In the latest scoop, Apple spiced things up with the public release of iOS 17.3, introducing a collaborative playlist feature for Apple Music. Now, you can gather your friends on a playlist, granting them the power to add, remove, and rearrange songs. And there is more to come, as the streaming service might be in for additional enhancements. According to MacRumors, in the upcoming iOS 17.4, currently in beta, Apple is set to broaden SharePlay music control to include HomePod speakers and Apple TV. This expanded compatibility will be featured in the iOS 17.4, tvOS 17.4, and HomePod 17.4 software updates. Apple aims to roll out iOS 17.4 globally in March.
This feature lets your family and friends take the reins on the music playing on your HomePod or Apple TV, with your permission, of course. Currently, it’s limited to the Music app, but the best part is that your friends don’t need an Apple Music subscription to join in.
To get the party started on HomePod, an iPhone user with Apple Music can kick off a song in the Music app and hit the SharePlay icon to generate a QR code. Friends can then scan the code with their phones to request control over the music playback. What is more, it appears this feature works seamlessly on both iPhone and Android devices and is compatible with both HomePod and HomePod mini.
For Apple TV users, with tvOS 17.4, the Music app can display a QR code right on your TV screen. Guests can simply scan this code to gain access to music control through any connected speaker.
Expanding SharePlay music control to HomePod speakers and Apple TV adds a dash of convenience, especially when you have guests over, throw a party, or just want the whole family to dive into the music selection together.
Last year, with the release of iOS 17, Apple had already introduced a similar feature for CarPlay. This feature enables anyone in the car to contribute their song preferences to a shared playlist, even if they aren’t subscribed to Apple Music.
