Apple Releases New 12.2 Software for the HomePod

Alongside the iOS 12.2 update that was introduced following Apple's services-focused "It's Show Time" event, Apple has also debuted a new 12.2 software update designed for the HomePod.

The new ‌HomePod‌ software will be installed automatically on the ‌HomePod‌ after you update to iOS 12.2, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.

homepod duo
According to the release notes for the update, the new software for the ‌HomePod‌ is minor in scale and designed specifically for university or enterprise users.

iOS 12.2 includes support for joining most enterprise or university campus 802.1x networks that do not require unique credentials to join.

There are no other features that appear to be included in the ‌HomePod‌ update. Right now, the ‌HomePod‌ is available in the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China, and Hong Kong. For more details, make sure to check out our HomePod roundup.

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

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...

Top Rated Comments

gregglesspiked Avatar
89 months ago
HomePod needs way more than a minor update, it needs an overhaul. Siri is pathetic
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
89 months ago
It’s pretty amazing that people invest so much money into homepods but don’t take the time to learn about the above!
That’s the thing. Most of the people who criticize HomePod, don’t own one. They just repeat the criticisms they hear from other people and around and around it goes.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
89 months ago
HomePod needs way more than a minor update, it needs an overhaul. Siri is pathetic
Works perfectly for me.

Agreed....this is why Alexa even got its foot in my doorway....Apples SLOW SLOW SLOW progress on SIRI and Homepod
Psst... I’m gonna let you in on a secret**... You can install “Skills” on HomePod. I order food on my HomePod, I start meditation sessions with Headspace on my HomePod, I log my water intake and food consumption in Waterminder and myfitnesspal apps on my HomePod, I record voice clips in my Day One journal on my HomePod, I check off habits in Streaks on my HomePod, and play Pandora and Tunein radio on my HomePod, aaaand I even get the news from Google News, yep, you guessed it: all on my HomePod.

Siri Shortcuts have been out since September. They’re the same as Alexa Skills and in just 6 months, there have been hundreds of them added.

**not really a secret. I don’t know how so many people have managed to ignore that Siri Shortcuts work as a way to expand HomePod’s capabilities like Alexa Skills do for Amazon Echo.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JesseDee Avatar
89 months ago
HomePod needs way more than a minor update, it needs an overhaul. Siri is pathetic
Agreed....this is why Alexa even got its foot in my doorway....Apples SLOW SLOW SLOW progress on SIRI and Homepod
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Remy149 Avatar
89 months ago
HomePod is useless without Bluetooth support,I really don’t understand the reasoning why Airpods support bluetooth but not HomePod?
If you are 100% in Apple ecosystem you have no need for Bluetooth. Ironically even everyone in my social circle also use Apple devices. Airplay 2 is wonderful I own a HomePod and a Sonos surrounded system.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UltimaKilo Avatar
89 months ago
HomePod needs way more than a minor update, it needs an overhaul. Siri is pathetic
Yep, the amazing sound is not enough. Why pack an A10 in the thing if it's not being taken advantage of?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)