tvOS 27.2 RC Lays Groundwork for HomePod Surround Sound

The iOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and HomePod Software 27.2 updates that Apple seeded today add support for four-speaker surround sound on the new Apple TV 4K ahead of its launch.

Setting up a ‌HomePod‌ home theater is done directly on the ‌Apple TV‌, but there is an option to start the process with the ‌Apple TV‌ remote app on iPhone.

With the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, you can use four HomePod mini 2 speakers, four second-generation HomePods, or two HomePods and two ‌HomePod mini 2‌ speakers for surround sound (as long as each pair matches).

The original ‌HomePod‌ and the original ‌HomePod‌ mini can't be used for surround sound, and older ‌Apple TV‌ models don't support the feature.

Combining ‌HomePod‌ speakers with an ‌Apple TV‌ creates a home theater grouping, and the speakers are treated as a single accessory instead of separate audio devices. The speakers can detect their position in the room for calibrating timing and levels.

The ‌HomePod mini 2‌ launches on October 30, while the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K comes out on November 13. Both new devices can be pre-ordered from Apple. We're expecting iOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and ‌HomePod‌ Software 27.2 updates to come out next week.