HomePod 27.2 beta adds Lock Controls, Sound Glow to older models
The HomePod 27.2 beta brings Lock Controls to all three older HomePods, with Sound Glow and Mac audio output limited to newer models.
Apple's HomePod 27.2 software, now in developer and public beta, will bring new features including Lock Controls, Sound Glow and Mac audio output to older HomePods, according to ZDNET. The update could launch as soon as next week.
Lock Controls, which disables the touch panel, will reach all three older models: the HomePod (1st Gen), the HomePod Mini (1st Gen) and the HomePod (2nd Gen). The RGB Sound Glow light display arrives on the HomePod Mini (1st Gen) and the HomePod (2nd Gen).
The first-gen HomePod is excluded from Sound Glow because its LED light display is incompatible, the report said. The HomePod (2nd Gen) also gains Mac audio output and a four-speaker array when paired with the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K.
According to Apple, compatible HomePods can serve as the default audio output for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7.
Siri AI stays on the newest model
The HomePod Mini 2 is the only HomePod set to receive Siri AI, thanks to its S10 processor. Apple announced the HomePod Mini 2 last week with a four-speaker home theater setup for the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, Mac default audio output, a dynamic RGB light display and a lockable touch control panel.
The first-gen HomePod Mini was released in 2020, and the HomePod (2nd Gen) followed in 2023 with an S7 processor and a U1 ultra-wideband chip. Previously, users could only use their HomePod with a Mac by streaming audio over AirPlay.
Quick answers
When will HomePod 27.2 be released?
The software is in developer and public beta and may launch next week.
Which HomePods get Sound Glow?
The HomePod Mini (1st Gen) and the HomePod (2nd Gen). The first-gen HomePod is excluded because its LED light display is incompatible.
Which HomePod gets Siri AI?
Only the HomePod Mini 2, thanks to its S10 processor.