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How to make calls on the HomePod

Tyler Lacoma
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If you have a HomePod and an iPhone, we have good news: You can now make calls from the HomePod, too. Apple has recently equipped the HomePod and Siri with all they need to turn the HomePod into a phone speaker whenever you want. Interested? Here’s how to make, take, and transfer calls with your HomePod.

Prep steps

HomePod and iPhoneStep 1: Before you begin, update your iPhone and your HomePod. Your HomePod will typically install software updates automatically, but you can open up the Home app to make sure. Tap the round Home icon in the upper left corner and select Software Update to check. When any updates have been applied, you’re ready for the next step.

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Step 2: Double check to make sure your iPhone is on the same Apple account and wireless network as your Homepod.HomePod Personal Requests

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Step 3: Head to your iPhone and go to Settings. Look for Siri & Search, and make sure the options for Listen for Hey Siri and Press Home for Siri are turned on (or just one of them, depending on how you prefer to use Siri). Then open up the Home app, go to your HomePod Settings, and make sure the same options are turned on there.

Step 4: While you are in the Home app and working on HomePod settings, look for the feature that says Personal Requests, under the Siri on HomePod label. Make sure that Personal Requests is turned on, this guarantees that Siri can handle the job.

Calling someone

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is reasonably close by and turned on.

Step 2: Say, “Hey Siri, call [person’s name]. This needs to be the right name for a contact that your iPhone can recognize, which is something to consider if you like giving people cute nicknames in your contacts list. Also keep in mind that the full name is best, since you might have someone else with the same first name in your HomePod Callcontacts.

Step 3: Talk! When finished, you can say, “Hey Siri, hang up” or words to that effect, and the call will end.

Someone is calling you

Step 1: Get within speaking range of your HomePod and say, “Hey Siri, answer my phone.”

Step 2: Talk! When you are done with the conversation, you can say, “Hey Siri, hang up.”

Step 3: Did you not make it to the HomePod in time? You can also say, “Hey Siri, who just called?” to get more information about the caller without having to take out your phone.

Transferring to HomePod in the middle of a call

HomePod Call Transfer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 1: Tap the audio button on your phone. It looks like a speaker and a Bluetooth signal together. A list of available, wirelessly connected devices will pop up on the bottom of your iPhone. Look for the name of your HomePod and select it.

Step 2: Watch for a green light on your HomePod. When the green light comes on, the call has been connected and you can resume it.

Note: For all of these methods, you can still use your iPhone to control the conversation when necessary. Tapping the mute button, for example, will mute on the conversation on the HomePod as well. This is why it’s a good idea to keep your phone close at hand!

Need to record calls through your iPhone? Learn how to here.

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Tyler Lacoma
Tyler Lacoma
Former Digital Trends Contributor
If it can be streamed, voice-activated, made better with an app, or beaten by mashing buttons, Tyler's into it. When he's not…
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