Apple’s iOS 18.2 update also brings a useful update for the HomePod speaker range, which hasn’t received an awful lot of love lately.
The update that arrives as part of HomePod 18.2 and will enable much more nuance when it comes to making Apple Music requests, which is likely to be the Siri-enabled speaker’s most used feature.
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HomePod now supports natural language requests when using Siri to request tunes from Apple Music. This means you can make requests pertaining to eras, genres, and vibes in a singular voice command.
So, in theory, you’ll be able to utter commands like: “Siri play classic rock songs from the 1980s, but maintain a chill vibe” and HomePod will respond with only the choice ballads from Bon Jovi and Poison.
In the release notes, Apple says: “Siri on HomePod is now integrated with Apple Music natural language search so you can describe what you want to hear using any combination of categories like genre, mood, decade or activity.”
This update, first reported by 9to5Mac, is similar to an option for iPhone users within iOS 18.2. However, considering voice is designed to be the primary input source for HomePod, the feature may be more useful here.
Elsewhere, the second generation HomePod model can now enhance dialogue in video content when paired with an Apple TV 4K. This feature was introduced with tvOS 18 and is now supported by the speakers that are often used as a stereo pair.
“Enhance Dialogue on HomePod (2nd generation) when paired with Apple TV 4K gives you the option to hear speech more clearly over background sounds using real-time audio processing and machine learning,” Apple says in the release notes.
Beyond natural language requests, the most significant improvement to Siri this week is the integration of ChatGPT that can go a little farther to help with user requests.
Apple says: “Apple is enabling ChatGPT access in Siri and Writing Tools experiences within iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, allowing users to access its expertise — as well as its image- and document-understanding capabilities — without needing to jump between applications. With the ChatGPT integration, Siri can suggest a user access ChatGPT for certain requests, and Siri can provide the response directly.”
