Greatest Apple HomePod and HomePod mini ideas and methods

For those who’ve invested in a HomePod or HomePod mini, you are most undoubtedly in the fitting place. There are many options constructed into these two good audio system, a few of which you’ll not find out about as they arrived with iOS 17 in September. Not solely do you not should say “Hey” earlier than Siri, however there are some neat methods when you’ve got an Apple TV, akin to taking calls with HomePod.

We have detailed a bunch of HomePod and HomePod mini ideas and methods to get you began and present you what your Apple good speaker can do, together with how to make sure it’s up-to-date with the most recent model of software program, so that you get all the most recent options.

HomePod and HomePod mini setup ideas and methods

Ideas and methods for utilizing the HomePod and HomePod mini are not any good if you do not know learn how to set it up proper so right here we’re working by way of our high ideas for HomePod setup.

The right way to arrange HomePod and HomePod mini

The HomePod arrange is just like establishing a pair of AirPods or Apple TV. You must be on the most recent model of iOS and have your iOS gadget close to the speaker whenever you do.

1. Activate the HomePod or HomePod mini and anticipate the sunshine to glow on the highest.
2. Put your iPhone or iPad close to the HomePod or HomePod mini.
3. Faucet Set Up.
4. Set which room the HomePod goes to be.
5. Select whether or not to Allow Private Requests. That is whether or not you need to have the ability to dictate textual content messages, add reminders, or take notes by way of the good speaker.
6. Conform to switch your iCloud account, Wi-Fi and different HomeKit settings over to the speaker.
7. Say “Siri, what are you able to do?” adopted by “Siri, play some music.”

The right way to replace your HomePod

To replace your HomePod to the most recent model of iOS and make sure you profit from any new options that seem, comply with the steps beneath:

1. Open the Home app in your iPhone or iPad.
2. Faucet the circle with three dots icon within the higher right-hand nook.
3. Faucet ‘House Settings.’
4. Scroll down and faucet Software program Replace.
5. Faucet the ‘Replace (All)’ button to start the replace or pull all the way down to see if there may be one.
6. Faucet ‘Agree’ on the Phrases and Situations web page.

In case your HomePod does not sound correct, choose it up

The HomePod (1st and 2nd technology) and HomePod mini function an accelerometer that detects when the speaker has been moved, so it may well routinely whizz by way of the sound setup process once more. If for some purpose you are not pleased with the sound your speaker is creating, choose up the HomePod or HomePod mini, raise it within the air, and substitute it the place you need the speaker to go. This could routinely pressure the speaker to calibrate the sound once more – one thing that takes seconds, and the audio needs to be improved. The probabilities are nevertheless, you need to by no means have to fret about doing this.

The right way to create a HomePod or HomePod mini stereo pair

When you have two HomePods or two HomePod minis, you possibly can create a stereo pair. We have got a full function on this, beneath – however in a nutshell, comply with the directions beneath:

1. Make certain your HomePods or HomePod minis are working iOS 11.4 or later.
2. Open the House app in your iPhone or iPad.
3. Contact and maintain a HomePod within the checklist.
4. Faucet on ‘Accent Settings’.
5. Scroll down and faucet ‘Create Stereo Pair’.
6. Comply with the onscreen directions, akin to choosing which shall be left and proper.

Associated: How to create a HomePod or HomePod mini stereo pair

Use your HomePod or HomePod mini as a speaker for Apple TV 4K

When you have an Apple TV 4K, you should use your HomePod and HomePod mini because the default speaker, which is nice if you do not have a soundbar and your TV sound is not good. We have got a separate function on this too, beneath, however this is the essential directions:

Utilizing your Apple TV

1. Head to Settings in your Apple TV menu.
2. Choose Video and Audio.
3. Choose Default Audio Output.
4. Your HomePod mini or HomePod ought to seem on the checklist, permitting you to pick out it.

Associated: How to connect Apple HomePod mini speakers to Apple TV

Utilizing your iPhone or iPad

If you wish to join your HomePod to your Apple TV utilizing your iPhone or iPad, you may first must open the House app. You may then want to ensure your HomePod and your Apple TV are linked to the identical room.

1. Open the House app.
2. Make certain your HomePod or HomePod mini and your Apple TV are linked to the identical room.
3. Contact and maintain the Apple TV tile.
4. Faucet on Accent Settings.
5. Faucet on Default Audio Choice.
6. Choose your HomePod or HomePod mini.

It is price mentioning that if you’re working iOS 17 or later, you may also increase speech when utilizing HomePods as a speaker together with your Apple TV. Inside the settings, there may be an Improve Dialogue choice that may cut back bass and give attention to speech.

HomePod music methods and ideas

There are a variety of how you possibly can management music playback on the HomePod. Both by way of voice instructions to Siri, by way of the contact panel on the highest of the speaker, or by way of the Apple Music app in your iPhone or iPad.

HomePod contact controls

You may faucet the highest of HomePod or HomePod mini to play, pause, skip a track, or alter the amount. Contact and maintain the highest to speak to Siri.

• Faucet as soon as to Play/Pause
• Double-tap to skip to the subsequent observe
• Triple faucet to skip again to the earlier observe
• Contact and maintain to entry Siri with out saying “Siri”
• Faucet or maintain the plus icon to show the amount up
• Faucet or maintain the minus icon to show the amount down

HomePod music voice controls

You may management the music playback of music performed by way of the HomePod (ie not by way of AirPlay) by merely saying “Siri.” Word that if you’re working iOS 17 or later, you solely should say “Siri” somewhat than “Hey Siri”. Listed here are some fundamental voice instructions:

• Siri, flip the amount up
• Siri, flip the amount to 85 per cent
• Siri, flip the amount down
• Siri, cease
• Siri, play
• Siri, subsequent track
• Siri, skip ahead 30 seconds
• Siri, earlier observe

Siri additionally helps a variety of extra complicated music voice instructions like asking for particular genres, moods, or actions.

You may also go extra particular both with artists or playlists. For instance:

• Siri, play the most recent track by Norah Jones
• Siri, play Ed Sheeran
• Siri, play this 12 months’s Grammy nominees
• Siri, play Adele’s first album
• Siri, play a playlist from Pitchfork
• Siri, play the track by Jay-Z that includes Justin Timberlake

When you’re taking part in a observe you possibly can then ask Siri extra questions on what’s taking part in.

• Siri, what track is that this?
• Siri, when was this launched?
• Siri, what’s Taylor Swift’s latest album?
• Siri, who performs drums for Coldplay?

Apple / Pocket-lint 

Controlling HomePod music by way of your iPhone

You may see what’s taking part in in your HomePod at any time both by asking Siri to let you know or by accessing the HomePod by way of Management Centre or the Apple Music app in your iPhone or iPad. To take action it’s important to be on the identical Wi-Fi community.

By means of Management Centre

1. Open Management Centre.
2. Faucet on the small wi-fi trying icon on the high of the music panel.
3. Scroll down the display screen to see your HomePod’s identify. For those who’ve already performed music, it is going to have the final observe you have performed with the accompanying album artwork.
4. Faucet on the track title to disclose playback instructions.
5. Faucet once more to open up management within the Apple Music app.

By means of the Apple Music app

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Faucet on the present track or earlier track you had been taking part in.
3. Faucet on the AirPlay brand on the backside centre of the display screen.
4. Scroll down the display screen to see your HomePod’s identify. For those who’ve already performed music, it is going to have the final observe you have performed with the accompanying album artwork.
5. Faucet on the track title to disclose playback instructions.
6. Faucet once more to return to the Apple Music app and select the track you wish to play.

Cut back the bass in your HomePod or HomePod mini

For those who discover the HomePod or HomePod mini too bassy, you possibly can apply a setting to scale back the low frequency output of the audio system.

1. Open the House app.
2. Faucet and maintain your HomePod within the Favorite Accent part.
3. Faucet on ‘Accent Settings’.
4. Toggle on Cut back Bass.

Permit Express Content material on HomePod

You may set whether or not you wish to take heed to music with specific content material or not on the HomePod and HomePod mini, which is helpful in the event you’ve bought children or in the event you simply aren’t a fan of dangerous language. To show this function on or off you want to go to the HomePod or HomePod mini’s settings web page within the House app in your iPhone or iPad.

1. Go to the House app.
2. Faucet on the circle with three dots icon within the high proper nook.
3. Faucet on House Settings.
4. Faucet a consumer.
5. Toggle Permit Express Content material.

Use Listening Historical past on HomePod and HomePod mini

Apple permits music performed on the HomePod and HomePod mini to affect your “Hear Now” suggestions and seem in your profile. For those who’re nervous that different members of your loved ones would possibly disrupt your suggestions (learn children listening to Frozen an excessive amount of) you possibly can flip this function off. To do that comply with the directions beneath:

1. Go to the House app.
2. Faucet on the circle with three dots icon within the high proper nook.
3. Faucet on House Settings.
4. Faucet a consumer.
5. Faucet on Replace Listening Historical past and toggle off the HomePod audio system you do not wish to affect your Hear Now suggestions.

AirPlay out of your iPhone to HomePod

If you wish to play music immediately out of your gadget or from one other service like Spotify, you possibly can AirPlay content material straight out of your iPhone or iPad to the HomePod or HomePod mini.

To take action merely go the app you wish to play, discover the AirPlay brand after which choose your HomePod or HomePod mini from the checklist of accessible units.

HomePod messaging ideas methods

Past music controls, the HomePod additionally has the flexibility to ship messages, set reminders, create lists, and add notes utilizing your voice.

Enabling Private Requests

To allow or disable private requests – i.e, ship messages, add to your reminders, or create notes when your iPhone is close by – it’s important to go to the House app.

1. Open the House app.
2. Faucet and maintain your HomePod or HomePod mini from the Favorite Equipment part.
3. Faucet on ‘Accent Settings.’
4. Faucet on Private Requests.
5. Toggle Private Requests on for every HomePod you need them on for.

Making a message with HomePod and HomePod mini

To create a brand new message, you merely should say “Siri, textual content…” or “Siri, WhatsApp…” Siri helps textual content messaging by way of a variety of apps, together with iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp and WeChat.

You may also inform Siri {that a} sure contact is your brother or companion, for instance, and Siri will do not forget that for the longer term, so you’ll say “Ship a message to my husband” or “Ship a message to my spouse” and it’ll ship a message to whoever you have got advised Siri is your husband or your spouse.

Including to your Reminders or Lists

For Reminders and Lists, you possibly can ask so as to add objects or full them by telling Siri. You merely say issues like, “Siri, mark stroll the neighbour’s canine as full” or “Siri, add broccoli to the grocery checklist.”

HomePod and HomePod mini assist Apple’s personal Reminders app in addition to others, like Evernote and Issues 3.

Including or creating Notes

You may both create or add notes by way of the HomePod by saying issues like, “Siri, create a word Books to Learn” or “Siri, add Columns of Fireplace to my Books to Learn word.”

HomePod and HomePod mini can be utilized as an intercom when you’ve got a number of HomePod audio system in your house or a number of Apple units. You may ship completely different intercom messages to particular rooms and zones or ship the identical message, like “Siri, intercom ‘Dinner time!'” to inform everybody to get to the desk. An intercom message will arrive at any HomePod audio system you inform it to, in addition to iOS, iPadOS or Apple Watch or CarPlay devices.

Ship an intercom message

To ship an intercom message in your HomePod or HomePod mini, merely strive any of the examples beneath or make up your personal.

• “Siri, intercom ‘Who ate the final biscuit?'”
• “Siri, announce ‘I am residence!'”
• “Siri, ask everybody the place are my glasses?”
• “Siri, let everybody know I discovered my glasses”
• “Siri, inform everybody I am taking the canine for a stroll”
• “Siri, intercom ‘On my manner residence, need me to select something up?'”

To ship a message to a HomePod in a particular room or zone, say one thing like “Siri, inform the workplace the movie is beginning,” or “Siri, announce upstairs I’ll the retailers.”

Replying to an intercom message

You may reply to an intercom message by merely saying “Siri reply I will be proper there,” or “Siri, announce I’m simply ending my homework.”

Activate, off or restrict intercom messages

By default, all members of your private home will get intercom message delivered to their units when they’re at residence, although they should have location companies on.

If you wish to flip intercom notifications off in your gadget, or restrict them, comply with the steps beneath:

1. Open the House app in your gadget.
2. Faucet on the circle with the three dots icon within the high proper nook.
3. Faucet on House Settings.
4. Faucet on Intercom.
5. Select your desire.

Utilizing HomePod or HomePod mini as a speakerphone

You may hand off calls you have began or acquired in your HomePod or HomePod mini out of your iPhone simply. If you’re in a name or about to simply accept a name, merely choose HomePod or HomePod mini from the audio decisions in Cellphone app in the identical manner you’d a Bluetooth headset or speaker.

Mute calls on HomePod

With iOS 17, you may also mute calls on HomePod by tapping the highest. The inexperienced standing mild in the course of the display screen will shrink, increasing whenever you faucet it once more to unmute the decision. When you have got completed the decision, double faucet the highest of your HomePod and you’ll finish the decision.

HomePod and HomePod mini particular controls in House App

As soon as your HomePod or HomePod mini is ready up, you possibly can entry its settings by way of the House app in your iPhone or iPad. To verify the settings, discover the HomePod in your Favorite Equipment and lengthy press on the icon. You may must faucet on Accent Settings after which scroll all the way down to see varied choices.

The right way to set an alarm on HomePod or HomePod mini

You may set a number of sound alarms on the HomePod and HomePod mini. To take action comply with these directions:

1. Go to the House app.
2. Choose HomePod or HomePod mini speaker in Favorite Equipment.
3. Swipe up on HomePod or HomePod mini Now Enjoying display screen.
4. Faucet New Alarm.
5. Set time, whether or not you need it to repeat, and provides it a label.
6. You may also select whether or not you need it to play a tone or play media.

Setting a timer on HomePod or HomePod mini

Like alarms, you possibly can set a number of timers on the HomePod and HomePod mini. Comply with the steps beneath:

1. Go to the House app.
2. Choose HomePod or HomePod mini speaker in Favorite Equipment.
3. Swipe up on HomePod or HomePod mini Now Enjoying display screen.
4. Faucet New Timer.
5. Set timer and provides it a label.

Utilizing HomePod to regulate HomeKit units

You need to use the HomePod in the identical manner you’d Siri in your cellphone to control Homekit devices in your house both by issuing instructions to do one thing like “Siri, activate the lights,” to “Siri, what is the temperature in the lounge?” Any command or gadget that was beforehand arrange together with your cellphone will work in the identical manner on the HomePod.

Superb-tuning Siri on the HomePod

You may fine-tune Siri to some extent within the House app in your iPhone or iPad though the management you have got is restricted.

Turning off Hey Siri

There is not a bodily button on the HomePod to show off Siri just like the Echo, Sonos Era 100, and Google Home or Nest devices, however you possibly can nonetheless flip off the operate if you’re nervous about Siri listening in in your dialog. To show Siri off on the HomePod and HomePod mini, it’s important to do it by way of the House app in your iPhone.

1. Go to the House app.
2. Lengthy press your HomePod speaker in Favorite Equipment.
3. Faucet ‘Accent Settings.’
4. Scroll all the way down to Siri.
5. Toggle off Hear for “Hey Siri.”

Enjoying a sound and lighting up when utilizing Siri

By default, the HomePod and HomePod mini lights up the touchscreen on the highest of the speaker whenever you say “Siri.”

You may flip this off, in addition to have an audible beep whenever you say the command, so you recognize when to start out talking. To allow or disable these options:

1. Go to the House app.
2. Lengthy press HomePod speaker.
3. Faucet the ‘Accent Settings.’
4. Scroll all the way down to Siri.
5. Toggle off Gentle When Utilizing Siri or Sound When Utilizing Siri.

Altering Siri’s voice on the HomePod

Siri will default to the voice of your territory; nevertheless, you possibly can change it in the event you fancy a change. Siri is on the market in each female and male voices in American, British, Australian, Indian, Irish and South African. To alter Siri’s voice, do the next:

1. Go to the House app.
2. Lengthy press HomePod speaker icon.
3. Faucet the ‘Accent Settings.’
4. Scroll all the way down to Siri.
5. Faucet to alter Siri’s Voice.

Internet Search Handoff to iPhone

Siri on HomePod works seamlessly together with your different Apple units as you may think. You may ask Siri on HomePod or HomePod mini to go looking the net and the outcomes will be despatched to your iPhone. To do that merely say “Siri, search the net for Yosemite journey guides,” and whilst you’ve requested the HomePod or HomePod mini, the search shall be carried out in your iPhone.

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