Greatest Apple HomePod and HomePod mini ideas and tips

Received a HomePod or HomePod mini? Nice! Other than saying “Hey Siri, play me some music”, there may be lots extra these good audio system can do. Right here we have detailed a load of HomePod and HomePod mini ideas and tips to get you began and present you what your Apple good speaker can do, together with how to make sure it’s updated with the most recent model of software program so that you get all the most recent options.

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Apple HomePod mini – Orange

HomePod and HomePod mini setup ideas and tips

The best way to arrange HomePod and HomePod mini

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

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

The best 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:

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

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

The HomePod (1st and 2nd technology) and HomePod mini function an accelerometer that detects when the speaker has been moved so it might probably robotically whizz by the sound setup process once more.

If for some motive you are not proud of the sound your speaker is creating, decide up the HomePod or HomePod mini, raise it within the air, and substitute it the place you need the speaker to go. This could robotically power the speaker to calibrate the sound once more – one thing that takes seconds, and the audio needs to be improved. The probabilities are although, that it is best to by no means have to fret about doing this.

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

If in case you have two HomePods or two HomePod minis, you may create a stereo pair. We have got a full feature on this, however in a nutshell, comply with the directions beneath:

Ensure your HomePods or HomePod minis are working iOS 11.4 or later.
Open the Dwelling app in your iPhone or iPad.
Contact and maintain a HomePod within the listing.
Faucet on ‘Accent Particulars’.
Scroll down and faucet on the Settings cog within the backside proper.
Faucet ‘Create Stereo Pair’.
Observe the onscreen directions, corresponding to deciding on which shall be left and proper.

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

If in case you have an Apple TV 4K, you need to 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 sensible. We have a separate feature on this, however listed below are the essential directions:

Utilizing your Apple TV

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

Utilizing your iPhone or iPad

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

Open the Dwelling app
Ensure your HomePod or HomePod mini and your Apple TV are linked to the identical room
Contact and maintain the Apple TV tile
Faucet on Accent Particulars
Scroll all the way down to the settings cog
Faucet on Default Audio Possibility
Choose your HomePod or HomePod mini

HomePod music tips and ideas

There are a selection of how you may management music playback on the HomePod. Both by way of voice instructions to Siri, by 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 music, or modify the quantity. Contact and maintain the highest to speak to Siri.

Faucet as soon as to Play/Pause
Double-tap to skip to the subsequent monitor
Triple faucet to skip again to the earlier monitor
Contact and maintain to entry Siri with out saying “Hey Siri”
Faucet or maintain the plus icon to show the quantity up
Faucet or maintain the minus icon to show the quantity 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 “Hey Siri”. Listed below are some fundamental voice instructions:

Hey Siri, flip the quantity up
Hey Siri, flip the quantity to 85 per cent
Hey Siri, flip the quantity down
Hey Siri, cease
Hey Siri, play
Hey Siri, subsequent music
Hey Siri, skip ahead 30 seconds
Hey Siri, earlier monitor

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

You too can go extra particular both with artists or playlists. For instance:

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

When you’re enjoying a monitor you may then ask Siri extra questions on what’s enjoying.

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

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Controlling HomePod music by way of your iPhone

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

Via Management Centre

Open Management Centre
Faucet on the small wi-fi wanting icon on the prime of the music panel
Scroll down the display to see your HomePod’s identify. If you happen to’ve already performed music, it is going to have the final monitor you have performed with the accompanying album artwork.
Faucet on the music title to disclose playback instructions
Faucet once more to open up management within the Apple Music app

Via the Apple Music app

Open the Apple Music app
Faucet on the present music or earlier music you have been enjoying
Faucet on the AirPlay brand on the backside centre of the display
Scroll down the display to see your HomePod’s identify. If you happen to’ve already performed music, it is going to have the final monitor you have performed with the accompanying album artwork.
Faucet on the music title to disclose playback instructions
Faucet once more to return to the Apple Music app and select the music you wish to play.

Scale back the bass in your HomePod or HomePod mini

If you happen to discover the HomePod or HomePod mini too bassy, you may apply a setting to scale back the low frequency output of the audio system.

Open the Dwelling app
Faucet and maintain your HomePod within the Favorite Accent part
Faucet on ‘Accent Particulars’
Scroll down and faucet on the Settings cog within the backside proper nook
Toggle on Scale back Bass

Enable Specific 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. Useful for those who’ve acquired youngsters. To show this function on or off you want to go to the HomePod or HomePod mini’s settings web page within the Dwelling app in your iPhone or iPad.

Go to the Dwelling app
Faucet on the circle with three dots icon within the prime proper nook
Faucet on Dwelling Settings
Faucet a person
Toggle Enable Specific 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. If you happen to’re nervous that different members of your loved ones would possibly disrupt your suggestions (learn youngsters listening to Disney an excessive amount of) you may flip this function off. To do that comply with the directions beneath:

Go to the Dwelling app
Faucet on the circle with three dots icon within the prime proper nook
Faucet on Dwelling Settings
Faucet a person
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 instantly out of your gadget or from one other service like Spotify or BBC radio you may 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 listing of accessible gadgets.

HomePod messaging ideas tips

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 – you need to go to the Dwelling app.

Open the Dwelling app
Faucet and maintain your HomePod or HomePod mini from the Favorite Equipment part
Faucet on ‘Accent Particulars’
Scroll down and faucet the settings cog within the backside proper nook
Faucet on Private Requests
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 need to say “Hey Siri, textual content…” or “Hey Siri, WhatsApp…” Siri helps textual content messaging by a lot of apps, together with iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp and WeChat.

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

Including to your Reminders or Lists

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

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: “Hey Siri, create a word Books to Learn” or “Hey Siri, add Columns of Fireplace to my Books to Learn word”.

HomePod and HomePod mini can be utilized as an intercom if in case you have a number of HomePod audio system in your house or a number of Apple gadgets. You may ship completely different intercom messages to particular rooms and zones or ship the identical message, like “Hey Siri, intercom ‘Meal time!'” to inform everybody to get to the desk.

An intercom message will arrive on 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.

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

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

Replying to an intercom message

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

Activate, off or restrict intercom messages

By default, all members of your property will get intercom message delivered to their gadgets 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:

Open the Dwelling app in your gadget
Faucet on the circle with the three dots icon within the prime proper nook
Faucet on Dwelling Settings
Faucet on Intercom
Select your choice

Utilizing HomePod or HomePod mini as a speakerphone

You may hand-off calls you have began or obtained 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 selections in Cellphone app in the identical means you’ll a Bluetooth headset or speaker.

HomePod and HomePod mini particular controls in Dwelling App

As soon as arrange you may entry the HomePod and HomePod mini settings by way of the Dwelling app in your Apple iPhone or iPad. To test the settings, discover the HomePod in your Favorite Equipment and lengthy press on the icon. You may have to faucet on Accent Particulars after which scroll all the way down to see the settings cog within the backside proper nook.

Setting 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:

Go to the Dwelling app
Choose HomePod or HomePod mini speaker in Favorite Equipment
Lengthy press on HomePod or HomePod mini icon
Faucet New Alarm
Set time, whether or not you need it to repeat, and provides it a label
You too can 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 may set a number of timers on the HomePod and HomePod mini. Observe the steps beneath:

Go to the Dwelling app
Choose HomePod or HomePod mini speaker in Favorite Equipment
Lengthy press on HomePod or HomePod mini icon
Faucet New Timer
Set timer and provides it a label

Utilizing HomePod to manage HomeKit gadgets

You should utilize the HomePod in the identical means you’ll Siri in your telephone to manage Homekit gadgets in your house both by issuing instructions to do one thing like “Hey Siri, activate the lights” to “Hey Siri, what is the temperature in the lounge?” Any command or gadget that was beforehand arrange along with your telephone will work in the identical means on the HomePod.

Positive-tuning Siri on the HomePod

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

Turning off Hey Siri

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

Go to the Dwelling app
Choose HomePod speaker in Favorite Equipment
Lengthy press on HomePod icon
Faucet the settings icon within the backside proper nook
Scroll all the way down to Siri
Toggle off Hear for “Hey Siri”

Taking part in 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 while you say “Hey Siri”.

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

Go to the Dwelling app
Choose HomePod speaker in Favorite Equipment
Lengthy press on HomePod icon
Faucet the settings icon within the backside proper
Scroll all the way down to Siri
Toggle Mild 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 may change it for those who 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:

Go to the Dwelling app
Choose HomePod speaker in Favorite Equipment
Lengthy press on HomePod icon
Faucet the settings cog within the backside proper nook
Scroll all the way down to Siri
Faucet to vary Siri’s Voice

Net Search Handoff to iPhone

Siri on HomePod works seamlessly along with your different Apple gadgets 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.