Cisco today announced that its Webex Meetings app will soon be available for the Apple TV, allowing for video conferencing on a TV.
tvOS 17's new Continuity Camera support will allow Webex users to wirelessly connect their iPhone or iPad to the second-generation Apple TV 4K or newer and use the device's camera and microphone to participate in meetings. After installing the Webex app on the Apple TV, users will scan a QR code on the TV with their iPhone to log in.
Apple previously announced that video conferencing apps like Webex and Zoom would launch on the Apple TV later this year. Continuity Camera is the same feature that powers Apple's own FaceTime app for video calls on tvOS 17.
For a brief period following the release of new iPhone models, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers must replace the entire device if a customer requires a repair, as individual parts are not immediately available.
Starting this week, parts are available for all four iPhone 15 models, allowing Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers to complete same-unit repairs for these devices, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. This includes the back glass, battery, speakers, display, rear camera, and mid-frame.
A whole-unit replacement is still required for repairs involving the Taptic Engine or the main microphone on the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max, as those parts will not be available until a later time, according to the memo.
All four iPhone 15 models are equipped with removable back glass, allowing technicians to open the devices from both the front and back sides for repairs. This change results in significantly lower repair fees for iPhone 15 models with cracked back glass for customers without AppleCare+ compared to models without removable back glass. Apple first made this design change with the lower-end iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus last year.
In the U.S., Apple's battery replacement fee is set at $99 for all four iPhone 15 models, which is unchanged from the iPhone 14 series.
Popular Apple accessory maker Pad & Quill has announced that it is going out of business, and in the process it is offering shoppers 50 percent off everything on its website. Pad & Quill sells a wide variety of Apple product accessories, so this event covers everything from iPhone cases to iPad folios, laptop bags, and Apple Watch bands.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Pad & Quill. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Pad & Quill has been known for its high-quality leather accessories for over a decade now, following its debut in 2010. The company began with a focus on iPad and iPhone cases and expanded to unique leather goods including large bags, wallets, journals, and other Apple-related accessories like Apple Watch bands.
Regarding the closure, Pad & Quill President Brian Holmes stated: "We at Pad & Quill have had headwinds that are too large to overcome, and we have decided to close the business. We are thankful for our customers over the years. It's been a blast creating unique accessories for Apple products."
In terms of the going out of business sale, shoppers should note that all purchases made during this event are final. This is a huge sale, covering everything on Pad & Quill's website, so we've highlighted a few of the best on offer below. A selection of the items on sale even reach beyond 50 percent off.
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is expected to launch next year, but with few rumors about the new low-cost Apple smartwatch, what can we expect to see?
Earlier this year, technology research firm Omdia reported that the third-generation Apple Watch SE will feature the same display sizes as the Apple Watch Series 8. The Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 9 have the same display size as the Apple Watch Series 7, which introduced a slightly more rounded and larger casing design to accommodate bigger displays that have slimmer bezels.
As such, it seems highly likely that the third-generation Apple Watch SE will adopt the design of the Apple Watch Series 7, as well as its larger displays and casing sizes. This means it would be available in 41mm and 45mm case sizes, compared to 40mm and 44mm for the current Apple Watch SE, providing almost 20% more display area.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE features the S8 chip, which is based on the A13 Bionic and effectively analogous to the previous S6 and S7 chips. With a third-generation version of the Apple Watch SE, it is highly likely that the device will get an upgrade to the S9 chip, which is based on A15 Bionic chip, at minimum. It could even get the "S10" chip from next year's other Apple Watch models.
The S9 contains 60% more transistors to deliver 30% faster performance compared to the Apple Watch SE's S8 chip. It also has a four-core Neural Engine that is up to twice as fast. These improvements allow Siri requests to be processed on-device, resulting in quicker and more reliable responses, as well as access to health and fitness data. Dictation is also 25% more accurate as a result of the processor bump.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE features Apple's second-generation optical heart sensor. Apple introduced the third-generation optical heart sensor on the Series 6 back in 2020, so in 2024, it could finally be time to bring the updated sensor to the low-cost Apple Watch.
Fast charging was introduced on the Apple Watch Series 7 to reach up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes. The functionality was withheld from the second-generation Apple Watch SE, but it seems like a feature that Apple could decide to finally bring over with the third-generation of the device.
What Will Stay the Same?
The second-generation Apple Watch SE introduced a color-matched nylon composite back case to reduce costs. The third-generation model is likely to carry over this feature, reserving the more premium ceramic back case for the main Apple Watch line.
The blood oxygen sensor and Blood Oxygen app, electrical heart sensor and ECG app, and body temperature sensing functionality are likely to be exluded from the third-generation Apple Watch SE. Both the first- and second-generation Apple Watch SE models have offered a more basic selection of health monitoring features, with Apple upselling customers to the main Apple Watch series to obtain capabilities like ECG capture. If it does gain any new health features from the main Apple Watch line, ECG is the most likely since it was introduced on 2018's Series 4.
Likewise, the Apple Watch SE has never possessed an Ultra Wideband chip, so the chance of Apple giving the new model the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip also seems slim.
Release Date
The previous generations of the Apple Watch SE launched in September 2020 and September 2022, as outlined in the MacRumors Buyer's Guide. The Apple Watch SE is expected to stick to a two-year upgrade cycle going forward, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, suggesting that the third-generation model will arrive in September 2024.
Future iPad Pro and MacBook models equipped with OLED panels will adopt new, specialized display materials, The Elec reports.
Apple has apparently collaborated with LG Display to integrate new OLED material sets in some of its future devices, including forthcoming iPad Pro and MacBook models. LG's "RDE" OLED material set will apparently be used in the upcoming 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro models, while a next-generation MacBook, slated to launch in 2027, will adopt LG's subsequent "RDG" OLED material set.
Historically, LG Display's initial "RD" series material set was indiscriminately applied to both IT products and vehicles, but with "RDE" and subsequent sets, LG aims to demarcate its OLED materials, ensuring specialized applications for different industries. This means that future OLED Apple devices will have access to an OLED materials set that is tailored for its unique requirements.
The OLED panels designed for upcoming iPad Pro and MacBook models features a two-stack tandem structure, which consists of two light-emitting layers stacked together. The two-stack OLED design can generate the same brightness levels as its single-stack counterparts, but with significantly reduced power consumption and extended lifespan. The iPhone currently uses a single stack OLED display with one light-emitting layer.
Amazon today announced that it has added passkey support to its desktop sites and mobile apps, allowing customers to sign in to their accounts without the need for a password.
Passkeys are a more secure alternative to passwords because a passkey cannot be shared with another person through a phishing attempt or leaked online through a database hack. Passkeys do not require customers to remember a password or add a two-factor authentication code, but they do require a verified device.
Passkeys can be set up in the Amazon settings, and on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, logging in to an Amazon account can be done with a Face ID or Touch ID scan once the feature is turned on. To enable it, go to Your Account > Login and Security, and choose the Set up option next to Passkeys.
Apple implemented support for passkeys with iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. Passkeys work through a public key that's stored on a website server and paired with a private key that's kept on a specific device. On Apple's devices, passkeys are authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID, and two keys must match to allow for a user to log in.
Passkeys rely on iCloud Keychain, which in turn requires two-factor authentication for further protection. Passkeys sync across all of a user's iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, but they can also be used on non-Apple devices through a QR code system.
Amazon says that passkey support is available today for all Amazon customers using browsers, and that it will be rolling out to the Amazon app for iOS devices in the near future.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that Apple is a member of today announced that an updated Matter 1.2 specification is available for device makers and platforms. Matter 1.2 adds support for additional device types and brings improvements to Matter. Matter is a smart home protocol that allows devices to work across multiple platforms, including HomeKit.
With Matter 1.2, Matter support can be added to refrigerators, standalone room air conditioners, dishwashers, laundry machines, robotic vacuums, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, air quality sensors, air purifiers, and fans.
Apple's HomeKit supports some of these device types such as air quality monitors, air purifiers, and smoke alarms, but Apple may need to implement HomeKit updates to add Matter 1.2 support.
Matter 1.2 also adds improvements for multi-unit switches and multi-light fixtures, along with semantic tags and improvements for device operational states, which should give device makers more options for more complex smart home products.
According to the CSA, Matter 1.2 includes enhancements to testing and certification, which will allow companies to bring products to market faster.
Matter 1.2 certification is open as of now, and the Matter 1.2 devices and improvements are expected to be available on the market later this year. More information on the changes can be found on the CSA website.
Apple is expected to spend several billion on hardware to support its artificial intelligence development in 2024, according to speculation from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo expects Apple to spend "at least" $620 million on servers in 2023 and $4.75 billion on servers in 2024.
Apple could purchase between 2,000 and 3,000 servers this year, and up to 20,000 next year. Kuo thinks that Apple is purchasing servers equipped with Nvidia's HGX H100 8-GPU for generative AI training, with the company planning to upgrade to B100 next year. Nvidia calls its H100 an AI supercomputing platform, and each one is priced at around $250,000.
Kuo appears to be guessing at Apple's purchasing plans here, and he says that he expects Apple will use AI servers it is purchasing and installing itself to train large language models rather than virtual hosting from other cloud service providers for improved security and privacy. He does say that Apple could develop its own server chips to save on server costs, but he has seen no evidence that Apple is doing that at this time.
While Apple appears to be making a major investment into AI, Apple's server purchasing will fall behind other companies like Meta and Microsoft. Apple will also need to invest in labor costs, infrastructure, and more, and Kuo suggests that Apple will need to spend several billion dollars annually to have a chance of catching up with competitors. Kuo claims that he is "genuinely concerned" about the future of Apple's generative AI business if Apple spends just a billion dollars a year as suggested by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Over the weekend, Gurman said that Apple is on track to spend $1 billion per year on its AI efforts. Gurman says that Apple is working on a new, smarter version of Siri and is aiming to integrate AI into many Apple apps.
Apple's 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air has dropped to $899.00 today on Best Buy, down from $1,099.00. Best Buy offers free next-day shipping as well as in-store pick-up for most locations, and has all four colors of Space Gray, Silver, Midnight, and Starlight at this price.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This is an all-time low price on the 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air, and Best Buy has been one of the few retailers to offer this sale over the past few months.
Best Buy also has the 512GB model of the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air on sale, available for $1,199.00, down from $,1399.00. Compared to past sales, this is a second-best price and still a solid discount on the 2022 notebook.
Apple's iOS 17.1, iPadOS 17.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, tvOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, and HomePod Software 17.1 updates are expected to be released to the public tomorrow following several weeks of beta testing. We are expecting the software to go live at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is when Apple typically releases updates.
Last week, Apple seeded release candidates (RCs) for all of the upcoming software refreshes. Apple usually tests RCs for about a week to make sure there are no device-breaking bugs, and this time around, we're also clued in on a specific launch date because of an update in France.
iOS 17.1 in France includes a feature to reduce the radiation level of iPhone 12 models when they are stationary on a table or another surface, and French regulatory group ANFR two weeks ago confirmed that the iOS 17.1 update is expected to come out "by October 24."
iOS 17.1 isn't going to bring us the Journal app, but it does have some useful new features. It includes the option to continue large AirDrop transfers over the internet once initiated, so if you're sending someone files, you can walk away while the transfer is in progress.
It includes new options for favoriting Apple Music songs, there are new options for leaving the display on in StandBy mode, and Screen Time should work better across devices. There are also several bug fixes, so if you've been having issues with search in the Messages app or persistent images on the new iPhone 15 models, you're going to want to download the update right away.
If you have an Apple Watch, it's actually watchOS 10.1 that's going to bring some of the best features. The update includes support for NameDrop for quickly sharing contact info with another person, and it adds Double Tap on the latest models. Double Tap lets you tap your index finger and thumb together to do things like answer phone calls and bring up the Smart Stack.
macOS Sonoma 14.1 has a few bug fixes, and if you have an original HomePod or HomePod mini, you'll be pleased to hear that HomePod 17.1 adds the Enhance Dialogue feature to these devices. When a HomePod is used as an Apple TV speaker, Enhance Dialogue cuts down on background noise and music when there's speaking so you can better hear what's being said.
We have a full rundown on all of the new features coming in iOS 17.1 in our iOS 17.1 beta features guide. Apple is already working on iOS 17.2, so we could be seeing new beta features as soon as later this week after iOS 17.1 and its sister updates come out.
Samsung is back this week with new discounts on a wide variety of categories, and in this article we're focusing on monitors and TVs. The highlights of the sale include the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Display at $300 off and the Smart Monitor M8 at $200 off.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the newer 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Display, this monitor is available for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.99. This is a match of the all-time low price on the device, which we last tracked around Prime Day, and you'll find the same price on Amazon.
The ViewFinity S9 is a 27-inch display with a Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB-C ports, and a Mini DisplayPort, and it includes 90 watts of power for machines connected through the Thunderbolt 4 port. A removable 4K SlimFit webcam supports tilt adjustments, as well as Auto Framing of subjects in the shot, similar to Apple's Center Stage feature. Built-in speakers with an Adaptive Sound+ option to automatically adjust noise levels are also included.
The new model of the 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also on sale, available for $499.99, down from $699.99. This is a second-best price on the M80C model, and Samsung has every color at this price. On Amazon, it's only available in Warm White.
We've gathered a few more monitors and TVs on sale below, but be sure to head to Samsung to see the full extent of the sale. This event is set to run the rest of the month, and end on November 1. The prices on Amazon are not directly part of the Samsung website event, so they could expire sooner.
Apple is likely planning a Mac-related launch event this month that will take place on either Monday, October 30 or Tuesday, October 31, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The well-connected reporter's prediction is based on information obtained from sources with apparent knowledge of Apple's plans, as well as the fact that some existing Mac models are in short supply online and at Apple retail stores.
Gurman notes that several configurations of Apple's 24-inch iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are facing shipping delays running into mid-November. This several-week delay alone is "a clear sign that something is about to happen," says Gurman.
Another reason leads the reporter to believe a Mac announcement will happen next week: Apple's earnings call is due to take place on Thursday, November 2. The last time the company posted its quarterly results in the month of November was in 2018, and that followed an October 30 launch event that saw new iPads and Macs.
Gurman reckons that the most likely Mac to be announced this month is a new 24-inch iMac. The current iMac has not been updated for more than 900 days, and it is the only remaining model in Apple's Mac lineup still using the M1 chip.
He also believes there is a chance we will see new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. This would be somewhat of a surprise, given that Apple only updated its premium MacBook Pros in January 2023. However, as Gurman notes, "an additional update the same year would be unusual, but not inconceivable."
Gurman's latest report reveals little about what improvements the new iMac will bring, but he has previously said that Apple's next iMac will leapfrog the M2 and instead adopt the rumored new M3 chip, bringing performance and efficiency improvements.
NEW: Apple’s iMacs and MacBook Pros are in extremely short supply online and at retail stores. And new models may be coming soon: the company is likely planning a Mac related launch event at the end of this month. https://t.co/3xwhck5JBs
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 22, 2023
As for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, Gurman said he does not expect any major changes other than new processors, but his latest report stops short on offering specifics. Gurman earlier this month claimed that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M3 Pro and M3 Max chips would likely launch between early 2024 and the spring. Gurman may be hedging in his latest predictions, which is likely to lead to speculation that an iterative update to the M2 Pro and M2 Max is coming this year instead.
Gurman says the new MacBook Pro models could include "minor improvements to displays." Notably, DigiTimes recently claimed that Apple will release new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more efficient mini-LED displays before the end of the year. DigiTimes' report was originally met with skepticism because of the alleged launch timing, but couched in terms of Gurman's latest predictions, there could well be more substance to it after all.
Lastly, MacRumors received information in early October indicating that Apple was preparing to accept some of its latest Mac models for trade-in, suggesting it may be proceeding with plans to release new Mac models. Whether this correlates with the launch of at least one new machine in late October remains to be seen.
Apple is planning to bring select retail store employees to Cupertino, California in early 2024 to learn about the Vision Pro headset ahead of the device's launch, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Gurman revealed details about the "product training event" in the latest "Power On" newsletter. Apple apparently recent sent a memo to retail employees asking them to apply for the "secretive" event. Acceptance is dependent on an application and interview process. An extract from the memo reads:
Selected team members will travel and participate in an event in Cupertino, California, at some point in the first months of 2024. Upon returning to their home store, they'll deliver training and ongoing support to store team members. This is a group opportunity for those who have a deep passion for demonstrating Apple products and teaching others.
Gurman explained that the event seeks to teach employees about the Vision Pro and train them on the complex procedure involved when selling the device to customers. Apple hopes that a couple of members of staff from each retail store in the United States will attend before returning to their local store to teach their colleagues about the Vision Pro.
The rollout of the Vision Pro headset is expected to be the most complicated in Apple's history. Apple is planning to assemble customers' Vision Pro headsets in-store, compiling the appropriate headband, light seal, and optional prescription lenses. Flagship retail stores are set to gain dedicated Vision Pro hands-on areas, while other stores will only receive one or two units.
Gurman believes that the memo's wording indicates that the device will not be ready at the very beginning of the new year. Apple simply says that Vision Pro will launch in "early" 2024.
The iPhone 15's production costs are appreciably higher than those of last year's iPhone 14 models, marking record high component prices that Apple could pass onto customers in 2024, Nikkei Asia reports.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is calculated to cost $558, a 12% increase over the iPhone 14 Pro Max model released in 2022. This is a record high for the total cost of an iPhone's components. From 2018 to 2021, the total cost of parts for Apple's iPhone "Pro Max" models ranged from $400 to $450. Component costs rose around 20% in 2022 before reaching today's record high of $558.
The cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's telephoto camera now stands at $30, a 380% increase over the previous model. Likewise, the titanium frame costs $50, a 43% increase over the stainless steel frame of previous devices. The A17 Pro chip comes in at $130, a 27% increase over the A16 Bionic chip.
The other models in the iPhone 15 lineup are also not immune to cost increases. The standard iPhone 15's components come in at $423, a 16% increase compared to the iPhone 14. The iPhone 15 Plus is calculated at $442, a 10% increase over its predecessor, while the iPhone 15 Pro grew by 8% to $523.
Despite increased costs, Apple did not increase the retail prices of any of its iPhone models this year and chose to absorb the impact of increased expenses. The only notable change was the discontinuation of the 128GB Pro Max model, meaning that users who normally purchased the 128GB model now have to pay $100 more to obtain the device.
In collaboration with Nikkei, Tokyo-based research company Fomalhaut Techno Solutions believes that if Apple continues to absorb the impact of increased production costs, its bottom line will soon take a hit. As a result, Apple may finally choose to hike iPhone retail prices upon the launch of next year's iPhone 16 lineup.
Apple is not planning to launch new iPad models until around March 2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims.
In the most recent "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the new Apple Pencil with USB-C comes ahead of an iPad refresh in the spring. He added that Apple has been working on the 11th-generation iPad, seventh-generation iPad mini, and sixth-generation iPad Air for some time.
Apple is apparently planning to release new iPads in March, which will likely "at least" include these three refreshed devices. The next-generation iPad Pro is also a possibility, but only the "more minor" iPad updates appear to be locked down for the spring at the current time.
Gurman added that he anticipates that the first-generation Apple Pencil will be discontinued alongside the ninth-generation iPad, since there will no longer be any new iPads on sale from Apple with a Lightning connector at that point. This change is not expected to happen "anytime soon."
Apple is developing a large array of features that use generative AI, including a new version Siri, that could launch next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that despite Apple CEO Tim Cook's claim that Apple has been working on generative AI technology for years, Apple's executives were "caught off guard" by the industry's sudden interest in AI and have been anxiously "scrambling since late last year to make up for lost time."
Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, John Giannandrea, and senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi are apparently leading the company's AI efforts. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, is also involved in the push.
Giannandrea is said to be overseeing development of the underlying technologies for a new AI system. Most notably, his team is working on a new, "smarter version of Siri" that is deeply integrated with AI. Gurman says it could be ready as soon as next year.
On the other hand, Federighi is supervising the integration of AI into to the next major version of iOS by introducing features running on Apple's large language model (LLM). Among the new features is a revamped interaction between Siri and the Messages app, enabling users to field complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively. Federighi's team is also looking at integrating AI into Xcode to help developers write code more quickly, bringing it in line with services like Microsoft's GitHub Copilot.
Cue is reportedly attempting to add AI to as many Apple apps as possible, including features in Apple Music, such as auto-generated playlists, and productivity apps like Pages and Keynote, where AI could assist with writing or creating slide decks. Apple is also apparently testing the use of generative AI for internal customer service apps within AppleCare.
Apple is purportedly on course to spend $1 billion per year on AI research. Whether Apple should deploy generative AI as a completely on-device experience, a cloud-based setup, or a hybrid approach, is currently a source of debate internally.
Gurman previously reported that Apple is working on a chatbot tool that some engineers have dubbed "Apple GPT" to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Apple is planning a Mac-focused product launch, likely including the announcement of a refreshed 24-inch iMac, for the end of this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is "planning a Mac-centered product launch around the end of this month" that could see the the release of a refreshed 24-inch iMac model, which is long overdue a hardware update. The current model launched in April 2021 and it is the only current-generation Mac left with the M1 chip. Gurman has repeatedly said that Apple's next iMac will skip the M2 and feature the M3 chip instead, but he declined to mention which chip the new machine will feature in this newsletter.
Gurman noted that Apple retail stores are now in short supply of the iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and many configurations now will not arrive until mid-November, in what he believes is "a clear sign that something is about to happen" regarding these three machines. He added that Apple has "made headway" on new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. While the current, M2 Pro and M2 Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models launched in January, he thinks that an "additional update the same year would be unusual, but not inconceivable."
Gurman believes that the upcoming Mac announcement will take place on Monday, October 30 or Tuesday, October 31, followed by Apple's earnings call on Thursday, November 2. He does not expect any of the new Macs to feature major changes other than new processors, but mused that there could be minor improvements to their displays.
Gurman also reiterated rumors that next-generation MacBook Air models with M3 chips will not launch until early 2024 and that a larger "pro" version of the iMac with a 32-inch display and a new design is tabled for late 2024 or 2025. Mac redesigns are apparently likely to occur when Apple begins adding touchscreens to the lineup further in the future.
The change means subscribers to the streaming service can now choose to use voice commands to start YouTube Music on a HomePod, without having to append "on YouTube Music" to every request. From Google's support document:
YouTube Music is supported on the following Apple HomePod models: Apple HomePod 1st Generation, Apple HomePod 2nd Generation, Apple HomePod Mini.
With YouTube Music on Apple HomePod, you can: – Use Siri voice commands or physical touch controls on Apple HomePod to play music – Handoff playback between your Apple HomePod and iPhone, and vice versa – Control playback in the Apple Home app.
Tap the More button (three encircled dots) in the top-right corner.
Tap Home Settings.
Tap your username under the "People" section.
Tap Default Service and choose YouTube Music.
Note that to connect YouTube Music to HomePod, you will need to have either a YouTube Music or YouTube Premium account.
Apple has supported a handful of third-party music services on HomePod for the last couple of years, and the functionality is already available with Pandora, iHeartRadio, Deezer, and TuneIn Radio.
Other music services including Spotify have not supported this option even though Apple made the SiriKit Media feature available in iOS 14, so it remains limited in scope. With the direct play function, users can set a third-party service as a default music option, and when Siri on HomePod is asked to play content, Siri will play music from the selected service.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Pad & Quill. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
