The HomePod operating system occasionally needs updating, because the device is much more than just a simple speaker — it’s a computer. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the software version released last week. The new HomePod software version 26.3 is a simple update with bug fixes, but it’s still worth installing. Who wants bugs?
If you depend on automatic updates, your smart speaker may not have installed the update yet. Here’s how to do it manually.
HomePod software update: A bit of background
Apple offers macOS, iOS, and several other platforms. You might think that the operating system for the HomePod will have a similar name. Apple employees call it audioOS internally, but the company never uses this name publicly. To everyone else, it’s simply “HomePod Software”.
It’s apparently a variation of Apple TV’s tvOS that’s been specially modified for the smart speaker. This makes sense – both focus on multimedia playback, support Siri, and you don’t have to worry about cellular connectivity.
New versions of the HomePod software come out when Apple updates the Apple TV software. And version numbers are generally in lockstep. With tvOS 26.3 now out, it’s also time to update the HomePod.
What’s new in HomePod Software 26.3
Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
To keep your Apple smart speaker up to date, it should have HomePod software version 26.3. This is true whether you own the original HomePod, HomePod 2 or HomePod mini. The previous version, 26.2, was released in December.
Apple’s release notes describe changes such as:
“This update includes performance and stability improvements.”
How to update your HomePod software
You have the option to wait for HomePod to update automatically. However, Apple is surprisingly taking a long time to roll out new versions to users. In a few steps, you can be sure that your device has the latest version.
- Open it Home app on your iPhone
- Click the pro button Home tab in the lower left corner of the screen.
- Tap on menu button in the upper right corner of the screen and then select Home settings from the resulting pop-up window.
- Scroll down to Software update and click on it.
Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
To see if your device will update automatically, tap Updated recently and you will see the description of the last released version.
But if you are not caught, you will see Update available message instead. He will be there Update all button next to this. Press it to see what the new version is and start the installation process.
If you know a new version is available but the Home app doesn’t show it, you need to restart your HomePod. Do it the old-fashioned way: disconnect it then plug back in. Wait a few minutes for the reboot and then check for the update again.
You can set this to happen automatically
Graphics: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
By default, your smart speaker is set to automatically install the latest HomePod software. If you don’t want to fiddle with updating your HomePod’s software, you never have to think about it again.
Note that automatic updates will not start immediately. Based on personal experience, it may take a week or more for your device to get the update after the software is released. If you want to make sure you’re running the latest software on all your devices, you can always log in and request an instant update by following the steps above. The best time to check is right after each tvOS update is released.
How to turn off automatic updates
Or there is the exact opposite scenario. If you’re happy with your HomePod now and don’t want to risk it being ruined by a bad software update, you can turn off automatic updates. It’s easy.
- Open it Home app on your iPhone
- Click the pro button Home tab in the lower left corner of the screen.
- Tap on menu button in the upper right corner of the screen and then select Home settings from the resulting pop-up window.
- Scroll down to Software update and click on it
- IN Automatic updates part of the screen, turn off the switch next to HomePod.
Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You can also consider this for other accessories updated from the Home app.
Just remember you did it. By turning off automatic updates, you’ll never receive more unless you manually request them. You could be closing yourself off from useful features coming in the future.
We originally published this article in February 2022. We will update it regularly with new information about the latest HomePod software updates.
Ed Hardy He has been writing about the technique full-time for 25 years and has been using it for much longer. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but he now uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. It is written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthandas well as other sites.