HomePod gains multi-user support, ambient noise generator, live radio this fall
The HomePod is gaining a number of new features later this year via software updates, including support for recognizing up to six different voices and personalizing the experience, radio stations, and a collection of ambient sounds.
Updated following Tuesday's iPhone 11 event, Apple's webpage for the HomePod has a few additions about the smart speaker's features. Each are preceded by a small notification advising when they will be available to use, with all of the changes set to arrive before the end of 2019.
The earliest change is the addition of 100,000 radio stations, which can be listened to by asking Siri. Icons for iHeartRadio, Radio.com, and TuneIn indicate the three services will be used to power the feature, which will arrive on September 30.
Small print for the page advises the live radio feature requires at least one user to be signed in with an Apple ID used for iTunes or Apple Music for it to function.
Live radio support is coming as part of iOS 13, but since the WWDC announcement, there has been a brief period when some HomePod users in Germany were able to listen to a small number of local stations in July.
Further down the page, the site advertises the ability to "relax with Ambient Sounds" in an update "coming later this fall." The text suggests users will be able to request audio of "ocean waves, forest birds, rainstorms, and more," which could provide both relaxation and create a background noise.
Towards the bottom, another update scheduled for this fall is "A personalized experience for each person in the family," with Siri on HomePod able to learn and recognize up to six different voices. By recognizing individuals, the HomePod can provide personalized mixes based on their listening history and personal preferences when asked to "play some music" without specifying genres, artists, or playlists.
The multi-user features extend into other areas, with Personal Requests giving each user access to their own messages, reminders, lists and calendars. It is also possible for each user to make and receive phone calls, though details on how that would function compared to the current system are not provided.
Multi-user support has been rumored about for a while, and has surfaced in some patent applications.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod or HomePod mini. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider Daily," and you'll get a fast update direct from the AppleInsider team.
Updated following Tuesday's iPhone 11 event, Apple's webpage for the HomePod has a few additions about the smart speaker's features. Each are preceded by a small notification advising when they will be available to use, with all of the changes set to arrive before the end of 2019.
The earliest change is the addition of 100,000 radio stations, which can be listened to by asking Siri. Icons for iHeartRadio, Radio.com, and TuneIn indicate the three services will be used to power the feature, which will arrive on September 30.
Small print for the page advises the live radio feature requires at least one user to be signed in with an Apple ID used for iTunes or Apple Music for it to function.
Live radio support is coming as part of iOS 13, but since the WWDC announcement, there has been a brief period when some HomePod users in Germany were able to listen to a small number of local stations in July.
Further down the page, the site advertises the ability to "relax with Ambient Sounds" in an update "coming later this fall." The text suggests users will be able to request audio of "ocean waves, forest birds, rainstorms, and more," which could provide both relaxation and create a background noise.
Towards the bottom, another update scheduled for this fall is "A personalized experience for each person in the family," with Siri on HomePod able to learn and recognize up to six different voices. By recognizing individuals, the HomePod can provide personalized mixes based on their listening history and personal preferences when asked to "play some music" without specifying genres, artists, or playlists.
The multi-user features extend into other areas, with Personal Requests giving each user access to their own messages, reminders, lists and calendars. It is also possible for each user to make and receive phone calls, though details on how that would function compared to the current system are not provided.
Multi-user support has been rumored about for a while, and has surfaced in some patent applications.
Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod or HomePod mini. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider Daily," and you'll get a fast update direct from the AppleInsider team.
Comments
And now... more radiostations are dripping in! Can only test it in the public beta of iOS 13 on my iPad, but when searching in the Music app there are a lot of (local) radiostations.
For now all the radio stations I found were from TuneIn, works also on iMac with public beta.
Nice
:-/
I currently use a rain noise maker app when I'm sleeping on days and the girlfriend is not at work (she doesn't even try to be quiet). so I'm glad to hear it'll be an option on the HomePod.
Some of the suggested "noise"
Dogs barking
Neighbors air conditioning
Police sirens
Domestic argument
Home shopping network on blast
Taylor Swift
Railroad trains
Beats1
Traffic (horns, screeching tires, engines revving, thumping coming from cheap audio system, collisions)
What a mind numbing "feature".
Ambient sounds? That makes my HP a pretty expensive 'sound generator', something easily had from Sharper Image or similar. Apple-made sound files could be quite good, but I'll believe that when I hear it. And seriously, a 'sleep machine'?
There's only me as my girlfriend dissed the HP and is now verboten to use it, so multi-user is of no value.
The radio apps support is actually would be useable for me. I frequently have Alexa play my new/traffic radio station as Siri can't do it. She did play excerpts (WTF- excerpts?) from 60 Minutes. Not at all what I asked for, but that did show me that spoken voice can sound very good in the HP. So now I AirDrop my audbible.com books onto the HP. Very enjoyable.
But Siri needs some big help here. I frequently use iPhone/iPod/Watch Siri with a button push because HP Siri is so inept. She frequently fails to carry out basic commands and can't answer so many questions, compared to Alexa.
So I appreciate the HP getting a little love, but it almost seems begrudgingly, as though it's the red-headied step-child. Maybe Siri on the HP should be renamed Lisa.
Hey, each to his own, man. You stick with your silly stuff, I am happy with mine!
I want a headphone jack and SD Card reader with mine. Apple hates us. Apple only cares about their greedy agenda of moving technology forward.
Why doesn't my Homey come with a floppy disk drive?!!? I have dozens of Goosebumps audio books I bought at a garage sale!!
WTF APPLE!!!!!
"Ambient sounds? That makes my HP a pretty expensive 'sound generator', something easily had from Sharper Image or similar. Apple-made sound files could be quite good, but I'll believe that when I hear it. And seriously, a 'sleep machine'?"
Sounds innovative. Not sure why Apple gets sh** on for features we haven't used yet.
"There's only me as my girlfriend dissed the HP and is now verboten to use it, so multi-user is of no value."
Can you think outside your bubble? This is a good feature for everyone who needs it like families and roommates.
If my GF dissed my HomePod I would dump here quick. No one disses my Homie.
"She frequently fails to carry out basic commands and can't answer so many questions, compared to Alexa."
And tests prove time and time again that all Siris(Siri/Siri Knockoffs) suck. Difference is people get more emotional with Apple which spawns the hyperbolic "better than Siri" comments.
We may have the news or a show on, and sending the output from family room Apple TV to the kitchen HomePod makes that a better more fluid social time. No more feeling left out. No more “what did they say?” as we walk back and forth and discuss/chat.
The problem:
1. a long press on the play button of Apple TV remote brings up the list of audio out devices. Putting a check on the HomePod FAILS to send the TV audio from Hulu or whatever. INSTEAD it tries to put Apple Music on the TV first. WTF? I have stop that, then restart the TV audio
Why can’t I just do a long press on the ATV remote inside ANY APP on the ATV to send TV audio ??? This UI needs improvement