New iOS 14 beta adds ability to set default services for HomePod

What you need to know

• The new iOS 14 beta was released today to developers.
• The newest beta includes the ability to set default services on HomePod.
• Users will be able to change default services for music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Apple released the latest iOS 14 beta to developers earlier today, and one feature that everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived.

As part of the new beta, Apple added the ability for users to set a default music, podcast, and audiobook service on their HomePod. The new feature will allow people to use different services than Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books as the default service when you ask to play something on your HomePod.

This will open up the HomePod to other music, podcast, and audiobook services like Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, Kindle, and more. All of these users have been, up to this point, only able to get these services to play through their HomePod through AirPlay, a pain for anyone who uses anything outside of Apple's own services.

According to Twitter user ttam110, users will be able to set the default services through the Home app. For each kind of media, you'll be able to choose and Primary Service.

Interestingly, this feature is currently limited to the HomePod. Apple is not bringing these defaults over to iOS 14. The only defaults that can be set for the iPhone and iPad will be an email and browser app.