Roy Hobbs
macrumors 68000
Exactly my point. If my wife and kids can't play their personal playlists the HomePod isn't much use to us.
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HomePod Can Be Used as Speakerphone, Will Support Commands From Multiple Users
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Exactly my point. If my wife and kids can't play their personal playlists the HomePod isn't much use to us.
I think you're a niche case. HomePod would make a great stereo sound bar for AppleTV and controlling TV with only voice is cool but it's not a dealbreaker for most. Music playing is the most used feature on all smart speakers so there's no reason to believe HomePod will be any different in that respect. I think that Homekit operation is much more of a dealbreaker for HomePod which is why this product is going to have a slow build of users similar to the Apple Watch. Apple does not what the top #2 and #3 uses of HomePod will be yet. They will know much more by the end of this year.
Interoperability is a mixed bag for many users. Sure, if hardware works on multiple platforms, that's always good for consumers but many do not want to figure out which piece of software and hardware and platform all work together. And on top of that, you have Amazon and Google threatening, fighting and pulling features off each other's platforms at any time. HomePod is still not there but by next year, it will be the only turnkey smart speaker solution on the market for users that don't want to research before they buy. It will simply work with all Apple products and not work with any other products. To some, that's actually more valuable than products that work with some devices but not others.
So basically it has one account that it's signed in with and you issue voice commands through - hopefully in the future you will be able to use multiple AppleID's with voice recognition to send texts, make calls, lookup your calendars, etc. etc.
Anyone will be able to hand off a phone call to it if they are nearby (or perhaps part of the Home) though.
If anything this actually sounds like it DOESN'T support multiple users, kind of the opposite of the headline.
Anyone will be able to hand off a phone call to it if they are nearby (or perhaps part of the Home) though.
If anything this actually sounds like it DOESN'T support multiple users, kind of the opposite of the headline.
With HomePod comes the feeling, and I could be wrong, that Apple does privacy better than Amazon or Google. I rarely buy the first gen products anyway (still not even close to buying the watch), and it's looking more and more that I'll be waiting for the second or third generation HomePod comes out before I consider buying one.
Not to mention I still can't figure out why I need one right now.
Not to mention I still can't figure out why I need one right now.
So, it can do what everyone else does, almost.
Not sure it sounds like Apple will do what Google does, and maybe Echo, but while anybody can ask those products anything Google lets you pair user accounts to the Home so that when Home detects your specific voice it will do customize and personalized responses. So if you have multiple users paired to the Home, it will say Hey User X, your commute to work will be 30 minutes or Hey User Y, your commute will take 23 minutes. What this also means if that multiple users have Google Music accounts, they will be able to access their specific playlists.
It sounds to me like the HomePod is tied to one Apple Music account, meaning that while it might provide personalized responses for the owner of that account, it does not really support "multiple users".
Apple has ALWAYS assumed that a user is tied to a device. They wanted everybody to have their own phones, tablets, laptops, etc. They never implemented multiple user support on iOS because Apple wanted people to buy their own devices, and I think this is going to kick them by introducing a product that will be shared between members of the same family or household. This is the first iOS device that will not be owned by an individual user, but by the household.
I think the delay has nothing to do with the hardware, I mean even Apple can't screw up a speaker that bad, but I think the delay was due to Apple trying to shoehorn this product into their existing service limitations, and I think this will be the HomePod's Achilles heal. I just don't think it will do a lot of little things that people already can do with Google or Amazon devices, like actually recognize different users until there are a lot of infrastructure changes to Siri and Apple Music. Sure anybody can come in and ask it the weather, EVERY other device lets you do that, but I don't think Apple has actually implemented the ability to ever know the difference between those users and give it personalized responses.
Not sure it sounds like Apple will do what Google does, and maybe Echo, but while anybody can ask those products anything Google lets you pair user accounts to the Home so that when Home detects your specific voice it will do customize and personalized responses. So if you have multiple users paired to the Home, it will say Hey User X, your commute to work will be 30 minutes or Hey User Y, your commute will take 23 minutes. What this also means if that multiple users have Google Music accounts, they will be able to access their specific playlists.
It sounds to me like the HomePod is tied to one Apple Music account, meaning that while it might provide personalized responses for the owner of that account, it does not really support "multiple users".
Apple has ALWAYS assumed that a user is tied to a device. They wanted everybody to have their own phones, tablets, laptops, etc. They never implemented multiple user support on iOS because Apple wanted people to buy their own devices, and I think this is going to kick them by introducing a product that will be shared between members of the same family or household. This is the first iOS device that will not be owned by an individual user, but by the household.
I think the delay has nothing to do with the hardware, I mean even Apple can't screw up a speaker that bad, but I think the delay was due to Apple trying to shoehorn this product into their existing service limitations, and I think this will be the HomePod's Achilles heal. I just don't think it will do a lot of little things that people already can do with Google or Amazon devices, like actually recognize different users until there are a lot of infrastructure changes to Siri and Apple Music. Sure anybody can come in and ask it the weather, EVERY other device lets you do that, but I don't think Apple has actually implemented the ability to ever know the difference between those users and give it personalized responses.
So if I’m understanding correctly this cannot be used with multiple Apple IDs in regards to calendars, reminders, timers, messages, Apple Music Accounts... this is disappointing. I don’t want my kids Paw Patrol or My Little Pony music showing up on my play history, and when my wife sets a reminder I don’t want to see it on my phone. I hope I am wrong. Having essentially a single user for those major hands free tasks is useless as a family speaker.
TroyBoy30
macrumors 68030
“much-anticipated HomePod” I can afford most Apple gear but I have not desired for playing $350 on this.
It might be that Amazon strategy of flooding the market with Echo’s might win the day.
It might be that Amazon strategy of flooding the market with Echo’s might win the day.
This +10000000000. Apple Music is suppoed to get smarter right? have the same exact issue with only 1 user account
GLS
macrumors 6502a
Spot. On.
I want to buy one of these for our den. But I simply cannot if these limitations exist.
Yeah, I'm getting the same impression you are. If anything, this headline should read HomePod DOESN'T support multiple users.
If they want to keep up (and I think they do) - they'll have to implement voice recognition and multiple users. It will be tough for them but it's a necessity.
It would be an issue. Say my wife likes hip hop and I can’t stand it. Well if she plays hip hop music on the HomePod all day under my account soon Apple Music will think that I like it and start to curate my music based on false information.
This may even pose security concerns - what if your kid or a malicious party decides to send text messages or make phone calls on the HomePod, from this article it sounds like they would be coming from YOUR Apple ID and phone number.
I can't imagine Apple lacking foresight in this department, there has to be some sort of miscommunication here.
I can't imagine Apple lacking foresight in this department, there has to be some sort of miscommunication here.
Works great until you already have a family of 6 people and are using all your slots. I really don’t how Apple can’t see that a single user Apple Music account is a HORRIBLE IDEA. If I set my phone and my wife’s phone side by side and said “hey Siri” only mine activates... how can this not be implemented on the HomePod!?
CmdrLaForge
macrumors 601
Roy Hobbs
macrumors 68000
I have a Harmony universal remote with the hub linked up to an Echo Dot, so I can already control the AppleTV with my voice commands. Sure, it's a little clunky and you have to say "Alexa, tell Harmony to..." whatever command it's good enough and I can't imagine spending the money on the home pod. If they'd made it more of a sound bar with simulated surround sound, that might be something, but with my tv and echo all hooked in through my stereo, I can't imagine I'd be getting this unless I can get it at a decent discount.
Hope so at launch. They aren't always the most informed. I'm certain that it will eventually support this but afraid it might not at launch.
EricNau
Moderator emeritus
Couldn't agree more. The fact that Siri can't control play/pause, power on/off of the Apple TV is absurd. The integration already exists for HomeKit.
As it stands, it doesn't even sound like the Home Pod integrates with the Apple TV at all (beyond possibly bluetooth, which is exactly what I already have and have for years).