Apple's unreleased HomeView smart home hub may do more than control your lights. Settings strings uncovered in the device's software indicate the hub could function as a HomeKit Secure Video camera, according to findings credited to code sleuth pdfu and reported by MacRumors.

That would turn the hub from a passive command center into an active part of a home's security setup, letting the device that sits on your counter also watch over the room it lives in. For households already invested in HomeKit Secure Video, it would add a camera endpoint without buying separate hardware.

The leak also sharpens a competitive contrast. As Android Authority noted, Google's Pixel Tablet — the closest analogue in the Android world — skipped built-in security camera functionality entirely. If the strings reflect a shipping feature rather than abandoned experimentation, Apple would be entering the smart display category with a capability its most obvious rival left on the table.

As with any pre-release software discovery, the feature could change or be cut before HomeView launches. Apple has not commented on the findings.