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How to Use Multiple Apple HomePods

If you love Apple Music, and want to use it on your iPhone or iPad anywhere in the house, one way is by adding an AirPlay 2 receiver. But what if you want to get fancy and have a stereo that can be placed just about anywhere?
The answer lies in using multiple HomePods as speaker sources for a single device.

The “homepod multi room commands” is how to use multiple Apple HomePods. This article will show you how to set up and use the device with other speakers in your house.

How to Use Multiple Apple HomePods

It’s probable that you already have Apple HomePod at the hub of your smart home ecosystem if you have any Apple fans in the house.

However, you might get even more usefulness and convenience if you have additional HomePod devices.  

We’ll go over what an additional HomePod (or five) can do for your smart home, as well as how to set up multiple HomePods in this article.

Let’s get this party started!

Yes, you certainly can. Apple HomePods operate best in pairs, and the more the merrier, as the saying goes. When Apple launched iOS 11.4, which included HomePod 11.4, it included additional functionality that consumers could only utilize if they had multiple HomePods. These new capabilities are only one of the advantages of owning several HomePod units, which we’ll go into later.

 

You’re probably wondering why you need several HomePods. Is it possible to use HomePod in several rooms? HomePod, it turns out, can be used in numerous rooms and bring a great deal of value to your smart home. Take a look at some of the advantages you may get:

  1. Audio Control in Multiple Rooms

AirPlay 2 is one of the two new features announced by Apple with iOS 11.4 update. You can use Siri and HomePod, as well as third-party speaker systems that support AirPlay 2, to manage music playing across your home. As long as all of your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, they may perform a variety of additional duties.

You can easily transfer your music or podcast from room to room, play the same music on all speakers, and control audio in numerous locations using this function. Different members of your home may listen to various music on different devices thanks to multiple HomePods. Below, we’ll go through this topic in further depth.

  1. Pairing in Stereo

Second, the upgrade included stereo pairing functionality. This function allows you to connect two HomePod devices to play stereo music. Though it seems to be simple, it is really rather difficult. Using the A8 processors in the speakers, the technology underlying this function pulls paired units into perfect sync.

Simultaneously, anytime you listen to music, you may do it in stereo. The smart speakers’ ambient noise and space detection technology further improve the quality and impact of the music.

Let’s get to the meat of the matter: how do you sync and setup numerous HomePods? As previously said, there are two major methods for setting up multiple HomePod devices. Stereo pairing and multi-room audio are two of them. Let’s have a look at how to set them up:

How to turn your HomePods into a stereo pair

Here’s what you’ll need to do before you begin:

  • Make sure both HomePods are running HomePod OS 11.4 or above.
  • Ensure that your iPhone is running iOS 11.4 or above.
  • In the Home app, make sure both HomePod speakers are in the same room.

Let’s get this party started:

When utilizing two HomePods, combining them through AirPlay 2 is the ideal approach to make a stereo pair. To do so, do the following steps:

  1. Open the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. Press and hold one of the HomePod icons for a long time.
  3. Select “Details” from the drop-down menu.
  4. Select “Create Stereo Pair” from the drop-down menu.
  5. Tap the second HomePod’s icon.
  6. Make sure that both HomePods are correctly labeled as right and left by going to “Audio Settings” on each of them.
  7. Tap “Back” to exit the Audio Settings screen.

Your two HomePod devices have now been paired to create a stereo pair. You will hear sound from both speakers whenever you play music. By default, Siri will be available on the left one. If you want to locate her on the right side, just swap by long-pressing on the touchscreen top.

On Siri, how do you play multi-room?

It’s easy to use Siri to play multi-room audio. All you have to do is ask politely to play the same song on several HomePod devices. You may use the following commands to indicate how you want your audio to sound:

  • “Hey Siri, play Pink everywhere,” says the narrator.
  • “Hey Siri, play Coldplay on HomePod 1,” says the voice assistant.
  • “Hey Siri, in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen, play Adele.”

How can I utilize numerous Siri devices at the same time?

You may want to know how the wake word, “Hey, Siri,” works in this scenario before we go into how to utilize Siri with multiple devices. Which device will reply if there are numerous devices nearby? The devices interact with each other through Bluetooth to decide which one will respond.

The decision is often based on who heard your request the best or who voiced it the most recently. Raise it or push the button on top to limit your command to a single device when there are many devices nearby. That speaker will answer when you make your request.

What happens if the incorrect device responds? It’s a good idea to double-check that Bluetooth is enabled on all of your gadgets. Any device that isn’t in range of other Bluetooth devices or isn’t switched on may reply out of turn.

Out-of-date software or the wake word being turned off in settings are two more issues that might cause the incorrect device to reply. Placing electronics like iPhones and iPads face down will prevent them from responding. If your Macbook has Hey Siri support, shutting the lid will prevent them from responding.

“Hey Siri, switch off Hey Siri” may also be used to turn off the wake word on HomePods that aren’t in use. Touch and hold the top to switch it back on, then say, “Turn on, Hey Siri.”

So, how can I make a Siri that works in several rooms? Simply purchase additional Siri devices and ensure that they are all running iOS 11.4 or later. Then figure out how to use the proper instructions to acquire what you want. Aside from the ones mentioned above, there are a few other commands that will come in useful if you have numerous Siri devices:

  • “Hey Siri, continue playing [song title] in the kitchen,” say if you’re listening to a favorite song on the dining room HomePod and need to go to the kitchen.
  • “Hey Siri, turn down the volume in the kids’ room,” or “Hey Siri, crank up the volume in the living room,” to modify the volume in a specified room.
  • “Hey Siri, play [song title] in the Living room as well,” you might say if you enjoy the music someone is playing in another room.

Is it feasible to have numerous HomePod devices playing different music?

Yes, the HomePods may be placed in various rooms to play different music. You may do so by giving Siri a single command, such as:

“Hey Siri, in the kitchen, play [song/album] and in the living room, play [other song/album]”

What can I do to get Siri to recognize a different voice?

You may ask whether Siri can recognize various users if you live in a multi-user home. After all, isn’t the ability to personalize the experience the finest part of automating the home? However, you may wish to allow other members of the home tailor the experience as well.

Siri is capable of recognizing many users and does not need any additional vocal configuration. Siri may be spoken to by everyone in your home, and she will understand and answer. This is true regardless of whether you’re using the HomePod or another Siri-enabled gadget. Siri gadgets have a specific chip that filters out voices in order to distinguish them.

Its capabilities, however, are restricted to avoiding false positives. Apple was granted a patent in 2018 for “User profiling for speech input processing,” which might potentially improve this functionality if it was ever built.

How to set up your HomePod for a family of many users

Fortunately, you can configure your HomePod to work well in multi-person homes. Everyone may access standard functions like operating appliances, reading weather and news, and listening to music by doing so. However, you would be able to keep the features that you do not want everyone to see private at the same time. So, where do you begin?

Here are a few more things you should do to make Siri suitable for your multi-user settings:

Invite additional users to get access to the control panel.

  1. Open the Home app on your iPad or iPhone.
  2. Select “Home” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select the “Home Settings” icon (looks like a tiny house inside a circle in the upper left side)
  4. Select “Invite” from the drop-down menu.
  5. Enter the Apple ID of the person you’re looking for.
  6. Select “Send Invitation” from the drop-down menu.

Here’s how to accept the invitation if you’ve received one:

  1. Open the Home app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Select “Home” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select “Home Settings” from the drop-down menu.
  4. “Accept” should be tapped.

It’s critical to grasp the significance of Personal Requests and whether or not to deactivate them, regardless of how you use your HomePod. Personal Requests connect your HomePod to your communications app, calendar, reminders, and notes.

Because these functions are linked, you can use HomePod to send and receive messages, create events, make reminders, and add and read new notes. When you allow Personal Requests, anybody may do the same thing, invading your privacy and messing with your schedule.

While you may make Personal Requests require authentication, the only thing this will prevent is others from reading your notes. It may or may not be necessary for everyone in your home to have access to these facts, depending on how your household is set up. However, if you wish to block other people’s access to these applications, take these steps:

  1. Open the Home app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Select “Home” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select “Home Settings” from the drop-down menu.
  4. Tap your Avatar under People.
  5. Select “Personal Requests” from the drop-down menu.
  6. Toggle the switch off.
  7. Tap “For Secure Requests” under “Demand Authentication” if you want to keep it on but require authentication to see your notes.

If you wish to activate or disable Personal Requests again in the future, use the same phone you used to disable them.

Stop other users’ song requests from influencing your own personal playlists.

Apple Music’s tailored suggestions might be influenced by family and friends who have access to your HomePod. The system will update your suggestions whenever people request music. When you start receiving suggestions for nursery rhymes or hilarious rap tunes, this may be rather frustrating. To avoid this, disable the functionality by following these instructions:

  1. Open the Home app.
  2. Press and hold the HomePod symbol for a long time.
  3. Select “Details” from the drop-down menu.
  4. Turn “Use Listening History” off.

Is it possible to have numerous HomePods on the same account?

Yes, you can have as many HomePods as you like on one account. Even if there is no upper limit, the output quality is determined on the strength of your Wi-Fi network. Keep in mind that audio is sent to each HomePod separately. As a result, saturating the network may result in performance concerns.

How to set up a multi-HomePod intercom system

Unfortunately, employing several devices as an intercom system is not possible with HomePods.

Two separate households, two different HomePods, two different Siris

Using remote access, you may utilize Apple Siri to operate two distinct dwellings. If you have many houses or want to assist Grandma enjoy home automation without saying anything, this option might be useful.

It’s best to set up a home hub to get access to it. HomePod is set up as a home hub by default, allowing for remote access. To finish the setup, you’ll also need an Apple TV or iPad.

Follow these steps to set up your iPad as a home hub:

  1. Go to [your name]>Settings> iCloud
  2. Use your Apple ID to log in to your account.
  3. Check that both Home and iCloud Keychain are switched on.
  4. Select “Use this iPad as a Home Hub” from the Settings>Home menu.

After that, you may use Siri to connect and operate numerous houses. To enable remote access, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Home app.
  2. Select “Home Settings” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select the desired residence by tapping it.
  4. Tap the person you wish to allow remote access to under People, then choose “Allow Remote Access.”

To ask someone to take charge of your house, follow these steps:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Home app. and choose “Home.” If you have numerous houses, go to “Home Settings” and choose the one you wish to give someone management for.
  2. Under People, choose “Invite.”
  3. Enter the Apple ID of the person you’re looking for.
  4. Select “Send Invite” from the drop-down menu.

Accepting an invitation entails:

  1. Open the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. Select “Home Settings” from the drop-down menu.
  3. “Accept” should be tapped.
  4. “Done” should appear on the screen.

Yes, you certainly can. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the Home app on your iPhone
  2. Select “Home Settings” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select “Allow Speaker Access” from the “Speakers” menu.
  4. To make your HomePods accessible to all devices, tap “Everyone.”
  5. “Done” should appear on the screen.

You may now use Bluetooth to transfer audio from any device to the HomePod. Tap several HomePods on AirPlay 2 to play music over numerous speakers at the same time.

Is it possible to utilize Spotify with several Homepods?

Because the HomePod is meant to function only with the Apple ecosystem, you won’t be able to listen to Spotify songs via it. You may, however, use AirPlay to broadcast Spotify to the HomePod. You may accomplish this by first playing music on your iPhone and then connecting it through AirPlay. This allows you to control your music using Siri voice commands.

If the HomePods are in a stereo pair, they will play the same music at the same time. If not, just tell Siri to play the same music in all of your rooms, and she will. Take note, though, that in order for this to function, your iPhone or other Apple device must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the HomePod, and Bluetooth must be turned on.

Is it possible to link two phones to Siri?

No. You can only connect one device at a time right now. This is due to the fact that the HomePod can only be linked to one ID.

What is the procedure for adding a device to my Apple account?

To add a device to your Apple account, follow these steps:

  1. Wait for a chime and a pulsating white light to emerge on the top of HomePod after plugging it into a power outlet.
  2. Hold your iPhone near to the HomePod after unlocking it.
  3. Click “Set up” when it displays on the screen.
  4. Choose a room for the device, enable Personal Requests, and transfer your settings to ensure that you have access to the information you need on iCloud, your Wi-Fi network, Apple Music, and other services.
  5. Wait for HomePod to finish setting up.

Watch This Video-

The “homepod mini multiroom” is a feature that allows you to use multiple Apple HomePods. This is useful for those who have more than one room in their home and want to control the music in each room.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you pair 3 HomePods together?

A: I am not sure if this is possible. Please let me know and maybe we can help you!

How do I connect 3 HomePods?

A: You can connect the HomePods using the line in input on your PlayStation 4.

Can you have 4 HomePods one room?

A: No, the HomePod is designed to be within a specific range that it can provide sound in. If you have 4 of them placed at different distances from each other they will not all work properly and some may even stop working entirely!

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