5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Your Apple HomePod Could Do

The Apple HomePod is more than just a smart speaker; it’s a robust command center for all things music streaming, smart home, and Siri. The Apple HomePod returned in 2023 with even more bass and clarity than its predecessor, and the HomePod mini is a very small option for those looking to get into an Apple ecosystem on the cheap – the mini costs $99, compared to $299 for the standard model. Both Apple speakers offer solid sound quality and a host of features and customizations, but did you know that HomePod can pair with your TV?

Or that you can pair multiple HomePod speakers for wireless stereo sound? We all know that smart speakers can play music and answer our questions, but the Apple HomePod wallet is capable of so much more. Whether you’ve owned a HomePod for years or this is your first smart home purchase and you’re shopping for top smart speaker brands, it’s helpful to know that Apple enthusiasts are in good hands with the HomePod. So grab your iPhone or iPad, fire up AirPlay, and let’s dive into some of the HomePod’s lesser-known talents.

Using Siri’s voice recognition capability, anyone in your household with an Apple device can create a personalized HomePod profile. This allows you to customize the smart speaker to your favorite streaming services and start an AirPlay session from your own Apple devices. To do this, each member of the family needs their device to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the HomePod. They will also need to have two-factor authentication enabled, My Location set to “This device” and “Allow Siri when locked” enabled.

Next, open the Apple Home app, tap “Home Settings,” and tap your name (under People). Turn on “Recognize my voice” and enable “Personal Content” if you want Siri to read your messages, make phone calls and more. Multi-user support is a boon in busy households, as Siri can help you manage individual and shared events, without messing up calendars and Apple Music accounts. The HomePod lets you create up to six user profiles, and guests without a dedicated profile can still listen to music (using the primary user’s account), set timers, ask questions about the weather, plus a few other basics.

Siled tech ecosystems can introduce a lot of cool features, and one of our favorites from Apple is the ability to transfer audio from a HomePod to an iPhone or iPad and vice versa. This works with both media and calls, and requires only one permission to be enabled. Go to your device’s Settings, tap General > AirPlay & Continuity, and make sure “Transfer to HomePod” is turned on. To actually transfer audio, place your Apple device on the HomePod and the audio should immediately move between the two.

You can also stream content to a HomePod – with all its new iOS 26 features – from the Apple Music or Apple Podcast apps by tapping the AirPlay icon and selecting your HomePod from the list of devices. Ideally, if you’re using an iPhone 11 or later, the ultra-wideband chips implemented by Apple should make the transfer process even faster. Just keep in mind that if you move too far from a HomePod while it’s trying to transfer audio, your media will stop playing.

Home theater audio is traditionally handled by a soundbar or multiple speakers connected to an AV receiver, but HomePod owners have another option. With an Apple TV 4K, it is possible to connect one or two HomePods for wireless home cinema sound. You’ll just need to make sure your Apple TV and HomePod devices are running the latest software. In this type of configuration, the standard HomePod supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, although the HomePod mini is limited to stereo playback when two are linked to an Apple TV 4K.

To achieve this, open the Apple Home app and assign your Apple TV and HomePod to the same room. In Apple TV settings, set your HomePod as the default audio output and you’re good to go. Using a HomePod or HomePod mini in this setup means you’ll be able to enjoy audio that isn’t downmixed to mono, which bodes well for everything from movies and video games to all your favorite music and podcasts.

When Apple released firmware update 16.3 for the HomePod in 2023, it added temperature and humidity monitoring to the HomePod’s list of tricks. This feature can provide information about the climate conditions in your home, which could be used for home automation. To access temperature and humidity readings, launch the Apple Home app and tap the Climate button at the top of the first panel. Readings can be found near the top of the screen.

Once you tap on the display, a menu should appear with customization options for changing the sensor name and creating automations. Unfortunately, the original HomePod doesn’t have the built-in sensors needed to monitor temperature and humidity. But if you have a newer model – or the HomePod mini – you’ll be able to leverage temperature and humidity readings for various smart home automations. It could be as simple as a smart plug that turns on to power a desk fan when a certain temperature is reached.

We’ll all lose a phone, tablet, or pair of wireless headphones at some point in our lives. Luckily, you can use a HomePod and Apple’s Find My technology to find missing devices that are on the same network. It is also possible to track family and friends who have shared their location in the Find My app. Simply ask your HomePod or HomePod mini “Siri, where is…” and insert the person or Apple device you’re looking for.

At this point, Siri should provide you with the location, with the estimated distance and a nearby address for reference. We like that you don’t actually need to open the Find My app to start searching. And if your phone or other device is nearby and has a built-in speaker, Siri may be able to play a tone to help you find it much faster.