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.
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.
Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app.
Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website.
Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50.
We have outlined some examples below:
Device
New Value
Old Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Up to $630
U ...
Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action.
Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features.
Notification Summary Changes
Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines.
For...
Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr.
The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models:
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhon...
Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by Juli Clover
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory.
A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June.
The original AirTag was announced...
Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon.
Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
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.
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!
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.
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.
