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8 Apple HomePod Features You Might Not Know About

Anyone looking for a top-rated smart home speaker has plenty of options to choose from. Apple's flagship offering is the second-generation HomePod, which debuted in 2023. Like all Apple products, it doesn't come cheap, and there are a number of more affordable alternatives on the market, but none manage to work quite as seamlessly with Apple's in-house smart home ecosystem.

Apple designed the latest HomePod with plenty of additional features to justify the high price tag, although not every HomePod owner will be aware of them. Many of these additional capabilities require certain options to be switched on or certain commands to be issued — all things that are easy to overlook when trying to get to grips with a new device for the first time.

Whether you're a HomePod owner trying to make sure you get the best out of Apple's latest smart speaker or a prospective buyer deciding whether it's worth taking the plunge and buying one, these eight features are all worth knowing about.

Get alerts if HomePod detects a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm

Person pushing button on smoke alarm Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock

There are few more unwelcome sounds to hear at home than the smoke alarm. Whether someone has simply burnt their toast or there's a more serious problem at hand, being able to respond to smoke alarms quickly can make all the difference.

The latest generation HomePod can listen out for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and then alert users when it detects one, no matter whether they're at home or on the go. Alerts are sent to the user's iPhone, and they then have the option to talk to anyone in the house via the HomePod or view their HomeKit camera if they have one installed.

In order for the feature to work, the smart speaker needs to have sound recognition enabled. This can be toggled on and off via any iPhone or iPad with the Home app. To turn it on, tap the three dots in the corner of the screen, then select Home Settings. Tap Safety & Security, then Sound Recognition, and ensure that the Smoke & CO Alarm setting is turned on.

Measure the temperature and humidity inside a room

Plant with sunlight and humidifier Skaman306/Getty Images

While the latest generation HomePod offers users the broadest range of features, some of its talents have been carried over to the HomePod Mini, too. One feature that's common to both devices is the ability to detect both the temperature and humidity inside a room. This works for both the room the user is in and other rooms around the house — simply ask Siri what the temperature or humidity is in the room in question.

A brand new HomePod won't provide an accurate reading straight away, as Apple cautions that it will need some time to calibrate its sensors after initial setup. It will also be less accurate in exceptionally dry, humid rooms or rooms outside of the conventional indoor temperature range of 59 to 86 Fahrenheit (15 to 30 Celsius). As well as offering readings when asked, the HomePod can also monitor temperature and humidity and trigger smart home routines at certain points.

Set up automated smart home routines

Living room with blinds Mint Images/Getty Images

Smart home routines can be used in tandem with the HomePod's ability to detect both temperature and humidity to help keep rooms at the perfect temperature for family members and pets even if you're not home. Apple uses the example of closing the blinds when a room reaches a certain temperature, but since the HomePod is compatible with the Matter smart home standard, any number of smart home devices can be configured to work with the routine.

Users also have the option to set up routines triggered by certain phrases, for example, turning on the heating and switching on the lights after telling Siri, "I'm home." The speaker can play a confirmation tone for certain devices after they've been switched on, and Apple has also revised its library of ambient sounds, which can be used while a routine takes place. To create these routines — or "scenes," as Apple calls them — tap the "Add" button in the Home app, then tap "Add Scene."

Hand off a phone call or streamed song from an iPhone

One of the key parts of the HomePod's appeal is how seamlessly it works with other Apple devices. For example, it can transfer calls, songs, and more between an iPhone and the HomePod, with the option to hand off audio automatically appearing for users who hold their phones near the speaker. It's also possible to choose a HomePod to transfer a call to without being near it — tap "Audio" in either the Phone or FaceTime app, and all available HomePod speakers will be displayed.

A few settings will need to be enabled for this feature to work. Firstly, the iPhone's Bluetooth will need to be turned on. It will also need to be connected to your home WiFi network or whichever network the HomePod is also connected to. There is also a Transfer to HomePod toggle that needs to be enabled: head to the iPhone's Settings app, tap General, then select AirPlay & Continuity to check that it's on.

If needed, calls can also be transferred back from the HomePod to an iPhone. The process is the same as handing off to HomePod — hold the iPhone near the top of the HomePod, and assuming the aforementioned settings are enabled, the option to transfer the call should automatically pop up.

Send an audio message to other rooms

Man recieves message on iPhone sergey causelove/Shutterstock

Instead of shouting across to another room to ask family members a question, the latest generation HomePod allows users to quickly send an audio message instead. The Intercom feature can be activated by telling Siri, "ask everyone..." or "announce..." and the message will be sent to all HomePod speakers and all iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPads in the house.

After listening to the message, family members can reply by telling Siri, "reply..." or "announce..." and again, the message will be sent to all connected speakers and devices. Family members who don't want to receive Intercom notifications can turn them off by going to the Home app on their iPhones or iPads, tapping the icon with three dots, then selecting Home Settings. From there, tap "Intercom" and turn the notification settings to Never. The same menu also offers them the option to always receive Intercom messages even when they're not in the house.

Pair up two HomePod speakers for stereo audio

Stereo setup for HomePod Chris Davies/SlashGear

Anyone with two HomePod speakers in the same room can pair them together for stereo audio although as SlashGear pointed out in our review of the HomePod, there are some caveats. Both speakers will have to be the same model — that is, either a first or second-generation HomePod, or a HomePod Mini. There is no way to pair two different HomePod models, regardless of whether they're in the same room.

Setting up a stereo pair is a straightforward process. First, it's worth checking that both speakers are assigned to the same room in the Home app. After that, tap the settings icon (shaped like a gear) and select "Create Stereo Pair." Once the pairing process is completed, users can swap the left and right channels of the pair by selecting them in the Home app, tapping the settings icon, then tapping Audio Settings. The same menu also allows unpairing two speakers by tapping "Ungroup Accessories."

Synchronize audio on multiple HomePod speakers

HomePod with iPhone and Apple Music open Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

HomePod owners with speakers throughout their home get a multitude of ways to ensure their music or podcasts stay with them no matter which room they're in. To synchronize music across multiple rooms, tell Siri to "play this in the office and living room," or to move audio from one room to another, tell Siri to "move this to the kitchen." To play across all HomePod speakers in a home, use "play everywhere."

Volume can also be individually adjusted between rooms. To check on what's being played in another room, ask Siri, "what's playing in the living room?" To ensure that younger family members only have access to age-appropriate audio, it's also worth checking that explicit content is disabled. To check, go to the Home app, tap the icon with three dots, then Home Settings. Select any user, then make sure the option to "Allow Explicit Content" is turned off. This feature will need Voice Recognition to be enabled in order to function. Anyone who hasn't already done so should also set up Parental Controls on their children's Apple devices.

Ask Siri for personalized updates

Voice Recognition isn't just useful for ensuring that explicit content doesn't reach the ears of younger household members. It's also handy for receiving personalized responses, including checking calendars, requesting playlists, and setting up reminders.

Losing devices around the house is inevitable from time to time, but personalized requests also allow Siri to find a particular iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Simply ask Siri to "ping my iPhone" via the HomePod or "find Aaron's iPad" for another family member.

To enable Voice Recognition, go to the Home app, tap the icon with three dots, then tap Home Settings. From there, tap any member of the household, then ensure that Recognize My Voice is turned on. It's worth noting here that each household member's device language will have to match the language of the HomePod. So, for example, a HomePod set to the English language won't be able to recognize the voice of a user with their iPhone's language set to Spanish. Two-factor authentication must also be on for every household member who wants to use the feature.

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