Apple Announces Range of New Home Features for HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and Apple Watch

Apple today announced a range of new smart home features for HomePod mini, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, as well as third-party Siri integration on accessories for the first time.

f1623089740
‌Siri‌ on the HomePod now supports making commands to control content on an ‌Apple TV‌. The ‌HomePod mini‌ can also be set as a default output for an ‌Apple TV‌.

SharePlay will work with the ‌Apple TV‌ through FaceTime on another device, and tvOS now features a Shared With You row. There is also a new For All of You row in the TV app to recommend shows and movies suitable for all users on the device.

HomeKit accessory makers can now integrate ‌Siri‌ voice control for the first time. "Hey ‌Siri‌"-enabled accessories will relay requests through a ‌HomePod‌ or ‌HomePod mini‌, and will support ‌Siri‌ features such as Personal Requests, Intercom, timers, and alarms. The first third-party Siri-enabled smart home accessories will be available later this year.

home features 2021

The Home app for Apple Watch has been redesigned in watchOS 8, offering more convenient access to accessories and scenes as needed in a particular moment, and the ability to control accessories by room. Users with a HomeKit-enabled camera can view who is at their front door directly on their Apple Watch.

Apple also highlighted support for home keys in the Wallet app, Package Detection, new ‌Apple TV‌ screensavers, Matter accessory support, and ‌HomeKit‌ camera enhancements.

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...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
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 ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

kp98077 Avatar
60 months ago
i still have NO idea why they did away with the normal size home pod.... sounded SO much better than the mini...
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mattb326 Avatar
60 months ago
But can I dream and hope that Siri could be the default voice assistant on Sonos? Could we get rid of google and Alexa all together?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMox81 Avatar
60 months ago
Get Siri in my Sonos Beam and One!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kp98077 Avatar
60 months ago
yes because everyone lives in a house like that! LOL
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlbinoPigeon Avatar
60 months ago
Argh, is it too much to ask for FaceTime on the biggest screen in your home? A camera add on to ATV is the biggest no brainer and yet it’s no where to be seen.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Madmic23 Avatar
60 months ago
Whoa, they said they're opening Siri up to be added to other devices! They showed it working on an Ecobee in the video, but I want this on my Sonos One! :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)