HomePod 16.3 Software Beta Adds Humidity and Temperature Sensing to HomePod mini, Find My, Audio Tuning and More

Apple today released a new HomePod 16.3 software beta, which will accompany the iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, tvOS 16.3, watchOS 9.3, and macOS Ventura 12.3 releases. The update adds support for the new ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini features that were announced today alongside the surprise introduction of the second-generation ‌HomePod‌.

HomePodandMini feature green
Installing the 16.3 ‌HomePod‌ software adds support for temperature and humidity sensing, both on the ‌HomePod mini‌ and on the second-generation ‌HomePod‌.

As we highlighted this morning, the ‌HomePod mini‌ has a dormant temperature and humidity sensor that Apple is finally activating, allowing temperature and humidity settings to be used for home automation and device activation purposes.

Ambient sounds have been remastered to be more immersive and can be added to scenes, automations, and alarms in the Home app, and recurring Home automations can be set up using Siri commands. Apple has also added a unique confirmation tone that will play when smart home requests are enacted for accessories that are located in a different room or that do not show a visible change. Find My integration for ‌HomePod‌ also lets you ask ‌Siri‌ for the location of friends and family.

For the first and second-generation larger ‌HomePod‌ models, optimized audio tuning provides improved clarity for spoken content like podcasts and audiobooks, and on the first-generation ‌HomePod‌, there are updated volume controls for more granular adjustments at lower volumes. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.

HomePod software version 16.3 includes support for new features for your HomePod. This update also includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

- Temperature and humidity sensing measures your indoor climate with HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini
- Remastered ambient sounds are more immersive and can now be added to scenes, automations, and alarms in the Home app
- Find My on HomePod now enables you to ask Siri for the location of friends and family, if they have shared it with you Recurring Home automations can be set up using just your voice
- Siri confirmation tone will now play to indicate when smart home requests are completed for accessories that may not visibly show a change or are located in a different room
- Audio tuning optimizes spoken content such as podcasts for even greater clarity on HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod (1st generation)
- Updated volume controls on HomePod (1st generation) give you more granular adjustments at lower volumes

The ‌HomePod‌ 16.3 update is set to be released to the public sometime next week, and it will be able to be installed on HomePods using devices that are running iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, or macOS Ventura 13.2. The updates will bring new features to existing HomePods, and enable features for the second-generation ‌HomePod‌ that launches on February 3.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

Top Rated Comments

JosephAW Avatar
9 months ago
Was hoping for accelerometer feature so I know when the cat knocks it off the table. o_O
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kinghuang Avatar
9 months ago
Whoa, Apple’s actually adding more granular low level volume controls? I’ve written so many feedback requests for it. Really looking forward to that! :)
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
9 months ago

Was hoping for accelerometer feature so I know when the cat knocks it off the table. o_O
I was thinking a Crash Detection feature would be sufficient. ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
9 months ago
HomePod Lives!

I’m so glad Apple has brought back the HomePod. Dang! The software is jam-packed with very compelling features already.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
9 months ago

ALTERNATIVE WAKE WORDS FOR SIRI PLEASE
Alternative capitalization please.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zachz Avatar
9 months ago
Cool, I'm excited for the humidity and temperature sensing additions to my minis.

Used to have baseboard heating so I could use Siri to see and adjust the temperature, now I moved somewhere with central heating so it's no longer smart, but still nonetheless a cool stat to see.

Humidity will be cool for plants I guess? Now I'm going to be annoyed until I find ways to use both sensors in my HomePods haha
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...