Apple adds animated Sound Glow effect to HomePod
Sound Glow adds animated album-art colours to supported HomePod speakers after the 27.2 software update.
Apple is rolling out Sound Glow for supported HomePod models, adding an animated light effect to the speaker’s touch surface. The feature uses colours drawn from the album artwork of the song or podcast currently playing, turning the top of the HomePod into a small ambient display. 12
Sound Glow is available on HomePod mini, HomePod mini 2 and the second-generation HomePod. The original 2018 HomePod is not supported. The effect needs media with album artwork, then displays two or three dominant colours that move across the illuminated surface. 1
To enable it, update the HomePod to software version 27.2, open the Home app and press and hold the speaker. The new Sound Glow toggle appears in the device settings. Apple also lets users switch the feature on or off from the Control Centre on an Apple TV when the television is paired with HomePods. 1
The feature is a small visual flourish rather than a major change to what HomePod does, but it gives Apple’s speaker a more obvious connection to the music it is playing. The effect is most visible in a darker room or when the speaker is positioned against a light-coloured wall. 1
Apple’s own HomePod product page now describes Sound Glow as a way to match the top of the speaker to album artwork and pulse it in time with music. That makes the feature part of Apple’s current HomePod experience rather than an unlisted experiment limited to a beta build. 2
Software 27.2 also sits alongside other HomePod changes, including support for using HomePods as an Apple TV 4K surround system. However, Sound Glow is the more immediately visible addition and the one most likely to prompt owners to open the Home app and try the update. 12
Our opinion
Sound Glow is not a reason to buy a HomePod by itself, but it is exactly the kind of low-stakes feature that can make an established product feel fresher. Apple is using the hardware it already has in a way that is visible, easy to understand and reversible when the party atmosphere ends. The catch is equally simple: owners of the original HomePod are left out, so the feature’s appeal depends on having one of the newer models.