10 Hacks Every Apple HomePod User Should Know

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The HomePod is one of the most controversial Apple devices I've ever owned. It's great when it works, but if something goes wrong, troubleshooting can be a daunting task. This has been controversial among Apple fans, but I've been buying HomePods since 2017 and know all the tricks to make them easier or better to use. Some of these hacks focus on trouble-free use, but others emphasize hidden functions. Let's dive right in.

Make sure your HomePod has a strong Wi-Fi connection.

In all my experience with HomePods, I've noticed that the product works much better when it's in an area with a strong Wi-Fi signal. For several months, I kept the HomePod in my bedroom, where my Wi-Fi was spotty and the speaker didn't work at all. Since it uses the Internet or AirPlay to play audio, it needs a strong Wi-Fi signal. If you have a single router in your home, you might have better luck connecting your HomePod to the 2.4GHz band rather than the 5GHz option, which has a shorter range.

You can check which network your HomePod is connected to by going to the Home app on your iPhone, selecting HomePod, and going to Accessories Settings. The smart speaker automatically connects to the same network as your iPhone or iPad. You can switch the Wi-Fi network on your iOS device to change the connected Wi-Fi on HomePod.

HomePod is reliable when paired with Apple TV

Since we're talking about making your HomePod more reliable, you'll find that pairing it with an Apple TV will make it much less unstable. This doesn't mean you should go out and buy an Apple TV just to make your HomePod work better, but if you have a streaming device, you should consider pairing it with your HomePod for the best results.

I've used HomePods with an iPhone, a Mac, an iPad, and even an Apple Watch, and I can tell you that the experience is nothing like using the speaker with an Apple TV. First, Apple TV can use HomePod as its default output, meaning you won't have to fiddle with software buttons or use Siri to control the speaker. You just turn on your Apple TV, play whatever you want, and HomePod just works. This may seem like a minor benefit, but it really isn't. I can't say enough good things about the HomePod's software and reliability, and it only proved 100% reliable when I used it with an Apple TV.

Stereo sound greatly improves HomePod

I don't usually tell people to spend more money to get the most out of a product, but in the case of Apple's HomePods, two speakers are… many better than one. If you have a larger HomePod, you'll probably only fit one of these, but that's not the case for those of us who opted for the HomePod mini. Using two HomePod minis in a stereo pair is a much better experience since you can take something that might be underwhelming and let it play with the big boys. And it will be twice as much if you complete the last hack. If you have an Apple TV, you'll be very impressed when you connect it to two HomePods in a stereo pair. It makes watching movies so much better.

Route audio from any device to HomePod

HDMI ARC is one of the HomePod's lesser-known features, but once you try it, there's no going back. In short, it allows you to use HomePod as a speaker for your PS5, Xbox, or any other device connected to your TV. It requires a fairly specific combination of hardware to work, and even after installing it, you may have to do a bit of troubleshooting to get it to work properly. This is due to the fact that there are at least four different devices from different manufacturers involved. Sometimes you may need to manually enable ARC, eARC or HDMI-CEC in your TV's settings, which usually does the trick.

This Apple Support Page highlights everything you need for this feature to work, which boils down to having an Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), HomePod or HomePod mini, and a TV that supports HDMI ARC or eARC (TV manufacturers typically label HDMI ports to indicate support for these technologies). You'll first need to enable this feature on your Apple TV, and once you do, HomePod should be able to play audio from other devices connected to your TV. Note that you'll need to add your Apple TV and HomePod to the same “room” in the Home app on your iPhone for this feature to work.

The good news is that this setup is a one-time headache, and once it's done, it will work without too many problems.

You can pair multiple HomePods together to play audio in multiple rooms.

If you have multiple HomePods of the same type, you can and should try using them for multi-room audio. Three HomePods (or HomePod Minis) are enough to cover an apartment of about 1,000 square feet, and you can use them to have music playing in every room throughout the day. If you have a Mac, you can also get a great Sound source app to test how much you like multi-room audio without having to buy multiple HomePods first. SoundSource lets you send audio to multiple devices This means you can play the same audio file simultaneously on regular Bluetooth speakers, HomePods, AirPods, and any other audio devices connected to your Mac.

You can use this to get a feel for what audio sounds like in multiple rooms, and if you like it, you can use multiple HomePods to get the same audio with minimal latency.

Your HomePod is also an intercom

You can use HomePod to send voice messages to other people in your home. For example, you can send Siri the following command: “Intercom, time for dinner.” A reminder of your dinner will be sent to all HomePods in the house. Others can also use Siri to respond to you, making it an effective alternative to texting.

You can access the intercom feature by opening the Home app on your iPhone, holding the HomePod icon and selecting Accessory Settings > Intercom. It also works with Siri on your iPhone, so you can send an intercom message to your HomePod even when it's not nearby.

HomePod could become the center of a smart home

Apple HomeKit smart home platform may not be as popular as its competitors, but there are some good smart home accessories that are HomeKit compatible there. If you find the right products, you can use HomePod to control your entire home. This includes lights, doors, cameras, and many other types of smart home gadgets. Of course, all of these features rely heavily on Siri, which means you'll sometimes have to repeat your commands or end up with the wrong gadget turning on or off.

While Siri can be annoying to deal with, HomeKit is the best option for people who want a privacy-focused smart home platform. Apple goes out of its way to minimize the data sent to external servers and encrypts CCTV footage, which differs from the approach taken by many competing platforms.

Find the right place for your HomePod

In my experience, it's worth taking some time to find the best place to place the HomePod, especially to ensure the best stereo output. Apple recommends Place the HomePod up to 10 inches from the wall, but in my experience it works best when it's about 6 to 10 inches from the wall. For the best stereo sound, you should place two HomePods on either side of your TV, no more than 4 feet apart.

If you have expensive wood furniture, be sure to check whether the HomePod is safe to place on those surfaces. Sometimes, HomePods may leave a mark on wooden surfaces, so you may want to consider using a cork stand to protect the surface.

Keep Siri data away from Apple

If you've previously enabled Analytics Sharing with Apple, your HomePod may send audio of your interaction with Siri to Apple's servers. You should review this and disable this feature if you do not want to transmit this data. Open the Home app on your iPhone, hold the HomePod icon and go to Accessory Settings. Now go to Analytics and improvements and disable all options on this page. On the Accessory Settings page, you can also go to History of Siri and select Delete Siri history to clear previously saved data.

Automation routines are incredibly fun to use

HomePod also supports automation routines, and you can use them to do a lot of cool things. I've been setting up mine for about a year HomePod for playing soothing music in the morning and some jazz at sunset. You can customize them in the Apple Shortcuts app. Go to the Automation section, click the button + button and select Create Home Automation. Here you can set up your favorite automation routines. HomePod supports actions when you approach or leave your home, at certain times of the day, when accessories are connected, or when a sensor detects something (like motion).