This article explains how to make phone calls using your Apple HomePod, as well as manage multiple calls and call waiting.

What to Know

  • Make a call on iPhone > tap Audio > tap HomePod name.To hang up, tap red phone icon or top of HomePod.

How to Make Phone Calls With Your HomePod

To use your HomePod as a speakerphone to make calls with your iPhone, follow these steps:

  • Make a call as you normally would on your iPhone (by dialing a number, tapping a contact, etc.)
  • Once the call has started, tap the Audio button.
  • In the menu that pops up from the bottom of the screen, tap the name of your HomePod.
  • When the call is switched to the HomePod, an icon of the HomePod will appear in the Audio button and you’ll hear the call audio coming from the HomePod.
  • Because you can’t use Siri to place calls, you also can’t use it to end the call either. Instead, you can either tap the red phone icon on the iPhone’s screen or tap the top of the HomePod.

Dealing With Call Waiting and Multiple Calls When Using HomePod as a Speakerphone

If a new call comes into your iPhone while you’re using the HomePod as a speakerphone, you have a few options:

Make a call as you normally would on your iPhone (by dialing a number, tapping a contact, etc.)

Once the call has started, tap the Audio button.

In the menu that pops up from the bottom of the screen, tap the name of your HomePod.

When the call is switched to the HomePod, an icon of the HomePod will appear in the Audio button and you’ll hear the call audio coming from the HomePod.

Because you can’t use Siri to place calls, you also can’t use it to end the call either. Instead, you can either tap the red phone icon on the iPhone’s screen or tap the top of the HomePod.

  • End the current call and switch to the new one: Touch and hold on the green light on top of the HomePod.Answer the new call and put the current call on hold: Tap the green light on top of the HomePod.Switch between calls: Tap the top of the HomePod.

A Limit of the HomePod: Speakerphone Only

When it comes to using the HomePod for phone calls, there’s one major, annoying limitation: you can’t actually place phone calls on the HomePod. Unlike for text messages, which you can read and send on the HomePod just by speaking to Siri, you can’t start a phone call via Siri. So, there’s no option to just say “Hey Siri, call mom” and start speaking to your mother.

Instead, you must start a phone call on your iPhone and then switch the audio output to the HomePod. When you do this, you’ll hear the phone call coming from the HomePod and will be able to talk to it like any other speakerphone.

Given that other smart speakers allow you to place calls by voice, this is a frustrating limitation. Here’s hoping Apple eventually adds a calling feature to the HomePod.

Apps That Can Use HomePod as a Speakerphone

The HomePod works as a speakerphone with a number of calling apps besides the Phone app built into iOS. The phone apps that can use the HomePod for calls include:

  • FaceTime
  • Phone
  • Skype
  • Viber
  • WhatsApp.

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