rahhbriley

We really need to be able to activate different devices with different phrases, or the HomePod needs to be able to defer to iPhone or Handoff to iPhone if it cannot handle the request. 

Why oh why, when I say ‘Hey Siri, where is my Mom?’ that the HomePod won’t be able to handle the request, and ‘that’s that!’ My phone is in the room and hears me, but the HomePod cuts it off. Like I get the HomePod cannot handle that. I expected the iPhone to handle it. 

Currently it’s a cluster F*. And I really appreciate this article’s attempt, but it doesn’t solve the issue. Having to raise the device or trigger Siri with a button totally defeats the purpose of hands-free Siri. 

Last night I’m washing dishes, and I wanted to call my friend while my hands are wet and soapy. I say ‘Hey Siri, call Joe on speakerphone,” as I have done for years now. Well, instead of my iPhone intiating a call that’s two feet from me, I have the HomePod from the other room telling me it can’t initiate a call. I know I can start a call from my phone then push it to the HomePod as the audio source. Would this article suggest I take my wet and soapy hands and trigger Siri with a button or a raised screen? I believe that defeats the whole purpose and the value I’ve been receiving out of the Hey Siri hands-free experience. 

I guess I’ll have to disable Hey Siri on the HomePod when it’s fighting me too much, and reactivate it when I really need it?

Just a bummer not to be able to use HomePod as intended because it creates a wrinkle in the Siri user experience. We really need unified and more complete handling of ‘Hey Siri’ between devices, better Handoff procedures, and/or unique phrases. 


One last “compalint”...I’m annoyed that I have to reselect the HomePod as the audio source on the TV all the time. If you use the HomePod as the audio source for the TV, and then take a break and use the Siri function on HomePod to play some music, well then you’re going to have to go into Settings on TV and reselect the HomePod as the audio out again. You could alternatively use the Siri remote with the TV to tell it what music to play and then you’re fine. But don’t tell the HomePod’s Siri to do anything in the meantime, or you guessed it...reselect audio on TV!

I guess I just walked myself through the tough decision that I really should just deactivate Hey Siri on the HomePod, and run it as an TV AirPlay speaker. 

All of that said...
The sound of the HomePod is as stunning as they say, and this little sucker has A LOT of potential!! With software updates, it will get better, and I’m sure many of the above complaints will be address. Super stoked to have, enjoy listening to music and movies on! (Night Watchman, Live, by Petty and the Heartbreakers and Empire Strikes Back have been great choices!) Frankly, once they iron out the wrinkles, I’m going to be hard pressed not to go get a second. Or third.