These days, it is useful to have a working knowledge of how to use HomePod as an intercom. Why? Because it is possible to utilize Apple’s smart speakers to establish an intercom system in your home if you have numerous HomePods or HomePod Minis dispersed around. When the HomePod Mini came out, the intercom feature was announced. It lets you send voice messages to all of the HomePods in your house, whether they are mini or full-sized.
Even if the people in your ‘Homegroup’ aren’t currently in the home, the messages may still be played on their Apple devices if connected to the same Wi-Fi network as you. This function comes in handy if you want to remind the family that supper is ready in five minutes or make sure someone waters the plants. It’s important to point out that you may also send voice messages to specific HomePods or HomePods grouped together in a Zone. So, a group of rooms is created in the Home app.
What exactly is an intercom system?
You can send preset audio messages to Apple devices using Intercom. These messages function very similarly to the little voice snippets that Apple has included in its Messages app. You’ll use this feature with the HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers most of the time. It gives you the ability to communicate with every speaker in your home at the same time by sending a single message.
You may even broadcast messages to specific rooms inside your house, provided that your smart speakers are configured to match the layout of your property. You can choose to get Intercom messages on your iPhone, iPad, and/or Apple Watch if you have one of these devices. You may still receive messages delivered to your home when you’re away from home through the iPhone. You may choose to never get these messages on your personal device or receive them mainly when you are at home.
You will need to activate Intercom inside the Home app before you begin using it. The good news is that not everyone needs to be a part of the family-sharing arrangement. You can also let Apple accounts that don’t belong to your family send Intercom messages within your home. This is great for shared homes or student housing. The recording of an intercom message is played again on any target devices when you send it. Since Siri does not support speech-to-text, you must make sure that you can be heard clearly and audibly.
Apple Intercom: What You Need
You will need to upgrade the software on your HomePod or HomePod mini to the most recent version before you can use the Intercom. Additionally, you need to ensure that the most recent software is installed on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch. After installing the latest software updates, the Apple intercom will be activated automatically. Your iOS device has to be running iOS 14.2 or later, your iPadOS devices need to be running iPadOS 14.2 or later, and your Apple Watch needs to be running watchOS 7.2 or later for you to be able to utilize Intercom.
Bringing the speakers up to date
- Checking to see if there are any software upgrades available for your HomePod or HomePod small speakers:
- Update the iOS or iPad OS on your mobile device.
- Launch the Home app on the device you’re using.
- Tap the Home icon in the upper left corner of your device’s screen.
- Choose “Home Settings.”
- Choose the “Software Update” option. If the software has to be updated, be sure you follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Intercom on Your HomePod Mini or HomePod
Intercom was one of the unique capabilities that came with the HomePod Mini when it was released. As mentioned, this is an innovative method through which you may communicate with other family members. Although it debuted with the HomePod, users can access it on almost all Apple products. Here is a list of what you need to do to set up an Intercom on your HomePod or HomePod Mini:
- Launch the Home app on your iOS device, whether it’s an iPhone or an iPad.
- Tap the Home icon, which is in the top left corner.
- Select Home Settings from the menu that drops down.
- In the panel of settings, choose the Intercom option.
- Choose one of the following options, depending on how you want to be notified:
Never | Anywhere | When I’m home
- Tap the on/off switch next to a HomePod or HomePod Mini to turn the Intercom on or off.
- Tap the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
- To finish, tap the Done button in the upper right corner.
Using Your HomePod as an Intercom
You will be able to begin utilizing the feature after you have completed all of the necessary setup steps, including activating the intercom capabilities, of course. If you want to send a message via Intercom manually, you may use the way we’re going to show you below, but you can also simply ask Siri on your iPhone to do it for you.
- Launch the Home app on your Apple iPhone or Apple iPad.
- Tap the button marked “Intercom” in the upper right corner.
- Use the HomePod’s Intercom function to say the message that you wish to send so that you can send it.
- After you have finished recording, you may stop it by tapping the Done button.
Ensure that you specify which HomePod you are utilizing Intercom with when recording the message so that it can be played back. Therefore, if you want to employ the intercom capability with a HomePod that is located in your kitchen, you should say, “Ask the kitchen, ‘Has anybody taken my keys?'” That way, you can be confident that the intercom message is sent to the specific HomePod and not to all other devices in your house.
You can respond to an Intercom message directly from the HomePod if it’s received once it’s sent to you. It is possible that if all devices received the intercom recording, your response would also be broadcast to those devices. Messages sent to a specific room, on the other hand, only get responses from the device that started the conversation.
Wrapping Up
With only a shout, you will be able to get the attention of everyone present in your house now that you know how to utilize the convenient intercom function. You can use Intercom to tell your family that dinner is ready without moving a muscle. You can also use it to ask a quick question without walking across the house. You can even use it to send a personalized voice message to someone to make their day better.