Everything new with HomePod in iOS 13
Alongside iOS 13 and macOS Catalina, the HomePod will be gaining an array of new features making it a far more capable device. Let's go through all the new features arriving for HomePod with iOS 13.
Black and white HomePods
HomePod got a few moments in the spotlight during Apple's annual developer conference and it was enough to show how much potential the HomePod still has left untapped.
Fortunately, multi-user support was added, and heralded as one of the biggest changes coming to HomePod in the new update. It will now recognize who is speaking, and will tailor its responses appropriately.
When someone asks about reminders, calendar, or music it will now know which information set to look for.
HomePod
Handoff is coming to HomePod, which is absolutely the best way to transfer audio to and from Apple's smart home speaker. Say a user walks into the room with music playing on their phone. They simply need to just tap their phone near the top of HomePod and the audio will then be passed from the phone to HomePod.
This works equally well with a phone call. When heading out, a user taking a phone call on HomePod can just tap their phone, transferring the call to their iPhone as they walk out the door.
It is also capable of being included in scenes and automation rules. This could be as simple as having the HomePod turn on and play your workout music in your home gym when you start to exercise or more intricately you can have your morning playlist kickoff once you hit "off" on your alarm in the AM.
The Shortcuts app is far more robust this time around so there is much more that can be done to integrate HomePod into your life.
Apple has yet to roll out a HomePod beta software set. We'll be looking closer at all of these features as soon as we can.
HomePod
Apple last updated HomePod in September when it added the ability to search songs by lyrics, set multiple timers, make and receive phone calls and more.
HomePod got a price cut earlier this year, down to $299 from $349.
Apple will be releasing the 13.0 software update to HomePod this fall alongside iOS 13, iPadOS, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15 Catalina, and tvOS 13.
Black and white HomePods
HomePod got a few moments in the spotlight during Apple's annual developer conference and it was enough to show how much potential the HomePod still has left untapped.
Multiple users
One of the most requested features of HomePod was support for recognizing multiple voices. When in a multi-person environment, there was no way for HomePod to tell who was giving it commands or who's music library or recommendations to go by. Apple worked around this by allowing HomePod to not influence the primary user's Apple Music library, but that wasn't a suitable long-term solution.Fortunately, multi-user support was added, and heralded as one of the biggest changes coming to HomePod in the new update. It will now recognize who is speaking, and will tailor its responses appropriately.
When someone asks about reminders, calendar, or music it will now know which information set to look for.
Tighter integrations
Apple's integration between hardware and software across its entire device portfolio is second-to-none. That is well exemplified with the new HomePod updates.HomePod
Handoff is coming to HomePod, which is absolutely the best way to transfer audio to and from Apple's smart home speaker. Say a user walks into the room with music playing on their phone. They simply need to just tap their phone near the top of HomePod and the audio will then be passed from the phone to HomePod.
This works equally well with a phone call. When heading out, a user taking a phone call on HomePod can just tap their phone, transferring the call to their iPhone as they walk out the door.
Automation integration
Furthering that integration, HomePod is now more tightly tied to HomeKit and Shortcuts in iOS 13. In the Home app, the HomePod now has a new interface that displays the currently playing content as well as controls.It is also capable of being included in scenes and automation rules. This could be as simple as having the HomePod turn on and play your workout music in your home gym when you start to exercise or more intricately you can have your morning playlist kickoff once you hit "off" on your alarm in the AM.
The Shortcuts app is far more robust this time around so there is much more that can be done to integrate HomePod into your life.
Apple has yet to roll out a HomePod beta software set. We'll be looking closer at all of these features as soon as we can.
Previous updates
HomePod
Apple last updated HomePod in September when it added the ability to search songs by lyrics, set multiple timers, make and receive phone calls and more.
HomePod got a price cut earlier this year, down to $299 from $349.
Apple will be releasing the 13.0 software update to HomePod this fall alongside iOS 13, iPadOS, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15 Catalina, and tvOS 13.
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Comments
• Access to over 100,000 new music stations from iHeartRadio, radio.com and TuneIn.
• Sleep timer.
The lack of those meant there was no way I would buy a HomePod. Mind, I probably won't even now, unless I get even more annoyed at Sonos' incessant content-free updates than I am now.
I don't want to plug in or BT speakers to it, so this playing my music station on my HomePod is also huge for me to.This will make me very happy.
Being able to hand off music from my phone is – ok. I don't see myself using that feature. I may AirDrop from time to time, but that will be a rare occasion.
What I really want, what I really really want is to AirDrop or Hand Off my iTune music library on my Mac to my HomePod. That would be huge too.
What would be even mo betta would be to control my Mac's iTunes library from my phone while it plays on my HomePod.
What would be even mo mo betta would be to be able to create a smart playlist on the HomePod such as:
'Hey Siri, play all (or 25) blues songs that has less than 50bpm and hasn't been played in the last month, from 1970 to 1986.
It could stay on the HomePod; I wouldn't need to move it to my Mac.
Share control of your home - Apple Support
I imagine that would only cost you and extra tap. But in the age of ultra convenience, I could imaged more than a couple users might have the HomePod conveniently located so that when then walk by they can just pull the phone out of a pocket and Tap the HP in passing, and put the phone away again.
I see that as one of those little things like wireless charging. Sure it only takes a couple extra seconds to pick up a cable and plug it in. But to just plop the phone down on a pad or easel without having to stop and plug in the cabe, is a convenience that makes for a not fully appreciatd until experienced.
Although reading the article, it seems a bit of a risk for those streaming platforms to develop if they aren’t sure what Apple’s stance is:
Hope the “if” and “could” can change into “will” :-)
As for radio stations, many stations are already listed in the iTunes radio directory and thus on Apple Music now. I know my local public radio stations are, I can ask the HP to play them.
We are given both options but I admit the idea of tapping the pod with phone to transfer music when walk by from door is super convenient for me because it can be done with one hand, one single movement, and zero second to lose.
Edit: simpler than I thought. - But my station isn't available until the update.