Latest HomePod Firmware Discovery Shares First UI Sounds of Apple's Smart Speaker - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Latest HomePod Firmware Discovery Shares First UI Sounds of Apple's Smart Speaker

In the continued release of Apple news originating from developers digging through HomePod firmware, we now have some of the first user interface sounds that HomePod users could be hearing once the smart home speaker launches this December.

HomePod on shelf
Developer Avery Magnotti discovered the sounds within a file named "audioOS" of the HomePod firmware that Apple released this past weekend. In order of appearance in the file, the sounds are called:

alarm1.wav
Lighthouse.wav
SessionInactive-b238.wav
SetupFinal-b238.m4a
SetupStepSource-b238.m4a
SetupStepTarget-b238.m4a
timer1.wav
TwoShot-b238.wav
WOCAudioPasscodeTone.wav

To hear what the files sound like, Magnotti posted a video on his YouTube channel, sharing samples of each file listed. Alarm1 and Timer1 sound like simple tones that HomePod users might be able to choose from when setting up timers in their kitchens. The rest are a bit more unclear, although each Setup file is likely related to the initial pairing process of HomePod and a user's iPhone.


HomePod firmware-related reveals have been steadily rolling out since Saturday, revealing the general design of the iPhone 8, referencing a "split" status bar, including potential new Apple Watch skiing workouts, and more. Magnotti himself revealed yesterday that the HomePod's Siri display measures in at 272 x 340.

The reason that there are so many iPhone and Apple Watch bits of news coming out of the new HomePod firmware is because Apple's smart speaker will run on a modified version of iOS when it launches, and the firmware being investigated by developers relates to iOS 11.0.2. Apple announced the HomePod at WWDC this year, and it will launch this December for $349.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Caution)

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday August 20, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the iPhone event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to...
macOS 27 next to MacBook Pro Running macOS 27

macOS Golden Gate Marks the End of an Era

Thursday August 20, 2026 2:19 pm PDT by
macOS 27 Golden Gate is not compatible with any Macs with Intel processors, marking the end of an era. The update, which is currently in beta ahead of a release later this year, is limited to Apple silicon Macs with an M1 chip or newer. Last year, Apple said that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final macOS release compatible with Intel-based Macs, so this was an expected development. Intel...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

Sunday August 23, 2026 11:19 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra is winning over the few people who have had hands-on time with the device, though the camera setup may leave some users wanting, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says people who have used the device – which is reportedly referred to internally as the iPhone Ultra – like how it fits in your...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
118 months ago
Judging by the sounds alone, it seems Apple managed to make a cylindrical Wii.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
118 months ago
They sound nice to me.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
118 months ago
Stupid product... can't see the screen unless you are standing over it. What kind of an idiotic design is this?
Can't tell if you are being serious or not. There is no screen to look at. It's a speaker. The top is just fancy indicator light like what Google Home and Amazon Echo. Want to look at something? That is what your Phone/Watch/Tablet is for.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vanilla35 Avatar
118 months ago
Sounds a little childish to me
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blcamp Avatar
118 months ago
I have to imagine a few high-ranking folks in Cupertino are super pissed about all this information flowing so freely.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
118 months ago
Baby music.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)