HomePod customers can hearken to songs with not solely Apple Music, but in addition third-party companies like Pandora, Deezer, and iHeartRadio. Nevertheless, the checklist of apps appropriate with the HomePod is admittedly small, however Apple is attempting to alter this. Beginning with iOS 17, customers will be capable to ask Siri to play media on the HomePod utilizing apps put in on their iPhone and iPad.
HomePod to work with iPhone apps through Siri with iOS 17
As teased by the corporate at a WWDC 2023 session, the Siri and AirPlay updates now permit a person to ask their HomePod to play media on an app put in on their iOS system, even when that app doesn’t have native HomePod help. For that, the iOS app should help the SiriKit API, which lets customers management it via Siri.
“As soon as HomePod processes a request, a SiriKit intent is distributed to the iPhone, the place Siri begins your app and AirPlays content material again to the speaker,” Apple explains. In different phrases, Siri on the HomePod will use your iPhone to mechanically play what you’ve got requested through AirPlay.
Whereas HomePod apps can run natively even when your system will not be close by, utilizing iPhone and iPad apps via Siri would require the iOS system to be related to the identical Wi-Fi community because the HomePod. Apple says that “any app supporting SiriKit Media Intents at present will be capable to use this functionality with no further adjustments.”
This integration will work with music apps, audiobooks, podcasts, radio, and meditation. In some instances, instructions to love or add that media to your library can even work. “All the things your app can do on iOS at present will work on HomePod. For instance, app customers can ask to play artists, albums, songs, music genres, and hits.”
Siri will use voice recognition to route requests to that person’s system when there’s multiple particular person registered with the House app. This can be a huge change to make HomePod much more helpful for individuals who don’t subscribe to Apple Music, which comes included in each Apple system.
Spotify, for instance, nonetheless doesn’t present native help for the HomePod, however this characteristic will allow you to ask Siri to play songs utilizing Spotify because the iPhone app works with the SiriKit API.
AirPlay enhancements
Along with the Siri updates, Apple additionally says AirPlay is extra dependable with iOS 17. The corporate particulars that iOS now understands your listening habits to intelligently counsel that you simply use AirPlay when there’s a appropriate speaker close by.
The brand new Siri expertise is a part of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and HomePod Software program 17. These software program at the moment are accessible to builders as beta and can be launched to the general public this fall. A public beta is anticipated to be launched by July. Extra particulars may be discovered on the Apple Developer web site.
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