HomePod HomePod through different home app

[Shanghaichica]

So I got a HomePod last week and briefly set it up using the home app on my iPhone. I have just moved house and don’t have my internet reconnect yet. I wanted to know if I could use the HomePod via the home app on my iPad and use my iPhone to tether to my iPad whilst I await my home broadband being reconnected.

Would I need to reset the HomePod and set it all up again?

 

[TrueBlou]

If you want your HomePod to function as normal, it needs an active internet connection. So you could probably use your iPhone in place of your router to serve as the internet connection. But that would involve setting up the HomePod again to recognise the changes. Though if you have HomeKit devices you want to control with it, you’re out of luck as they’d all need to be on the same network as the HomePod.

As a short-term measure, you’re probably best just to AirPlay to it until your new internet is connected. Providing you’re using the same router and network settings. Though the HomePod won’t have an Internet connection, AirPlay should still be possible from your iOS devices when connected to the network.

 

[Shanghaichica]

If you want your HomePod to function as normal, it needs an active internet connection. So you could probably use your iPhone in place of your router to serve as the internet connection. But that would involve setting up the HomePod again to recognise the changes. Though if you have HomeKit devices you want to control with it, you’re out of luck as they’d all need to be on the same network as the HomePod.

As a short-term measure, you’re probably best just to AirPlay to it until your new internet is connected. Providing you’re using the same router and network settings. Though the HomePod won’t have an Internet connection, AirPlay should still be possible from your iOS devices when connected to the network.

My phone is not connected to broadband internet at the moment. Waiting for it to be set up and we are having snow storms at the moment.

My phone has an LTE connection can I use this to airplay from my phone to the HomePod? Will it require me to set it up and again and then do it again when o get my brodband connected?

 

[TrueBlou]

Well, one way or another the HomePod requires a WiFi connection to operate. It doesn’t necessarily need internet, depending on how you’re going to use it in the short term until things are back to normal.

You have two options, I’ll list the easiest first;

1) Assuming you will be using the same router in your new home as you did in your old one.
Just power up that router (it doesn’t need to be connected to the internet in any way for this). Your HomePod will automatically connect to it as that’s what it was connected to in your old home.
Any music you want to listen to, just download onto your iPhone, or iPad, for offline listening.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same WiFi connection your HomePod is on (again no internet needed) and just AirPlay your music directly to the HomePod.

That’s the easy way in the short term as it doesn’t require you to change anything.

2) This method does require the HomePod to be setup from scratch again now. And then again once your home internet is connected.

Using your iPhone as a hotspot, connect both the HomePod and the iPad to that hotspot. Setup the HomePod from scratch and just use it normally so long as it’s connected to the hotspot.

One way around having to setup the HomePod from scratch, is to give your iPhone (temporarily if you like) the same SSID and password as the router you normally connect to.
To do that go to Settings > General > About > Name and rename your iPhone to the SSID your router uses.
Then go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > WiFi Password and change that to the password your router uses.

Now when you enable the hotspot on your iPhone, your HomePod should automatically connect to it as it has the matching details it’s looking for.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Well, one way or another the HomePod requires a WiFi connection to operate. It doesn’t necessarily need internet, depending on how you’re going to use it in the short term until things are back to normal.

You have two options, I’ll list the easiest first;

1) Assuming you will be using the same router in your new home as you did in your old one.
Just power up that router (it doesn’t need to be connected to the internet in any way for this). Your HomePod will automatically connect to it as that’s what it was connected to in your old home.
Any music you want to listen to, just download onto your iPhone, or iPad, for offline listening.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same WiFi connection your HomePod is on (again no internet needed) and just AirPlay your music directly to the HomePod.

That’s the easy way in the short term as it doesn’t require you to change anything.

2) This method does require the HomePod to be setup from scratch again now. And then again once your home internet is connected.

Using your iPhone as a hotspot, connect both the HomePod and the iPad to that hotspot. Setup the HomePod from scratch and just use it normally so long as it’s connected to the hotspot.

One way around having to setup the HomePod from scratch, is to give your iPhone (temporarily if you like) the same SSID and password as the router you normally connect to.
To do that go to Settings > General > About > Name and rename your iPhone to the SSID your router uses.
Then go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > WiFi Password and change that to the password your router uses.

Now when you enable the hotspot on your iPhone, your HomePod should automatically connect to it as it has the matching details it’s looking for.

Thanks you have been so helpful. I have one last question. I set up my HomePod with my iPhone is it possible to connect up my router as you said and then connect my iPad to the same router. I would prefer to use my iPad because if I connect my iPhone to the router it will lose its LTE connection and I won’t be able to use the internet without switching back to LTE and that would stop the airplay function.

 

[TrueBlou]

Thanks you have been so helpful. I have one last question. I set up my HomePod with my iPhone is it possible to connect up my router as you said and then connect my iPad to the same router. I would prefer to use my iPad because if I connect my iPhone to the router it will lose its LTE connection and I won’t be able to use the internet without switching back to LTE and that would stop the airplay function.

Yup, so long as you’ve downloaded the music onto the iPad for offline playback and connected it to the same WiFi network it will be fine. Even if the WiFi network doesn’t have internet access.
[doublepost=1519922361][/doublepost]I should mention though, it is possible to connect your iPhone to the WiFi network and use the iPhones LTE at the same time if you don’t mind going in and manually making some changes to the iPhones WiFi Settings when you do it.

If you don’t mind fiddling about I can tell you how. Or if you’re happy just using the iPad that’s fine.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Thanks so much. I set up my old router as you suggested and I can now airplay to the speaker. I think I’ll just continue doing this as I now have an appointment to have my broadband reconnected on Wednesday so this will suffice until then.