Subj : Apple HomePod finally gets hands-free Spotify thanks to this iOS
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Sat Sep 23 2023 00:15:03

Apple HomePod finally gets hands-free Spotify thanks to this iOS 17 workaround

Date:
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 23:00:16 +0000

Description:
The workaround will let you stream music without an iPhone although it 
requires a fair amount of set up.

FULL STORY
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An interesting workaround has been discovered on the Apple HomePod that gives 
users a way to stream music directly from Spotify. You dont need your iPhone 
on hand or to connect to a Mac. 

The process is fairly straightforward although it requires you to upgrade 
your devices to their latest version and give a certain command to Siri. Dont 
worry, its not difficult. According to TheVerge , you will need an iPhone 
running iOS 17 , a HomePod with software version 17, and Spotify version 
8.8.72, which is the latest patch at the time of this writing. You then ask 
Siri on your HomePod to play music from Spotify . 

The voice assistant will then ask for permission by saying To use Spotify, 
Ill need to AirPlay from your iPhone. 9To5Mac states in their report a banner 
will appear on your phones screen asking for Face ID authentication. Once 
done, the HomePod will begin streaming music without issue. However, other 
actions may occur. Case-by-case basis 

TheVerges report claims you dont need to do anything else after Siri asks for 
confirmation. The assistant will automatically move forward. However, in some 
cases, Siri will just play music; no questions asked. As you can see, there 
isnt a universal process. The experience seemingly differs on a case-by-case 
basis. 

You may experience some trouble during this whole affair. 9To5Mac claims that 
during their testing, the voice assistant had a difficult time understanding 
what they wanted. Sometimes it opened Spotify while other times it launched 
another music app. 

Now you may be wondering why Spotify doesnt work properly on the speaker. 
Third-party apps like Deezer and Pandora can be controlled via Siri, after 
all. Well, it's complicated. Icy relationship 

Back in 2019, Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission claiming 
Apple engages in suppression of, music streaming services that compete with 
Apple Music. The Commission found there was enough merit in the claim that it 
began investigating the tech giant for anti-competitive behaviors. It's 
gotten pretty bad for Apple as the EU states it breached European antitrust 
laws and might get slapped with a $39 billion dollar fine . This case is 
still ongoing. 

Its worth mentioning Apple has released a new API for music streaming apps 
allowing them to be controlled by Siri through a HomePod. However, Spotify, 
for whatever reason, has refused to implement the software into its app on 
iOS. 

Could this workaround be a sign that things are warming up between the two? 
Maybe. But considering the fact that a few months ago, Spotify kicked out 
legacy subscribers paying through the App Store, it looks like their 
relationship will remain icy for the foreseeable future. 

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadars list of the best smart 
speakers for 2023 . You might also like The Apple HomePod just got a 
potentially life-saving feature Dont give up on Spotify HiFi  leaked code 
hints at pricing and hi-res audio features Spotify audiobooks: how to find, 
buy and listen to audiobooks on Spotify



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/audio/speakers/apple-homepod-finally-gets-hands-free
-spotify-thanks-to-this-ios-17-workaround


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