Got a New HomePod? Here's Everything You Need to Know

Have you picked up a new HomePod? Perhaps it's your first. Then it might surprise you that Apple doesn't include an extensive manual in the box. That's why we've compiled this list of how-to articles to help you make the most of your new smart speaker.


Below, you'll find help on how to set up your new HomePod and master the basic controls, as well as how to get the best out of the many audio functions. We've also covered some of the more advanced features that Apple's latest speaker is capable of. Click the links to learn more, and be sure to bookmark this post.

Get to Know the Basics

• How to Set Up Your New HomePod


• How to Use the HomePod's Physical Controls


• How to Access Your HomePod's Settings


• How to Create and Manage Calendar Events on HomePod


• How To Make Notes and Reminders With Siri on HomePod


• How to Set and Manage HomePod Timers


• How to Create Alarms on Your HomePod


• How to Disable Personal Requests on HomePod


• How to Turn Off Location Services on HomePod

Controlling Audio Functions

• How to Change Audio Volume on HomePod


• How to Keep HomePod Volume Level Consistent for Music and Podcasts


• How to Disable Playback of Explicit Content on HomePod


• How to Use Your HomePod as a Speakerphone


• How to Play Ambient Sounds on HomePod


• How To Play and Control Podcasts on HomePod With Siri


• How to Ask Siri on HomePod to Play Apple Music Playlists, Genres, Moods, and More


• How to Use Your HomePod as a Speaker for Your Apple TV


• How to Create a HomePod Stereo Pair


• How to Stream Audio From Your TV's Inputs to HomePod via Apple TV (eARC)


• How to Enable Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio and Apple Lossless on HomePod


• How to Prevent Others' HomePod Requests From Skewing Your Apple Music Recommendations


• How to Use Two HomePods With a Mac for Stereo Audio Output


• How to Set Up Home Theater Audio with HomePod and Apple TV 4K

Using Other HomePod Features

• How to Set Up HomePod Multi-User Voice Recognition


• How to Assign Primary Users to Individual HomePods in the Same Household


• How to Find Family, Friends, and Items With Your HomePod


• How to Use Ambient Sounds in HomePod Automations


• How to Use Ambient Sounds in HomePod Alarms


• How to Use HomePod Ambient Sounds in Scenes


• How to Create Recurring Automations on HomePod Using Your Voice


• How to Use the Temperature and Humidity Sensors on HomePod


• How to Set Up Temperature and Humidity Automations on HomePod


• How to Delete Siri Audio History and Opt Out of Siri Audio Sharing on HomePod


• How to Install HomePod Public Beta Software

How are you getting on with your new ‌HomePod‌? Are there any other functions missing in our list that you'd like help with? Let us know in the comments.
This article, "Got a New HomePod? Here's Everything You Need to Know" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Gurman: Apple Not Working on New HomePod Mini

Apple is likely not working on a new version of the HomePod mini smart speaker, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that he believes Apple is not "actively working" on a successor to the ‌HomePod mini‌:

After the debut of a new full-sized HomePod, many users started asking about an update to the mini model. But at this point, I don't believe that Apple is actively working on such as product. The latest HomePod doesn't include any major new functions that aren't already in the $99 mini, so there isn't an obvious reason to update the model. Sure, it would be nice to get more colors, a cheaper price, and better sound and microphones, but the real improvements probably need to be made on the back end — with Siri and app integration.

The ‌HomePod mini‌ was announced in October 2020 at Apple's iPhone 12 event. Less than half a year later, Apple discontinued the original HomePod, leaving the ‌HomePod mini‌ as the company's only smart speaker until this week when Apple relaunched the full-size HomePod form factor.

The newly reintroduced ‌HomePod‌ offers a large number of features that were previously exclusive to the ‌HomePod mini‌, including an Apple Watch S-series chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, Thread support, a temperature and humidity sensor, and a larger backlit touch surface that illuminates from edge to edge.

In August 2022, Gurman said that Apple was considering launching an updated version of the HomePod mini in the future, but he did not provide a specific timeframe or details about potential new features. He said the update was unlikely to be "super-impressive," suggesting any changes to the ‌HomePod‌'s smaller sibling would be minor, but those plans now seem to have been shelved.
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Apple Details What to Do If You Can't Update HomePod When Advanced Data Protection Is Enabled

Apple has published a new support document explaining what to do if users are unable to set up or update a HomePod when Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is enabled.


To use Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, all the devices logged into your Apple ID require a minimum software version. That includes HomePod speakers, which must be running at least HomePod software 16.2.

However, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, there is a bug in the Home app that prevents HomePods running older versions of the software from being updated if iCloud end-to-end encryption has been turned on.

This means anyone buying a HomePod that ships with an OS older than 16.2 won't be able to set it up, because doing so first requires an update.

Apple's support document explains what options are available to customers facing this predicament. If the speaker in question is a HomePod mini, users can connect it to a Mac via the USB-C cable and update it through Finder (or iTunes on a PC) by selecting the HomePod in the Finder sidebar and clicking the Restore HomePod option. This will update the speaker to the latest software, after which it can be properly set up.

The full-size first-generation HomePod and the new 2023 HomePod have no USB-C port, so unless Apple includes a fix in iOS 16.3, which is expected to be released next week, owners of these speakers will have to temporarily turn off Advanced Data Protection to update the HomePod software. Apple outlines how to do that in the following way:

1. Turn off Advanced Data Protection in iCloud settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac: In Settings or System Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Scroll to Advanced Data Protection and turn off Advanced Data Protection.


2. If you received an error message when you previously tried to set up your HomePod, you may need to reset your HomePod. Then set up your HomePod.


3. Update your HomePod to the latest software using the Home app.


4. Turn on Advanced Data Protection in iCloud settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac: In Settings or System Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Scroll to Advanced Data Protection and turn on Advanced Data Protection.

Apple advises anyone who temporarily turns off Advanced Data Protection to turn it back on immediately after their HomePod software is updated.
This article, "Apple Details What to Do If You Can't Update HomePod When Advanced Data Protection Is Enabled" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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HomePod 16.3 Beta: How to Set Up Temperature and Humidity Automations

In late January, Apple will release a HomePod 16.3 software update that adds humidity and temperature sensing to the second-generation HomePod and all HomePod mini models. This article explains how the features work and what you can do with them.


Apple's new second-generation ‌HomePod‌ features temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to measure the indoor climate. But that's not all. The new 16.3 ‌HomePod‌ software, currently in beta, allows you to run automations based on these measurements.

What's more, the existing ‌HomePod mini‌ has a dormant temperature and humidity sensor that Apple is finally activating with the 16.3 update, allowing the same temperature and humidity settings to be used for home automation and device activation purposes.

Below, we show you how the temperature and humidity sensor information appears in the Home app, and how you can add automations. In our example, after having installed the 16.3 beta on a ‌HomePod mini‌, we run through the steps needed to activate a thermostat to heat a room whenever it falls below 66.2 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius).

1. Open the Home app and select the room where the ‌HomePod mini‌ or second-generation ‌HomePod‌ is located.


2. After a short calibration phase on first use, the readouts at the top of the room menu provide live climate measurements. We're going to tap the Temperature readout.


3. Tap the Temperature Sensor button in the pop-up menu to access the settings card.


4. Tap Add Automation.
   
   
5. Using the dial, choose a temperature level that activates the automation using the Rises Above and Drops Below options.


6. Use the Time setting to choose from Any time, During the day, At night, or Specific times.


7. Use the People setting to choose whether this automation should run based on When I am home or When I am not home. You can also turn this setting off.


8. Tap Next, then select the accessory that you want to use with this automation. Here we're selecting Thermostat.
   
   
9. Tap Next, then give your automation a name at the top of the menu and set your accessory to perform an action. Here, we're setting the thermostat to heat the kitchen to 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius.


10. Tap Done, then tap the X to close the Temperature Sensor settings card.
    

Our automation is now ready to activate the thermostat to heat the room whenever the temperature drops below the specified measurement.

This is just one example of some of the new features available with the ‌HomePod‌ 16.3 software update. The update also brings users the ability to add remastered ambient sounds to scenes, automations, and alarms, as well as the ability to use Siri to set recurring automations and find people who are in your Find My contacts. Apple is set to release the ‌HomePod‌ 16.3 software update next week ahead of the launch of the new ‌HomePod‌ on February 3.
This article, "HomePod 16.3 Beta: How to Set Up Temperature and Humidity Automations" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Increases HomePod Mini Price in Several European Countries

Following its new HomePod announcement on Wednesday, Apple has quietly bumped up the price of its HomePod mini in several European countries.


In the European Union, Apple has added €10 to the original €99 price in Austria, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The price increase was spotted in France by iGeneration.

The EU price rise now matches or approximately reflects the original price of the ‌HomePod mini‌ in other European countries where the speaker launched only last year, such as Belgium, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

In the UK, where the cost of a ‌HomePod mini‌ went up from £89 to £99, Apple also quietly increased the starting price of the iMac by £150, rising from £1,249 to £1,399.

Apple next week will push out an update for the ‌HomePod mini‌ that activates the dormant temperature and humidity sensors in the speakers. Given that it also applies to ‌HomePod mini‌ devices already purchased at the lower price, that is likely to be scant consolation for anyone thinking of buying a ‌HomePod mini‌ today.
This article, "Apple Increases HomePod Mini Price in Several European Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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