Apple Releases HomePod Software 18.2 With Natural Language Search for Apple Music - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases HomePod Software 18.2 With Natural Language Search for Apple Music

by

Alongside iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, Apple today released new HomePod Software 18.2 that's designed for the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini.

HomePod 2 and Mini feature 1
The new ‌HomePod‌ software adds support for Apple Music natural language search, which means you can describe what you want to hear in more casual language.

You can ask Siri for music using different combinations of genres, moods, activity, decades, and more. Examples include "songs about cats," "songs with a vibe," "relaxing songs," "artists similar to Taylor Swift," "sad 80s songs," and "songs about food."

The update also improves Enhance Dialogue with the Apple TV 4K to make speech clearer over background sounds.

Software version 18.2 includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

Siri on HomePod is now integrated with Apple Music natural language search so you can describe what you want to hear using any combination of categories like genre, mood, decade or activity.

Enhance Dialogue on HomePod (2nd generation) when paired with Apple TV 4K gives you the option to hear speech more clearly over background sounds using real-time audio processing and machine learning.

‌‌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 tapping on the More button, choosing Home Settings, and then selecting the Software Update option.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Caution), HomePod Mini (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology

Popular Stories

apple price hike

Apple Just Increased Prices on MacBooks, iPads, and More

Thursday June 25, 2026 5:44 am PDT by
Apple today dramatically increased device prices across multiple product lines. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. After temporarily taking it down earlier today, Apple's online store is back up with a series of product price increases. The changes are as follows: HomePod mini: $129, up from $99 (+$30) HomePod: $349, up from $299 (+$50) Apple TV: $199, up from...
Read Full Article • 1080 comments
HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

Apple TV and HomePod Just Went Up in Price Amid Wait for New Models

Thursday June 25, 2026 8:04 am PDT by
While the Apple TV, HomePod, and HomePod mini have not been updated in several years, all three products received price increases worldwide today. Here is a summary of the price changes for these products in the United States:Apple TV (Wi-Fi): $129 → $199 Apple TV (Wi-Fi + Ethernet): $149 → $249 HomePod: $299 → $349 HomePod mini: $99 → $129Apple also raised prices on Macs, iPads, and more,...
Read Full Article • 148 comments
iphone 16 teal

'Siri AI' Lawsuit Update: Apple to Pay Owners of These iPhone Models

Thursday July 9, 2026 7:08 am PDT by
In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and eligible iPhone users could receive up to a $95 payout. This week, the California court overseeing the case held a hearing regarding preliminary approval of the settlement, but the judge has not yet issued a ruling. It will likely be at least a few more months before eligible...
Read Full Article • 120 comments

Top Rated Comments

I
ignatius345
21 months ago
I'm not holding my breath for mine to stop being as dumb as a bag of rocks. The number of times it fully bungles Home commands or even requests to play radio stations is deeply maddening.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kleber20 Avatar
Kleber20
21 months ago
What about being able to ask the HomePod for music titles in a different language than the speaker itself set up to? I am tired of saying Spanish titles with English accent!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
haruhiko
21 months ago
The original HomePods from 2018 are still getting “new” features today. That’s great.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
V
vodouman
21 months ago
This is all well and good. But I bet it still won’t provide practically useful stuff. For example, sometimes, I’ll ask them to play a song and for some reason it’ll play a censored version, and I’ll ask it to play the explicit version and it plays the same song. Or I’ll ask Siri to play a song and it’ll play a live version for some reason and if you ask it to play a studio version or opt for a live version it has no idea what to do.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
klasma
21 months ago

Please send my way if possible
In the Home app, Automation tab, create a new automation, event “A Time of Day Occurs”, next select your HomePod(s), next Media > Audio > “Adjust Volume Only” > “Set Custom Volume”.

It’s an automation that normally lets you play some media, optionally with custom volume setting, but also has an option to only set the volume without playing anything.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
TechnoTiger3000
21 months ago

The original HomePods from 2018 are still getting “new” features today. That’s great.
And they’ll still work 1/3 of the time. Consistency!✨🥲
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments