Set up a HomePod from scratch: steps and tips

Requirements to use a HomePod

Before fully entering the steps you have to follow to configure your HomePod correctly, you have to know what are the requirements that you have to meet in order to use it on a day-to-day basis. Being a device focused on listening to music and that also has the famous assistant, Siri, within it, the rumor has always circulated and circulates that in order to enjoy this device you need to have Apple Music contracted, and The reality is that no, to use the HomePod you do not need to have a subscription to the Apple music service . However, below we tell you the essential requirements.

• Have an Apple ID .
• Have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch .
• Connect the HomePod to power , since it is not a smart speaker.
• Have a good internet signal in the room where you have placed it or are going to place it.

Once you meet these requirements, you will be able to enjoy everything that a device is capable of offering that, from Apple, has focused much more on being a high-quality speaker than on being an assistant, even if it has Siri inside. . In addition, we want to emphasize again that it is not necessary to have Apple Music to be able to use the HomePod, although the reality is that in order to get the most out of it and use all the functions it has, it is best to have a subscription to the music service of the Cupertino company.

Steps to follow to configure it

Now yes, once you know what are the requirements that you need to meet to be able to use the HomePod, it is time to go step by step telling you what you have to do to be able to carry out that initial configuration without any problem.

Initial setup

One of the hallmarks of Apple is that usually all the configuration processes are very simple to carry out, and obviously, with the HomePod or HomePod mini it was not going to be an exception. The reality is that the way to set up this device for the first time is not very different from what you have to do to set up AirPods. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Plug HomePod into power and wait for the light on top to start blinking white.
2. Place a device with iOS or iPadOS a few centimeters from the HomePod , but keep in mind that this device must be unlocked.
3. When the configuration screen appears, click on “Configure” .
4. Follow the instructions on the screen and choose HomePod settings. However, you can always go to the Home app later to further customize all the settings of this device.
5. When prompted, center HomePod in the viewfinder of your iPhone , iPad, or iPod Touch to complete the pairing. In case you can’t use the camera, tap Enter code manually and Siri will respond with a four-digit passcode that you’ll need to enter on your device.
6. Wait for HomePod to finish setup.
7. Finally, Siri will greet you and give you some tips to use this device.

It is not very common for this to happen, but there may be a situation in which the configuration screen does not appear automatically, and therefore, you have to perform a series of steps to be able to initially configure the HomePod or HomePod mini. We will detail it below so that you do not have any problems.

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
2. Tap the ” + ” icon.
3. Click on ” Add accessory ” and then on ” I don’t have a code or I can’t scan it “.
4. Tap HomePod in the ” Nearby Accessories ” list.
5. Press ” Set up” and follow the instructions that appear on the screen of your device.

Use voice recognition

The HomePod stands out thanks to the great sound quality it is capable of offering. On the other hand, it is also very useful, since it has integrated Siri , which means that you can carry out actions simply by saying the indicated voice command for each one of them. However, this can become a problem, especially if the HomePod is used by different people within the same space, which is why the voice recognition function is something that you have to take into account.

Siri is able to recognize different voices inside the house, in this way, as long as you have invited other people to share your house, in the Home app, said members will be able to make personal requests and request their own music to the HomePod, so that he is able to recognize who is the person who is speaking to him at all times. Also, to set up voice recognition on the HomePod, the steps you have to follow are very simple.

1. Go to Settings > [username] > “Password & Security”
2. Make sure that two-factor authentication is activated.
3. In the Home app, tap and hold a HomePod .
4. Scroll down, tap the gear icon, and make sure ” When you hear ‘Hey Siri ‘” is turned on.
5. Tap the ” x ” icon.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

If setup instructions don’t appear, tap the house icon, tap Home Settings, then tap a user profile under People, then tap Recognize My Voice. Also, keep in mind that during setup, each member will be prompted to activate Siri, and also change the language on their device to the same language as the HomePod, if this isn’t the case.

Configure your personal requests

Once you have voice recognition activated, it is also very interesting that you activate or configure personal requests. These are Siri commands that use information from apps on your different iOS and iPadOS devices like Messages , Reminders, Calendar , Contacts, Notes, and other apps you’ve installed that work with Siri. In order to activate personal requests you need to have previously configured voice recognition as we have explained a few lines above. Here are the steps to activate them.

1. Connect your iOS or iPadOS device and HomePod to the same Wi-Fi network .
2. Go to Settings > Siri & Search, then turn on the following options:
   • Hearing “Hey Siri.”
   • “Press Side Button to Open Siri” on an iPhone with Face ID, “Press Top Button to Open Siri” on an iPad with Face ID, or “Home Button to Open Siri” on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with start button.
   • Siri with locked screen.
3. Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My and make sure ” My Location ” is set to ” This Device “.
4. In the Home App, tap the home icon, then tap ” Home Settings “.
5. Tap your name, then “Personal Requests,” then turn on “Personal Requests” for HomePod .

Tips for getting the most out of your HomePod

The HomePod, as you know, is not simply a speaker to which you can send music from any other device via AirPlay, but rather it has and offers the user a series of very interesting functions that you have to know about in order to get the most out of this product. from Apple.

Use Apple Music

The first advice that we want to give you is the same that we have told you as soon as we started this post. You don’t have to have an Apple Music subscription to enjoy HomePod, but it’s better because you’ll be able to enjoy features that other services won’t . First of all, you can ask Siri directly to play any song you want.

But beware, you can not only ask for songs, but also playlists, a radio or simply play music that you like, since thanks to the platform’s algorithm you can enjoy music related to your tastes. On the contrary, when using other services such as Spotify or YouTube Music, this type of action cannot be carried out.

Use Siri commands

The reality is that Siri is far behind the rest of the voice assistants that currently exist. However, this does not imply that you can continue to take advantage of it, even more so when you have it inside a smart speaker such as the HomePod. The first thing you have to know, as we have mentioned, is that you can ask it to play any type of song, list or style of music.

Plus, with voice recognition and personal requests turned on, you can use HomePod to add any calendar event , add a reminder, start a timer, ask a question, or just call a contact as long as HomePod and iPhone are on the same Wi-Fi network.

Set automations

We can say that the HomePod is one of the most important devices for creating a smart home with HomeKit. Well, whether you have more accessories or if only the HomePod is the device you have configured in a room in your home, you can set automations to create environments at every moment of the day.

An automation is the achievement of actions that are carried out as a result of a trigger, that is, you can configure a series of actions such as putting on specific music, activating the lights in your room with a specific color and intensity and lowering the window shades, for example, the moment you tell Siri to activate “X” ambient. Or if, for example, you only have one HomePod, you can set different scenes with playlists.