iOS 26 Leak Hints At Apple's HomePod With A Screen

iOS 26 beta 4 has brought along more surprises with it than just a tweaked Liquid Glass interface, new app icons, and general stability improvements. The latest build also potentially leaks Apple's future "HomePod with a screen," as this upcoming software update continues to reveal unannounced products.

Rumored for a few years now, the mystery device has now been hinted at in iOS 26. According to findings from MacRumors, the latest iOS 26 beta suggests the new home device will have a capability the current HomePods don't: showing content.

Even though Apple's smart speakers feature a display, it's only responsible for letting you change the volume, skip a song, or see Siri's animation when speaking to the personal assistant. However, the current HomePod 2 and HomePod mini devices can't show you weather details, music cover art, or other information on that screen. That's why the publication believes Apple is hinting at an unreleased product.

Here's why MacRumors think they found an iOS 26 leak regarding this HomePod with a screen. In a location-related setting, iOS 26 says the following: "Your HomePod won't be able to show you the local weather, time, or respond to Siri requests about your area." As mentioned above, it's the word "show" that makes it seem Apple is readying a different product, as no HomePod currently has the capability to "show" information. If that turns out to be accurate, it seems this device might be officially in the works.

Previous reports suggested Apple could be working on three different home devices, including a HomePod 3, a HomePod with a screen, and a smart home hub. While Apple could be preparing a third-generation smart speaker, it's possible that we'll see the HomePod with a screen turned out to be the smart home hub. After all, it will be able to control HomeKit and Matter devices, run Apple apps, and work similarly to an Amazon Echo Show.

However, the main reason why Apple hasn't released this product yet is the lack of a brighter Siri, which is expected to land early next year. That said, Apple could decide to promote other features with this product or wait for the proper rollout of a more intelligent assistant to unveil this device. Either way, it seems Apple is hard at work, and we'll let you know when we learn more.