The HomePod got just a passing mention at Apple’s latest event, but its next update is where the real story is. HomePod 26 arrives on September 15, and while the changes are not flashy, they quietly fix some of the speaker’s long-standing gaps and bring it closer to how people actually use it.
For the first time, Apple is giving HomePod the same Apple Music Crossfade option that iPhone, iPad, and Mac have had for years. No more abrupt jumps between songs. Instead, tracks fade in and out of each other for a smooth flow. The timing can be adjusted anywhere between one and twelve seconds, depending on how seamless you want the transition to feel. You will find the toggle tucked away in the Home app under Apple Music settings.
Multi-room audio also gets an overdue upgrade. Until now, voice commands like “Play everywhere” only worked with Apple Music. With HomePod 26, Siri will extend those commands to any AirPlay stream. If you are streaming Spotify in the living room, you can now simply say “Also play this in the kitchen,” and the session will expand. The effect is subtle, but it makes the HomePod less of a walled-off speaker and more of a whole-home sound system that listens when you tell it where to go.
Another quiet addition is the ability to select a Wi-Fi network in Home settings, solving a long-standing pain point for anyone who has tried to move their speaker around. AutoMix, Apple’s new DJ-style feature with beat matching, still hasn’t made it to HomePod, but Crossfade feels like the right kind of start.
HomePod 26 rolls out September 15 for both the mini and the larger HomePod, right alongside iOS 26 and the rest of Apple’s fall software updates. It may have been overshadowed on stage, but this is the kind of release that reshapes daily use more than a headline product ever could.
