Apple Once Again Refers to Unreleased 'homeOS' in Job Listing [Removed]

Ahead of WWDC in June, a mention of "homeOS" was spotted in an Apple job listing, igniting suspicion that Apple would announce some significant home-based operating system at the conference. While nothing of that sort did materialize, mentions of "homeOS," a so-far never-before-heard Apple operating system, continue to surface in company job listings.

homeOS2
In June, the job listing "homeOS" had appeared in was for a Senior iOS Engineer role on the Apple Music team. The initial job description read, "You'll get to work with system engineers across Apple, learning the inner-workings of iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and homeOS..." Shortly after the "homeOS" mention made headlines, Apple edited the description to replace homeOS with HomePod.

Now, a few months later, new mentions of homeOS have emerged in similar job listings. A similar iOS engineering role on the ‌Apple Music‌ team, posted on October 12, includes the same mention of "homeOS" that appeared in the job listing in June. The role, based out of San Diego, is also posted on Apple's regional sites, all with the mention of "homeOS."

Apple currently has two central home-based operating systems, audioOS for the ‌HomePod‌, and tvOS for the Apple TV. audioOS is based on tvOS, but the two are still distinctive by name.

As part of its longer-term strategy and future product plans, a "homeOS" operating system would help better unify the company's offering for the home into a single operating system, but that remains entirely speculative.

Given that "homeOS" has appeared once again in another job listing, though, it's a safe bet to assume it is something that Apple has thought of but has just simply not yet made public. Alternatively, "homeOS" could be a name used by Apple internally, and might never be a public-facing software platform name. We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Update: After this story was published, Apple removed the October 12 job listing mentioning "homeOS" from its website.

Tag: Home

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

-BigMac- Avatar
48 months ago
Theyre going to sell Apple houses.

Yearly updates include:
- thinner bezels (walls)
- doors and garage will open twice as fast
- larger screens (windows)
- better cooling (air con)
- more battery efficient (led lighting updates)
- multitasking (additional rooms)

Jony Ive will host the house inspections
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Silverstring Avatar
48 months ago
Hopefully this is indicative of a greater focus/initiative. Apple's home(kit) strategy—and the quality, consistency, and stability of its related software—needs all the help it can get.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicschoolbus Avatar
48 months ago
They missed the boat completely on home automation.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
48 months ago

Theyre going to sell Apple houses.

Yearly updates include:
- thinner bezels (walls)
- doors and garage will open twice as fast
- larger screens (windows)
- better cooling (air con)
- more battery efficient (led lighting updates)
- multitasking (additional rooms)

Jony Ive will host the house inspections
No need for locks. FaceID at the front door.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keco185 Avatar
48 months ago
I still think this is just a rebranding of the OS used on HomePod
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
standing Avatar
48 months ago
Apple must have realised that the complexity of home automation is not an easy feat and requires it's own division and software platform to be more capable and stable.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)