Apple Releases New HomePod 16.2 Software

Alongside iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, tvOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple today released new software created for the HomePod and HomePod mini.

homepod mini color bars
According to Apple's release notes, ‌HomePod‌ software version 16.2 adds performance and stability improvements, with no additional information. It's worth noting that alongside the new iOS and macOS updates, the ‌HomePod‌ software adds a new Home app architecture.

‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

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....
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...
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...
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,...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
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 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...
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....
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 ...

Top Rated Comments

ric22 Avatar
39 months ago
It's amazing how many updates these things get that fail to fix any of the endless software flaws...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjp1 Avatar
39 months ago
I'll hope for the best.

When I first started using HomePod it was actually pretty good for timers and intercom. For the last 6 months or so, it has been getting worse and worse.

"Hey Siri, intercom everyone come down for dinner." - beep beep beep

Repeat - "Sorry, I don't know how to turn off the lights."

Repeat with angry tone - "I found some web results and can send them to your phone."

Repeat with angrier tone - "Nothing is currently playing."

Repeat with even angrier tone - "Volume set to 40%."

Repeat with even angrier tone - Sent sound effect

Kids show up wondering if they are in trouble.

You'd think over time it would get better if anything since it would learn our voices (that have been setup in Siri on our phones). Yet it struggles with the most basic requests. I wish I was joking about how bad she is, but that has been my family's experience.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejadedmonkey Avatar
39 months ago
As is traditional for these pieces of crap, my one Homepod Mini is updating to 16.2, the other is updating to 16.1.

Edit: After updating to 16.1, it's showing 16.2 as being installed. These are, without a doubt, the most infuriating devices that Apple has ever released.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dcingie Avatar
39 months ago
I sure hope this fixes “Still working on that….Hmmm, I’m having some trouble connecting to the internet… for more information, check the Home app” ??
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
39 months ago
Wow. AirPlay has gotten so much faster. I have 4 HomePods throughout my home and I've gotten used to the lag between selecting multiple speakers and them playing. Selecting each one happens almost instantly now.

Still pretty amazing how a discontinued device continues to get updates years later and works better than when it was discontinued.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nezr Avatar
39 months ago

As is traditional for these pieces of crap, my one Homepod Mini is updating to 16.2, the other is updating to 16.1.

Same thing is happening to mine!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)