Apple released HomePod software version 16.3 in January 2023, which brings a number of new features to its ‌HomePod‌ lineup, including the ability to include ambient sounds in automations. This article explains how it's done.

HomePod 2 and Mini feature 1
The arrival of Apple's ‌HomePod‌ software version 16.3 adds a number of new features to new and existing HomePods that are well worth checking out.

The update activates temperature and humidity sensing for both the second-generation ‌‌HomePod‌‌ and the ‌HomePod mini‌, adds the ability to set up recurring automations using Siri, and brings remastered ambient sounds that can be added to scenes, automations, and alarms.

Apple says the new ambient sounds have been remastered to sound more immersive, so it's worth giving them a listen. The available ambient sounds include Fireplace, Forest, Night, Ocean, Rain, Stream, and White Noise.

Let's look at how that how the ambient sounds work with automations. Once you've made sure your HomePod software is up-to-date, you can set up an automation to use one of the new, more immersive ambient sounds in the following way.

How to Use HomePod Ambient Sounds in Automations

  1. In the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Automation tab, then tap the + in the top-right corner of the interface.
  2. Tap Add Automation.
  3. Choose the event that will be the trigger for this automation to occur.
  4. In the next screen, set up your event options, then tap Next.
  5. Choose a scene or accessories to include in this automation, then tap Next. If it's a scene you're choosing, making sure it includes a ‌HomePod‌. If you're choosing accessories, make sure at least one is a ‌HomePod‌.
    home

  6. In the next screen, give your automation a name. Then under "Media," tap Audio, then select Choose Audio....
  7. Tap Ambient Sounds, choose the one you want to use on the next screen, then tap Done.
  8. Tap back twice to the automation options menu, then tap Done.
    home

Your automation featuring an immersive ambient sound is not set up. You can edit or delete the automation at any time from the Automation tab in the Home app.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
ipad pro 2024

Gurman: New iPad Pro and MacBook Pro Models With M5 Chips to Launch Later This Year

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:06 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models with the M5 chip will "launch this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new iPad Pro models have progressed to an "advanced testing" stage, and he expects mass production of the devices to begin in the second half of this year. If that timeframe is met, the new iPad Pro models could launch...