Bose this week quietly announced AirPlay 2 support for its line of "BoseSmart" smart speakers. The audio company revealed the added functionality via its official Twitter account and separately in a post on its community support forums.

bosesmart speaker range
Introduced late last year, the BoseSmart range of speakers support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and Alexa voice activation. Models in the range that now support ‌AirPlay‌ 2 include the Bose Home Speaker 500 ($399), the Soundbar 500 ($549), and the Soundbar 700 ($799). Bose says the feature support is being delivered to eligible speakers as an over-the-air firmware update, via the Bose Music app.

As noted by HomeKit Hero, the company's announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Bose had previously given no indication that ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support was coming to its speakers, and the brand didn't appear on Apple's own third-party AirPlay 2 speakers list, which includes both available and upcoming products.

In its forum post, Bose mentioned it is still working on bringing ‌AirPlay‌ 2 compatibility to its SoundTouch speakers, which start at $199 and also include Alexa support, but offered no timeline for its introduction.

Tags: AirPlay, Bose

Top Rated Comments

Santabean2000 Avatar
87 months ago
More support for Airplay 2 the better. But I’ll be keeping my Sonos, thanks!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Creek0512 Avatar
87 months ago
As noted by HomeKit Hero ('https://twitter.com/Homekit_Hero/status/1119062510991233024'), the company's announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Bose had previously given no indication that AirPlay 2 support was coming to its speakers
Well that’s completely wrong. Bose announced last August that these speakers would gain AirPlay 2 support sometime in “early 2019”, you guys even had an article about it.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/28/bose-homepod-competitor/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colinchuang Avatar
87 months ago
I love the sound of my HomePod, but I frequently have connectivity issues when trying to stream from my iPhone. Oddly, no issues when I ask the HomePod to play directly from Apple Music.

Sometimes my WiFi is a little wonky, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why Airplay streaming would be the only casualty.

As steaming is what I’m mostly interested in from a smart speaker, maybe I’ll look into the Sonos and Bose. Anyone have an opinion on the relative sound quality of these three?
Hi, AirPlay works great with Sonos. I have the beam and a One, and am waiting for these new speaker lamps from Ikea to arrive. But I have a Bose Soundbar 700 too which I can now test with Airplay. This will make or break. The Sonos AirPlay is seamless ✌️
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
87 months ago
That’s also true, I have the QC30 Buds, did have the QC35’s but sold and replaced with Sony’s latest and they seem to be rated as better than QC35.
I think Bose should be very worried - they no longer have the edge with a lot of their consumer product...
I’m not sure about this. Specifically the qc35 are supposed to have the edge in comfort and can connect to two sources. Sony has always made good products, but it’s always an individual choice. I have the qc35 and love them. I think the interface and use of the qc35 are better than the Sony based on the features/functions.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
87 months ago
Well I don’t know about Sony’s anc, but I bought the Bose qc35 ii on a impulse due to a flight from Phoenix to NY. I wore the qc35 nearly the entire flight and the performance was phenomenal and comfortable. So if the Sony’s are better it wouldn’t make a difference and I would go for comfort, features and use. Ymmv.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colinchuang Avatar
87 months ago
Yep. This is true. They make damn good headphones though ✌️
[doublepost=1555738026][/doublepost]
Bose were originally on the Airplay2 list but that was close to 2yrs ago and more recently were not listed on the official Airplay2 sign ups...
Bose have been promising Airplay2 support on the SoundTouch range as ‘coming soon’ ever since Airplay2 was announced by Apple and it has still not appeared and probably never will as the SoundTouch models are now old product, replaced by a newer and non compatible range.
Would advise strongly to avoid Bose as they promise many things but do not deliver. The Bose forums are full of angry SoundTouch owners that have ongoing issues with connectivity and lack of promised features..
Yep. This is true. They make damn good headphones though ✌️
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...