
How to control your Apple HomePod using your iPhone and change its settings
Attending to grips along with your good speaker – music, HomeKit, settings, calls and extra
Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini good audio system each have Siri in-built, which implies you may go utterly hands-free along with your music streaming and good dwelling automations. Typically although, it’s simpler to simply use your iPhone and we perceive that.
It could be that you just really feel somewhat foolish saying “Hey Siri” each time you wish to change what’s taking part in, or maybe you wish to browse really useful playlists on Apple Music and play them immediately out of your cellphone moderately than having to inform Siri what you discovered.
There are additionally just a few issues on the HomePod settings entrance that Siri simply can’t deal with, like stereo pairing two HomePods. Right here’s all the pieces that you must find out about controlling your HomePod along with your iPhone or iPad.
Controlling your HomePod music along with your iPhone
If you end up taking part in one thing by way of a streaming service like Apple Music, or by way of your library (which now lives in Apple Music), you may choose up your iPhone and management your HomePod utilizing your cellphone’s show. There are 3 ways of doing that.
From Apple Music
The primary option to management music in your HomePod audio system utilizing your iPhone or iPad is from inside the Apple Music app. Select the music you need (if you happen to’re not already listening to a music in your cellphone or pill) and easily faucet on the AirPlay brand on the backside within the centre of your show.
Your HomePod or HomePod mini ought to seem within the AirPlay listing of audio system, faucet on it to ship what you’re taking part in in your iPhone or iPad to your HomePod. When you’re already taking part in one thing else in your HomePod, your new choice will override it.
From the Lock Display screen

The second option to management HomePod music is out of your iPhone or iPad’s Lock Display screen. When you’re listening to a music in your iPhone or iPad, the Music Now Enjoying card will seem in your Lock Display screen. Because the earlier methodology above, there’s an AirPlay icon inside that card, this time within the backside proper nook.
You’ll have to faucet as soon as in your iPhone or iPad to get up the display screen, after which you faucet on the AirPlay icon to tug up the out there audio system. Choose your HomePod from the listing and the music you’re taking part in will switch over.
From Management Middle

The third option to management music in your HomePod or HomePod mini out of your iPhone or iPad is utilizing Management Middle. Open up the Management Middle and also you’ll see the Music widget within the prime proper nook, except you’ve got chosen to rearrange your Management Middle – one thing that was launched in iOS 18.
You possibly can lengthy press on the Music widget, or you may simply faucet on the AirPlay icon within the prime proper of the cardboard to tug up the speaker choices, together with your HomePod. Select your HomePod from the listing, or a number of HomePods when you’ve got a couple of and need the music you’re listening to on all of them, and the music will switch over.
As soon as you might be synced up from iPhone or iPad to HomePod, you’ll have entry to trace playback controls like quantity, skipping, subsequent observe and play/pause immediately out of your iPad or iPhone, without having to make use of Siri or the management panel on prime of the HomePod if you happen to don’t wish to.
Important studying: Methods to arrange Apple HomePod stereo and multi-room modes
Methods to change your HomePod’s settings
There’s extra to Apple’s HomePod than simply taking part in music although. For all the pieces HomeKit associated, and to get to the meatier HomePod settings, you’ll wish to head into your iPhone or iPad’s Residence app.
You possibly can rename your HomePod right here, select whether or not it’s a HomeKit favorite, sync up an Apple ID, activate Intercom and lots extra. You may as well change up a few of Siri’s settings – language, default voice and the like – and you can even select to mute the Apple digital assistant in order for you.
What you’ll want
- Your iPhone or iPad
- Your HomePod or HomePod mini
- The Residence app
The quick model
- Open the Residence app in your iPhone or iPad.
- Faucet on the Residence tab within the backside left.
- Search for your HomePod or HomePod mini within the listing of gadgets.
- Press and maintain in your HomePod tile.
- Faucet on ‘Accent Settings‘.
- Scroll by way of the settings choices and regulate to your preferences.
Methods to change your HomePod or HomePod mini’s settings by way of the Residence app
We’ve coated off the short fireplace model of the way to regulate your HomePod or HomePod mini’s settings, however beneath you’ll discover somewhat bit extra element as to what you may anticipate, in addition to pictures to assist illustrate the steps.
Time wanted: 5 minutes
- Open the Residence app and head to the Residence tab
Very first thing you’ll have to do is open up the Residence app in your iPhone or iPad and faucet on the Residence tab within the backside proper nook. It will deliver up all good dwelling gadgets you’ve got linked as much as your HomeKit system, together with these not responding.
- Discover your HomePod within the listing
Whenever you’re within the Residence tab, you’ll see various tiles displaying all the gadget you’ve got related, as we talked about within the earlier step. Discover your HomePod or HomePod mini and press and maintain on the tile to tug up the choices.
- Choose Accent Settings
From that menu, you’ll see a few totally different choices, together with ‘Accent Settings’. Faucet on that to tug up all of the HomePod and HomePod mini settings.
- Select your preferences
When you’ve bought your self into the Accent Settings, you may regulate your HomePod or HomePod mini settings in accordance with your preferences. Merely scroll down the listing of settings to alter issues. You possibly can change the room it’s related to by tapping on ‘Room’ for instance, change your HomePod’s identify on the prime, flip Intercom on or off to make bulletins by tapping on ‘Intercom’ and switch ‘Hey Siri’ on or off fully, do you have to want.
Managing your HomePod’s safety
HomePod has improved through the years, providing options like Private Requests that can let you ship messages, make calls, create reminders and extra when your iPhone is close by, and it recognises as much as 6 totally different family members too. There’s additionally a setting value making not of relating to permitting entry to your HomePod speaker nevertheless.
From inside the Residence app, you may restrict your speaker’s streaming to simply folks in your Apple Residence, or folks in your community. You possibly can even add a password if you happen to like or throw warning to the wind and depart it open in order anybody shut sufficient with an iPhone may ping over their music. To entry this, open the Residence app and faucet on the circle with the three dots within the prime proper nook. You’ll then wish to faucet on Residence Settings, adopted by Audio system & TV. You possibly can then choose between ‘Everybody’, ‘Anybody On the Similar Community’, ‘Solely Individuals Sharing this Residence’.

One closing iPhone / HomePod function of observe is inside the iCloud settings – it’s right here you may double examine you’re all updated and you’ll take away a HomePod out of your iCloud account – which you’d wish to do if you happen to had been promoting it, for instance.
Methods to use HomePod for cellphone calls
You need to use your HomePod to make and obtain calls once you’re in the home. You additionally need to have arrange Private Requests. The sunshine on prime of your HomePod will flip inexperienced when it’s getting used as a speakerphone. In case you have arrange Private Requests and also you’re good to go, strive the next:
To provoke a name out of your HomePod with out touching your cellphone merely say, “Hey Siri, name [name]” or “Hey Siri, dial [number]”. When somebody is asking you simply say “Hey Siri, reply my cellphone.” You may as well say “Hey Siri, who’s calling?”.
You possibly can even examine missed calls by asking, “Hey Siri, who simply referred to as?”. To finish a name, you may both finish it in your iPhone or iPad, double faucet the highest of the HomePod, or say “Hey Siri, grasp up”.