The Apple HomePod only supports a handful of third-party music services, such as Pandora and Deezer. Other services, including Spotify, must be streamed to the HomePod over AirPlay or Bluetooth. But the iOS 17 update is improving things a bit. Now, any streaming app that supports Siri voice commands can be played and controlled directly from the HomePod. You can tell your HomePod to "play Spotify," and it'll actually work.
However, this isn't a native implementation of Spotify on the HomePod. The way it works is kind of silly—with iOS 17, the HomePod can control iPhone apps that use the Siri playback intent API. When you tell your HomePod to play Spotify, it passes the command to your iPhone. Then, it automatically sends an AirPlay stream back to the HomePod. Apple basically automated the process of opening Spotify on your phone and tapping the AirPlay button.
The HomePod will ask you to confirm some settings on your iPhone when you first perform this trick. But everything seems to work just fine. You can use voice commands to play specific songs or albums, open playlists, skip a track, or adjust playback volume. And you don't need to be in earshot of your iPhone to perform these voice commands, as the HomePod will relay commands for you. Other music streaming apps with the Siri playback intent API should work in the same way.
But, as 9to5Mac explains, this functionality can be hit-or-miss. While the HomePod can quickly interpret voice commands for Spotify, it has trouble with lesser-known apps. When 9to5Mac tried to stream Overcast on a HomePod, it kept playing a song called "Overcast" on Apple Music. (I imagine that this problem will mainly affect podcast apps like Overcast, which enjoy a strong fanbase but are somewhat niche.)
You need to install the iOS 17 update to enjoy this new functionality. Most iPhones that run iOS 16 are compatible with the iOS 17 update, minus the iPhone X, the iPhone 8, and the iPhone 8 Plus. Those who are eligible for iOS 17 should have already received a notice on their phone—if you need to manually install iOS 17, open your iPhone's Settings, navigate to "General," and select "Software Update."
