The HomePod (mini) offers the option to play ambient sounds, such as sounds of rain, a roaring fire or a river. It is a useful feature to create a soothing environment and aid in concentration or relaxation.
The sounds can be played using Siri, but from iOS 16.3 you can also use them in automations or scenes in the Home app. We explain how you can use the ambient sounds.
Ambient sounds for HomePod
Ambient Sounds are sounds that continuously play in the background. They are ideal for relaxing or staying focused while working or studying. The HomePod and HomePod mini contain some ambient sounds by default that you can play. These are available to everyone, even if you are not an Apple Music subscriber, an overview:
- Ocean
- Rain
- Current
- Open hearth
- Bunch
- Night
- White noise
Play ambient sounds on a HomePod
With the help of Siri you can easily and quickly play the ambient sounds. Ask the voice assistant to play the desired sound and the HomePod will do the rest. Below are some examples.
“Hey Siri, play ambient sound [naam geluid]”
“Hey Siri, play it [naam geluid] ambient noise”
Control ambient sounds
Are you playing an ambient sound on your HomePod? You can then control it from the Home app by opening the speaker’s tile. You can also operate the HomePod via the control panel on your iPhone or iPad.
Open the control panel and tap the music panel, possibly the triangle with waves. Choose ‘Control other speakers and TVs’. Select the HomePod and adjust the volume or play the following sound.
Set sleep timer on a HomePod
Once you play an ambient sound, or any music for that matter, you have the option to set a sleep timer on the HomePod. This way you can ensure that the audio playback automatically stops after a certain time. Say “Hey Siri, set a sleep timer.” [tijd]and once it expires, playback stops.
Ambient sounds in scenes and automations
Since iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 and HomePod software 16.3 or newer, you can also use the ambient sounds in scenes and automations. In addition to music, you can also choose ambient sounds as standard.
- Open the Home application
- Navigate to the ‘Property’ tab
- Tap the plus button to create a new scene or automation
- Or edit a current scene or automation
- Choose ‘Add (or remove) accessories’
- Tap the HomePod to add it
Once you have added Apple’s smart speaker, an extra option called ‘Media’ will appear under the accessories in the scene or automation. Tap ‘Audio’ here and now set your desired settings. So you can choose to play, pause or resume audio. If you choose ‘Play audio’ you will have the option to choose a source via ‘Choose audio’. Choose ambient sounds and choose one. Return and tap Done to save your changes.