While Apple introduced Sound Glow as a HomePod mini 2 feature, Apple’s latest software update for the HomePod, HomePod Software 27.2, brings the new feature to the second-generation HomePod and the OG HomePod mini.
The new Sound Glow feature transforms the top of the smart speaker “into a visual canvas that glows and pulses in sync with the music, reacting in real time to bass and treble.” A song’s album artwork from Now Playing generates a unique color-matched light experience for every song. Users can pick a soundscape like rain to trigger bespoke animations for a soothing atmosphere.
HomePod Software 27.2 is available as a release candidate update for developers and public beta testers, but it should launch to the publicnext week. Once your HomePod or HomePod mini has been updatec to the new software, you can Sound Glow can be enabled in the HomePod’s settings to turn on Sound Glow. If your HomePods are paired with an Apple TV, you can also use the Apple TV Control Center to turn Sound Glow on or off.
Sound Glow is not available on the original HomePod.
In addition to the new Sound Glow feature, HomePod Software 27.2 also adds support for using HomePods as the default speaker for a Mac, the ability to use HomePods or HomePod mini 2 speakers as surround sound for an Apple TV, and it adds a Lock Controls feature for disabling touch interactions with the top of the HomePod.
