HomePod 15 Beta Software Adds Lossless Audio Support

Apple today released a new beta version of the HomePod 15 software, and it appears that the update introduces Lossless Audio support for the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini.

HomePodandMini feature orange
Back in June, Apple added higher-quality Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio support to Apple Music, but at launch, Lossless Audio was not available on the ‌HomePod‌ or the ‌HomePod mini‌. Apple in a support document clarified that Lossless Audio would come to the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ in the future, and it appears the higher quality audio will be available this fall when the new ‌HomePod‌ 15 software is available to the public.

According to 9to5Mac, those who have the ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta software can enable Lossless Audio by opening up the Home app, tapping the Home icon in the upper left corner, selecting "Home Settings" and then tapping the user profile.

From there, scroll down to "Media" and select the "Apple Music" tab, toggling on "Lossless Audio." When playing a song that supports Lossless quality, the ‌Apple Music‌ player will feature a Lossless icon to make it clear that you're listening to the Lossless tier.

It is not clear if there are other features in the ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta, but the prior updates have led to complaints about sudden failures and overheating, which may have been caused by the new software.

The ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta is available on an invite-only basis from Apple and it is not widely available to developers or public beta testers.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
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 ...
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....
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,...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
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...
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...

Top Rated Comments

kesenwangs Avatar
58 months ago
Ummm, no. That was Beta 1. There’s no such option in this Beta, Do you guys even check sourcing? It’s one thing to verify if lossless is happening, another to not even check and see if an option is there. The article says definitively Lossless is here, then the opening paragraph immediately starts off saying how it “appears to be” added.



Edit: After running the same logs all day, and still seeing AAC being called for all Lossless songs, finally am actually now getting Lossless. Both through Apple TV, Homepod independent of Device. and Macbook. That being said, the Toggle option referred to in the Article is actually present from Beta 1 on many Reddit posts as it was there during that time. This could not be reproduced with the Homepods as a Stereo Pair, As default Audio for Apple TV, nor separately.

oCntentItemChange for path origin-Space Grey-468769720/client-com.apple.Music-29/player-Music <MRContentItem: 0x13de74910> {
identifier = "NHe4lklnw\U2206HXHFl4SpH";
metadata = {
activeFormat = {
audioChannelLayoutDescription = Stereo;
bitDepth = 24;
bitrate = 0;
channelLayout = 6619138;
codec = 1634492771;
groupID = "audio-alac-stereo-44100-24";
multiChannel = 0;
sampleRate = 44100;
spatialized = 0;
stableVariantID = b2337035c1573664a9aacf67d9cab3e7cc4bd40a55ad006bf00707e18ab81cc8;
tier = 2;
};
activeFormatJustification = 100;
alternativeFormats = (
);
formatTierPreference = 4;
preferredFormat = {
audioChannelLayoutDescription = Stereo;
bitDepth = 24;
bitrate = 0;
channelLayout = 6619138;
codec = 1634492771;
groupID = "audio-alac-stereo-44100-24";
multiChannel = 0;
sampleRate = 44100;
spatialized = 0;
stableVariantID = b2337035c1573664a9aacf67d9cab3e7cc4bd40a55ad006bf00707e18ab81cc8;
tier = 2;

[0xE0C1] Created compression source 0x5C34. input=PCM, 48000 Hz, 32-bit, Stereo, Float, output=ALAC, 48000 Hz, 24-bit, Stereo, 352 samples/packet, layoutTag=0650002, vbr=256000, codecQuality=CodecQualityMode_Medium

ACAppleLosslessEncoder.cpp:755 (0x10920fe40) Output format: 2 ch, 48000 Hz, alac (0x00000003) from 24-bit source, 352 frames/packet

[0x05C3] New Cached Fmt Desc for ALAC, 48000 Hz, 24-bit, Stereo, 352 samples/packet

Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0pher Avatar
58 months ago

Great news. And even with this…there will STILL be people complaining all in the comments.
I’d be complaining if an update killed my HomePod. HomePod money doesn’t grow on trees and they are hard to come by new.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
58 months ago
Given Apple's QC on released software, I can't even imagine wanting to run their beta software.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nrose101 Avatar
58 months ago

This may be an odd place to ask this question, but has anyone had issues with playing the new lossless audio songs over car bluetooth speakers? My 2014 Toyota Corolla apparently doesn't like lossless audio and songs will just stop after a few seconds of playing it, so I had to switch back to downloading normal audio songs so that I can actually play them through my car. Not sure If the bluetooth in my car can be updated to support the new audio or if I have to upgrade it somehow.
Bluetooth can't handle lossless audio. Not enough bandwidth.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
58 months ago
I unplugged my homepods on 14.6 as one of them became hot. What now, Apple?

The HomePod farce is becoming a real joke. Discontinuing the original HomePod, promoting it on the packaging of the new ATV after it discontinued, then releasing new updates that fry it, there’s numerous reports of a mysterious plopping noise, … it’s like Apple really wants to fail in the home cinema and smart home department. All at once.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B/D Avatar
58 months ago

But did it kill yours? I bet not…
And as is the case with ALL beta software, that is a risk that literally everyone knows about with anything. By installing beta software, you are willingly taking that risk…no one is making anyone download it
The problem here is that many homepods with 14.6 are also overheating and dying.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)