Apple’s newly launched HomePod is about as close as the market is to a truly private smart home speaker. The Cupertino tech giant is a big believer in protecting consumer privacy, and its devices show that — particularly when you compare Apple’s policies to its rivals.
Despite that, for the especially privacy-conscious, there are times when even Apple’s secure devices fall a bit short. Luckily, in the case of HomePod, there are a few things you can do to make the smart speaker even more private than it already is. Use the Right Arrow to Browse 3 Ways You Can Make HomePod More Private.
3 Learn How to Mute the Microphones
HomePod differs from other smart home speakers in a couple of key ways when it comes to privacy.
For one, HomePod keeps any voice information local to the device — it doesn’t transmit data via the internet until a user says “Hey, Siri.” The query that comes after is then encrypted and anonymized.
But if that isn’t enough, you can actually completely disable whether HomePod is actively listening for “Hey Siri.” This is handy in lieu of a physical mute button (which other smart speakers have). Here’s how.
- Launch the Home app on your connected iOS device.
- Tap Rooms and find the Room where your HomePod is located.
- Long-press or press firmly on your HomePod device.
- Tap Details.
- You’ll see Listen for Hey Siri. Toggle this Off.
- Alternatively, you can just say: “Hey Siri, stop listening.”
To turn “Hey Siri” listening back on, just follow the above steps in reverse. Or tap the top of HomePod and say “Hey Siri, start listening.”
Apple doesn’t explicitly state whether this mutes the microphone entirely, but since voice command data is only ever transferred after “Hey Siri” is said, we can assume that any ambient noise is kept local to HomePod, anyway.
2 Make Sure No One Else Streams via AirPlay
HomePod owners who subscribe to third-party streaming services have one option to play their music: AirPlay.
The functionality is a bit more limited, but it is a working solution. Unfortunately, because of the way AirPlay works, it can provide opportunities to intrude on your privacy.
Basically, by default, anyone can stream audio to your HomePod using AirPlay. This is problematic if you live in an apartment, a dorm, or close generally in close proximity to others. Luckily, you can tighten up HomePod’s AirPlay settings fairly easily.
- Launch the Home app on your connected iOS device.
- Tap on the arrow icon in the upper-left corner.
- Tap Home Settings, and then your own Home.
- Under Speakers > Allow Speaker Access, you can tweak the security settings to stop drive-by streamers.
- By default, it’s set to Everyone — but you can change that to one of the following.
- Selecting Anyone On the Same Network restricts HomePod use to devices on your own Wi-Fi network.
- Only People Sharing This Home restricts use to users who you’ve explicitly invited to have access to your Home.
- Lastly, you can simply select Require Password. Input a password and users will need to enter it to stream via AirPlay.
1 Keep People from Snooping on Your Messages
HomePod, once it’s set up, is an all-access platform. Anyone in your home can just say “Hey Siri” and use the device.
That’s because HomePod currently lacks any sort of voice-recognition for individual users. That’s okay for ease of use, but it does present a privacy issue for primary users with connected iOS devices.
If you’re the primary user with a connected iOS device, anyone in your home can currently just ask Siri on HomePod to add or edit your reminders and notes, or even read and reply to your private text messages. Here’s how to stop it.
- Launch the Home app on your connected iOS device.
- Tap the arrow icon in the upper-left corner.
- Tap your own profile under People.
- Toggle Personal Requests off.
Just follow the steps in reverse to toggle Personal Requests back on.
It’s worth noting that this will limit some Siri-based functionality and hamper some of HomePod’s usefulness as a smart home hub. But if you’re in a shared home or you simply don’t want people snooping, it’s worth disabling until Apple fields another solution.