August 2019 • Macworld 85FEATUREpowered speaker. It can, however, do a lot more
than it could do at launch thanks to a couple of
big patches Apple rolled out last year – though
many features aren’t obvious. Follow the tips
below, and you’ll find that HomePod can feel
like a member of the family, after all.
A quick note: you’ll need to set up Personal
Requests to use some of these features. Once
you’ve set up your HomePod, open the Home
app on your iPhone and press the house icon in
the upper left. In the menu that pops up, you’ll
see your name under People. Press it. In the new
menu, you’ll see a toggle for Personal Requests
toward the bottom. By default, it’ll say Off. Press
it, and then switch on Personal Requests in the
new menu. You’re good to go.
- Update your HomePod
Your HomePod will need to be up to date for all
this stuff to work. First, open the Home app on
your iPhone, then click the house icon in the upper
left-hand corner. In the new menu, scroll down to
Software Update under Speakers & TVs and press
it. Install Updates Automatically should already
be toggled, but if it isn’t, switch it to green. - Find your iPhone
Misplaced your iPhone in the morning rush? Your
HomePod can help you find it. Just say, “Hey, Siri,
where’s my iPhone?” Siri will then say, “Should I
try to make it play a sound?” Say yes, and you’ll
hear a ping from your phone if it’s nearby.