Apple today released new software for the HomePod and the HomePod mini, debuting HomePod Software 17.4. The update comes over a month after the last HomePod software release.
With HomePod Software 17.4, Siri is able to learn what a user’s preferred media service is, eliminating the need to set a third-party app as the default or include an app name when asking Siri to play content.
This update enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request.
Apple has removed the Home app option that let users select a default media service as a result of the new feature addition. The change brings the HomePod in line with the iPhone and the iPad, which already offer the option to provide a default music service selection to Siri when making a song request for the first time.
Third-party apps that work directly with the HomePod include YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio. Streaming music services need to support HomePod for the feature to work, and not all do, such as Spotify. You can play Spotify content on the HomePod by asking Siri, but it routes the song through the iPhone to the HomePod over AirPlay.
Along with Siri support for a preferred music service, the HomePod 17.4 update also includes performance and stability improvements.
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