to the 2 TB plan is intended to encourage customers to upgrade to a more expensive subscription. Critics point out that users on the 200 GB plan already pay for support of multiple cameras and could use the new features without issue. Apple has not explained the reasons for its decision in detail. It's possible the company wants to offset rising costs tied to developing services based on artificial intelligence. For now, the new rules apply in system betas and may still change before the official launch. It's also unclear whether Apple will decide to expand access to Home AI in the future. At present, everything suggests the most interesting smart‑home features will remain reserved for higher‑tier iCloud+ plans. For some users, this could be another argument against expanding the Apple ecosystem.
New Apple Home AI features will be available only to users on iCloud+ plans with 2 TB of storage or more. Apple's decision has been criticised, because even subscribers on the 200 GB plan will not have access to the Home app's smart features.
source: digitaltrends
