The Apple TV 4K (second- and third-generation) is capable of relaying audio from a compatible TV to a HomePod – even when you're not using your ‌Apple TV‌. This allows you to stream audio from a TV-connected game console or other set-top box straight to Apple's smart speakers. Keep reading to learn more and how to set it up.

PS5 AppleTV and HomePod Feature
The second- and third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K supports two additional connection standards, called ARC and eARC. ARC (Audio Return Channel) is a feature of HDMI 1.4 that enables audio from a device to be sent to a compatible TV and relayed through its HDMI port to a separate audio receiver, speaker, or sound bar. eARC (enhanced ARC) meanwhile adds support for the passthrough of higher bandwidth audio like Dolby Atmos, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.

For ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, ARC and eARC support effectively allows a ‌HomePod‌ or HomePod mini (or stereo-paired Homepods in a Home Theater Audio setup) to play audio from other TV-connected devices like a cable box, PS5, or Xbox Series X. The following steps show you how to get it set up.

Make sure that your TV supports ARC or eARC. You can check if it does by seeing if there's an ARC label next to your HDMI port, or try contacting the TV manufacturer.

  1. On your ‌Apple TV‌, launch the Settings app.
  2. Select Video and Audio.
  3. Select Default Audio Output. (Under "Default Audio Output," make sure ‌HomePod‌ is selected.)
  4. Under "Audio Return Channel (Beta)," select Play Television Audio. You'll know ARC or eARC is turned on when it says On (ARC) or On (eARC).

tvos14 settings video audio default audio output homepod selected
If ARC or eARC doesn't work for you after following the above steps, check whether you need to turn on ARC, eARC, or HDMI-CEC in the settings of your TV.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini

Top Rated Comments

hagar Avatar
49 months ago
Apple made such a horrible mess of their home strategy. They should have kept the HomePod until a successor was ready. Even if it takes some years. Because the current situation is just embarrassing.

They could even have taken action to drive up sales like lowering the price and adding new features such as this one. I’m sure this would convince some users to use dual Homepods for their TV’s. Spatial Audio could have been another boost.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dance1000 Avatar
49 months ago
You know something’s not quite right when Apple keeps releasing new features for discontinued hardware.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dbwie Avatar
49 months ago
This is a major new feature that will add value if it works well. Also a head scratcher that they discontinued the HomePod and then created this feature that works with it? It suggests that they will release a successor to the HomePod at some point? Strange, but welcome move.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFanBoi77 Avatar
49 months ago
Just got my ATV. Hooked it up to the eARC port of my LG OLED and 2HPs as stereo pair. (My PS5 and Switch is connected to other HDMI ports in the TV)
Played Demon Souls (PS5) and MHRise (Switch) and the audio on HomePod is awesome. No latency observed at all!
I have a sonos beam as well, this setup blows it out of the water compared to the sonos. The low frequency response from the HP works really well!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nimoy Avatar
49 months ago

Just joined to inform you all that I have this set up working and IT IS FANTASTIC! Works perfect with my PS5.
Yep. And it's a breeze to set up. Works as expected on the Switch as well. What an incredible feature for people with the stereo HomePod set up.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zhenya Avatar
49 months ago

If it’s like the current set up with the HomePod playing the audio from Apple TV expect frequent disconnections, the HomePod to instead play random music that was on your iPhone a few weeks ago, randomly switch off the AppleTV music, etc. with fiddling you can always get it to work. Just remember never use the HomePod for anything else or it will take another 5 minutes to get it reconnected. Usually it will only take 3.
Polar opposite of our experience. We connected our Homepods to our ATV the day the software update came out and it has worked 100% flawlessly ever since. Never disconnected once, even after software updates.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...