With the Christmas party season in full swing (but this applies all year round for parties, or using the HomePod in a hotel room, for example) you may want to use your HomePod at a venue that lacks a WiFi network. If you are wondering if you can use HomePod without WiFi, you’ll be glad to hear that you can. But to get it working you need to make some tweaks in your HomePod settings. Here’s how to get your HomePod to play music when you don’t have WiFi access.
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How to get HomePod to play music without WiFi
- Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad that is associated with the HomePod.
- Don’t tap on the HomePod icon, instead tap on the little house icon in the top left above where it says My Home.
- Now scroll down to where it says Allow Speaker Access and tap on it.
- Choose Everyone.
- You can set a password here – you might want to do so if there are people in close proximity that you don’t want to send music to the speaker.
Now your iPhone or iPad will be able to send music to the HomePod using Apple’s AirPlay streaming technology. You won’t be able to use Siri to control it, but you will be able to control the music using your iPhone, pausing, and skipping to the next song, for example.
The only other thing to do is to make sure you have WiFi switched on as it’s required in order for the iPhone and HomePod to communicate.
Now you can enjoy your party music, regardless of whether there is a WiFi connection to the internet.
We have more advice on using the HomePod here. and some useful HomePod tips here.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.