Apple is preparing to roll out HomePod Software 27.2, which extends the new Sound Glow visual feature beyond the recently announced HomePod mini 2 to several existing speakers. The update, currently available as a release candidate for developers and public beta testers, is expected to reach the general public next week.
Sound Glow transforms the illuminated top surface of compatible HomePods into a dynamic light display that pulses in time with audio playback. Colors are extracted from album artwork, creating a unique palette for each track. The effect works with songs, podcasts, Apple’s ambient soundscapes, and other audio. On the HomePod mini 2, Apple has described it as turning the top into a visual canvas that reacts in real time to bass and treble, with bespoke animations for soundscapes such as rain. Early observations indicate that typically two or three dominant colors appear, with light elements that shift and bounce across the surface. The brightness is relatively modest, but in a darkened room the glow can cast subtle color onto nearby walls.
The feature will be available on the second-generation HomePod, the original HomePod mini, and the HomePod mini 2. It is not supported on the original full-size HomePod, a limitation linked to differences in the LED array on that earlier model. Owners of the first-generation HomePod will continue to receive software updates, however; the device has already enjoyed roughly eight years of support.
After installing version 27.2, users can activate Sound Glow in the Home app by long-pressing the speaker and enabling the new toggle in its settings. When HomePods are paired with an Apple TV, the feature can also be toggled from the Apple TV Control Center.
HomePod Software 27.2 includes additional improvements. It adds a Lock Controls option that disables most touch interactions on the top surface, preventing accidental play/pause, volume changes, track skips, or Siri activation from phantom touches or curious hands while still allowing certain functions such as intercom, timers, alarms, and FaceTime responses. The update also enables select HomePods — specifically the second-generation model and HomePod mini 2 — to serve as the default audio output for compatible Macs (those with Wi-Fi 6E or later), offering a more seamless and lower-latency alternative to standard AirPlay. In addition, it lays groundwork for using compatible HomePods in multi-speaker surround or whole-room audio setups with the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
The Sound Glow capability was first highlighted alongside the HomePod mini 2, which Apple introduced earlier this month and which is scheduled to begin shipping on October 30th. By bringing the lighting effect to older hardware via a free software update, Apple is expanding the visual experience to a broader installed base ahead of the public release of version 27.2.
MacDailyNews Take: Our veritable fleet of original HomePods, still working perfectly and sounding great, will somehow survive this omission.
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