New job ad suggests Apple launching 'homeOS' [u]

Apple may be about to reveal a new OS

An Apple Music job posting initially referred to a previously unknown "homeOS" in its listing of Apple's mobile platforms.

A previously unannounced additional "homeOS" platform was been mentioned in the job description for a software engineer working in Apple Music. Originally spotted by Twitter users and now confirmed by AppleInsider, the listing made two references to the new OS.

Os traigo una novedad gracias al chivatazo de @JotaEle_: "homeOS" ser el prximo sistema operativo de Apple segn revela una oferta de empleo de la propia Apple. Lo considera "mvil".https://t.co/v4jv6mFljF pic.twitter.com/af2t9rBiFW
— Javier Lacort (@jlacort) June 2, 2021

The tweeted screenshot shows only that it is a job for "stellar software engineers." However, AppleInsider can now confirm that the "homeOS" references are in at least one posting for a Senior iOS Engineer - Apple Music, based in Cupertino. The ad was posted by Apple on May 25, 2021.

At shortly before 12:15 AM ET, Apple pushed out a revised description that removed the first of the two "homeOS" references. Shortly after that time, it published a subsequent revision that replaced the second reference too.

The job ad now says that the successful applicant will be "learning the inner-workings of iOS, watchOS, tvOS and HomePod" instead of "homeOS."

The second reference, which listed Apple's mobile platforms, has changed from "iOS, watchOS, and homeOS," to "iOS, watchOS, and tvOS." Arguably tvOS is not a mobile operating system, but then nor is the HomeKit that may replace.

It's conceivable that "homeOS" is to be announced at the forthcoming WWDC on June 7. It may be a development or rebranding of HomeKit, in the way that OS X was rebranded to macOS at WWDC 2016.

However, Microsoft has had a smart home platform called HomeOS since 2010.

Prior to its launch of HomeKit in 2014, though, sources had claimed that the smart home technology would be called homeOS.

Updated: 12:15 PM ET as Apple replaced the references to "homeOS."

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12 Comments

22july2013

said about 2 years ago

...or maybe it's the OS for the HomePod replacement.

AppleZulu

said about 2 years ago

HomeKit isn’t an operating system, though, is it? Why would they rebrand that to a name that says it is?

The OS for HomePod does seem far more likely, and it fits the naming convention for everything else in Apple’s lineup.

rcfa

said about 2 years ago

The OS on homepods is obviously Darwin based and a derivative of the iOS/tvOS branch. It simply has no branded name, as it’s supposed to be something that’s as unobtrusive as possible. OS updates happen automatically, there are no public betas, etc.

In short, either homeOS is how Apple refers to it internally, or some successor to what runs on HomePods will have a higher profile and more functions, and thus gain a customer facing brand name. The most likely functionality added: apps

Either way: no big deal, because it’s obvious that Apple won’t let the HomePod line stagnate and wither.

macapfel

said about 2 years ago

Or, homeOS replaces everything home-related, i.e., tvOS will be discontinued/be part of homeOS.

And then we wait for carOS.

Beats

said about 2 years ago

PLEASE. I thought of this idea 5 years ago along with other OSes. The idea was that you can load these OSes to iPads for specific functions.

Now maybe the idea would be overkill since the App Store covers so much ground. At the same time, it could give Apple more focus on specific industries like retailOS for POS systems which the iPad is popular for.

rcfa said:

The OS on homepods is obviously Darwin based and a derivative of the iOS/tvOS branch. It simply has no branded name, as it’s supposed to be something that’s as unobtrusive as possible. OS updates happen automatically, there are no public betas, etc.

In short, either homeOS is how Apple refers to it internally, or some successor to what runs on HomePods will have a higher profile and more functions, and thus gain a customer facing brand name. The most likely functionality added: apps

Either way: no big deal, because it’s obvious that Apple won’t let the HomePod line stagnate and wither.

Isn’t the HomePod OS internally called audioOS or something like that? Someone linked me to the Wikipedia article when I complained that Apple didn’t allow HomePod apps.

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