In this tutorial, we’ll cover four easy ways to find out which song is currently playing on your HomePod.
After setting up my first HomePod, I asked, “Hey Siri, play some music.” True to the voice command, HomePod started playing a song. I was surprised, wondering how that was possible, considering I’m not an Apple Music subscriber!
So, from what music service was HomePod playing the song? I had not activated the complimentary Apple Music subscription that comes with a new HomePod. Plus, I hadn’t asked the HomePod to play music from other streaming services it natively supports, like Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, or iHeartRadio.
To figure it out, I checked Control Center on my iPhone and found nothing was playing there. So, how could I figure out which song was playing on my HomePod? It turns out, there is more than one way, and I’m here to share them with you.
1. Ask your HomePod
The easiest way is to ask, “Hey Siri, what song is this?”
No matter the music source, your HomePod will tell you the name of the song as well as the artist who performs it.
In my case, it was Every Breaking Wave by U2 from the album Songs of Innocence that Apple gave everyone for free! Since I’m not an Apple Music subscriber, my new HomePod played a song from my purchased library.
2. Check the Home app
Follow these steps to see what’s playing on your HomePod using the iOS Home app.
- Open the Home app on your iPhone.
- Inside the Home app, tap HomePod or pick Speakers & TVs and select your HomePod.
- Now, you should see the Playing screen, which shows what song is currently playing on the HomePod.
It doesn’t matter where the music is coming from; the Home app will display the song info. For example, even when I AirPlay YouTube videos from my Mac to my HomePod, it still shows up in the iOS Home app. I just need to make sure Wi-Fi is enabled on my iPhone.
Feature request: While the Home app shows what’s playing, it would be an even better experience if it also displayed the audio source. This would be especially helpful if you have multiple Apple devices. For example, if the office Mac or living room iPad is AirPlaying music to the HomePod, the iOS Home app should show that my specific Mac or iPad is the source. Similarly, if HomePod is playing purchased music, the Home app should indicate that as well.
3. Use Shazam on iPhone
The third method to know which song is playing on your HomePod involves using Shazam on your iPhone or iPad. Position your device near the HomePod and do one of the following:
A. Open the Shazam app and tap the big Shazam button. Unless it is a deep cut, you should see the song’s name quickly pop up on your iPhone screen.
B. Invoke Siri on your iOS or iPadOS device and ask, “What song is this?” Siri will automatically trigger Shazam (even if you don’t have the Shazam app), listen to the song playing on your HomePod for a few seconds, and name the tune for you.
C. Additionally, you can initiate Shazam from the iOS Control Center by adding the Recognize Music button there. It works even if you don’t have the Shazam app installed.
4. Check your other Apple devices
Finally, the last method of knowing what’s playing on HomePod involves manually checking Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It’s the central hub that shows whatever media is playing on a device.
Alternatively, you can go into the music and video apps to see what’s playing. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check the web browser in case YouTube, Netflix, or something else is streaming there.
Other HomePod tips: