You can now use your HomePod Mini as an indoor weather station

Use HomePod Mini and HomePod 2 to create a smart home indoor weather station

In November 2020, Apple released the HomePod Mini, and soon after users discovered that this smart speaker had a built-in temperature and humidity sensor, which Apple did not disclose.

With software updates for iOS and iPadOS 16.3 and later, you can now enable this sensor and use it to monitor the environmental conditions of the room where the speaker is located.

Apple's second-generation HomePod launched in January 2023 is also equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor, which Apple has pre-disclosed in this feature. So if you have a HomePod Mini or HomePod 2, you can now incorporate its built-in sensor into your smart home system.

Make sure your device is updated

To use the built-in sensors in HomePod Mini and HomePod 2, you need to install the latest Apple software, i.e. iOS or iPadOS 16.3 or higher. To check the current OS version of your iPhone or iPad, open Settings, click General, and then click Software Update. If an update is available, you can download and install it on this screen.

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After this is done, you can check the HomePod's software. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, then tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select Home Settings and Software Updates. If an update is available, you can install it on this screen.

Don't be surprised if you find that all of these are done automatically - iPhone, iPad, and HomePod are all able to apply updates in the background, so you may not need to install anything. As long as the software version you are using is higher than 16.3, it will be used normally.

Check temperature and humidity

After all devices are updated, you can get the reading by saying "Hey Siri, what is the temperature here?" or "Hey Siri, what is the humidity here?" If you're using an iPhone, you can ask the Siri HomePod for a specific room with your handheld device—for example, “Hey Siri, what is the temperature of the kitchen?”.

If you don't want to use voice, you can also get readings through the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. On the app's home screen, tap the room where the HomePod is located to see the environment there, or select "Climate" at the top to see the readings of each temperature and humidity sensor in your home.

In a room with multiple sensors (for example, if you have two HomePods installed), you will see the average reading for that room. Click on any device to see more details about it, including its location and whether the sensor is active.

Set up automation with HomePod

You can use these sensors cleverly to trigger smart home automation. For example, if the room is too hot or too humid, you can have the fan turn on automatically; if the room is too cold, you can increase the temperature of the thermostat, provided that these other devices are also used with the Apple Home app.

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To create an automation, go to the Home app, click on the room where your HomePod is located, select Temperature or Humidity, and select Add Automation. You can then set the temperature or humidity threshold that triggers automation, its active day and night time, the people who need to be at home to do this, and what you want another smart home device to happen because of it.

You can find, edit, and delete these automations from the same Temperature or Humidity screen used to create automation, and you can create multiple automations for the same speaker. It should be noted, however, that Apple says playing high volume music on a HomePod for a long time may interfere with temperature and humidity readings.

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