Apple Releases Updated HomePod Software With Bug Fixes

[DaveN]

Before Apple released a software update a few months ago for the newest Expresses that brought AirPlay 2 support you could get them used on eBay for $20-$30 bucks. Since the software update the prices have more than doubled. If it’s something you’re interested in though it might be worth the investment.

It is something I may do. I didn't know you could use them as just a receiver for an Airport Extreme base station which is what I have but you can. Here is an article on just that and using Expresses as a source for speakers that don't have Airplay.

https://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-use-airport-express-as-airplay-2-adapter-with-any-speaker-system/

Question: If you “hey Siri” your HomePod and ask it to play music does it play only on the HomePod or does it also play on the linked set of speakers? I can see how streaming signal to the set in the room would play on all speakers but I don’t know if the same applies to sound initiated on a HomePod.

 

[mrow]

It is something I may do. I didn't know you could use them as just a receiver for an Airport Extreme base station which is what I have but you can. Here is an article on just that and using Expresses as a source for speakers that don't have Airplay.

https://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-use-airport-express-as-airplay-2-adapter-with-any-speaker-system/

Question: If you “hey Siri” your HomePod and ask it to play music does it play only on the HomePod or does it also play on the linked set of speakers? I can see how streaming signal to the set in the room would play on all speakers but I don’t know if the same applies to sound initiated on a HomePod.

Yeah, all my Expresses are joined to my existing WiFi network. They can join any network, it doesn’t even have to be an AirPort Extreme. I also have a couple I’m using to wirelessly connect devices don’t have wireless built in and are Ethernet networking only. If you join the Express to a network and plug in an Ethernet device into the network port on the Express it’ll act as a wireless bridge. It’s super handy.

In terms of how hey Siri works you have two options. You’d either have to tell it the devices you want it to play back on when you first start, like, in my situation I’d say “hey Siri play song xyz on HomePod and subwoofer”. Or, you just say “hey Siri play song xyz” and it’ll start playing in the HomePod and then you can go into the music playback widget from the control center and go to your HomePod and select the other speakers you want to also play back with.

 

[Eduardo1971]

Really happy the Siri not responding/reboot issue is solved. Absolutely have had both of these problems on all three of my HomePods.

I'm glad to read that it just wasn't me-I too noticed (recently) this on both of my HomePods.
Will update them shortly.

 

[unplugme71]

Really wonder if there actually was a change in the sound signature. Never realized one, yet you can provoke a different sound with every recalibration inside your rooms.

Besides, everybody not having paired his HomePods will be blown away once hearing the difference.

I definitely noticed less bass. It took me a few days to realize but when I would play the same songs I finally saw this.

I had a second HomePod that wasn’t updated. You can definitely tell.

 

[Munchio]

My HomePod stops responding, so I’ve been waiting for this update! However my HomePod is on 12.1.1 and it says there are no updates available

 

[justice4all77]

I can also attest that the updates after the first changes the sound signature. Wish I didn’t update but it still does sound very good just bot as bassy

 

[strategicthinke]

Wonderful! Thanks for the tip!
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It’s really easy. Go from the audio out port on the AirPort Express to the sub. I am using a 3.5mm cable from the AirPort to a 3.5mm to RCA adapter, which plugs into the RCA port on the sub. Then I just select both the HomePods and the subwoofer as the playback devices with AirPlay 2, whether that’s in my phone or my Apple TV or whatever.

The sub is only capable of outputting low frequencies so there isn’t much adjustment that needs to be made. I manually adjusted the low-pass filter on my sub to my liking but that was all the tweaking I did.

Wonderful! Thanks for the tip!

 

[ceriess]

I hope Kleenex has thought about taking advantage of all these creepy sex toy looking data vacuums by creating a Kleenex box that hides the “pods,” “silos,” and recent “home beads” I saw the other day from Amazon. It wasn’t long ago that people were coming up with ways to hide the Kleenex box itself. How times change m, right?

P.S.: Please tell me you don’t have your pitchforks and tiki torches ready for the day when the entire world is “Shocked!” that “audio logs” from their “most personal intimate moments” were stolen by Chinese hackers? You know that’s coming, right?

You seem pretty emotional. Have you considered that you can improve that through cognitive behavioral therapy? It won't stop your worries, but it will give you adequate coping skills so that you don't have "melt downs" in public. You should consider it, as I think you could benefit. Have a great peaceful day, and remember you elect to buy into emotionality or not. You have the power!

 

[Antoni Nygaard]

My HomePod stops responding, so I’ve been waiting for this update! However my HomePod is on 12.1.1 and it says there are no updates available

Mine says the same...
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Mine says the same...

Mine just updated. Played around in the home app, then clicked on the name of the home where you can edit it. Scrolled away down so the keyboard would hide and then it showed there was a update

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

I'll have to pay stricter attention to it, but after the new software, I think my HomePods might not be staying connected to my Apple TV. Twice I had to go and re-select them in Audio/Video Output, though my girlfriend was the one watching at the time, so she or the cats may have done something (playing music on them/to them will disconnect them).

And I think there's a touch less bass now.

 

[FairlyKors]

You seem pretty emotional. Have you considered that you can improve that through cognitive behavioral therapy? It won't stop your worries, but it will give you adequate coping skills so that you don't have "melt downs" in public. You should consider it, as I think you could benefit. Have a great peaceful day, and remember you elect to buy into emotionality or not. You have the power!

The "emotion" you're picking up on is sarcasm. It's not an emotion I'm overly worried about.

 

[FreshBoy]

The sound has improved with this update also. Bass is better and more like the original sound on the stock software but crisper.

 

[etoiles]

I am not sure if this is related to the update, but my MacBook Pro used to be able to output stereo system sound to my HomePod pair, now they are treated as separate speakers when selected through the 'Output Device' setting..

I know you can use the Airplay button in iTunes to play music in stereo, but I was using it to watch Netflix in the browser. Does anybody know if it should still be possible to target a stereo pair of HomePods from a Mac at 'system level'? Thanks.