Bose this week quietly announced AirPlay 2 support for its line of "BoseSmart" smart speakers. The audio company revealed the added functionality via its official Twitter account and separately in a post on its community support forums.

bosesmart speaker range
Introduced late last year, the BoseSmart range of speakers support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and Alexa voice activation. Models in the range that now support ‌AirPlay‌ 2 include the Bose Home Speaker 500 ($399), the Soundbar 500 ($549), and the Soundbar 700 ($799). Bose says the feature support is being delivered to eligible speakers as an over-the-air firmware update, via the Bose Music app.

As noted by HomeKit Hero, the company's announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Bose had previously given no indication that ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support was coming to its speakers, and the brand didn't appear on Apple's own third-party AirPlay 2 speakers list, which includes both available and upcoming products.

In its forum post, Bose mentioned it is still working on bringing ‌AirPlay‌ 2 compatibility to its SoundTouch speakers, which start at $199 and also include Alexa support, but offered no timeline for its introduction.

Tags: AirPlay, Bose

Top Rated Comments

Santabean2000 Avatar
85 months ago
More support for Airplay 2 the better. But I’ll be keeping my Sonos, thanks!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Creek0512 Avatar
85 months ago
As noted by HomeKit Hero ('https://twitter.com/Homekit_Hero/status/1119062510991233024'), the company's announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Bose had previously given no indication that AirPlay 2 support was coming to its speakers
Well that’s completely wrong. Bose announced last August that these speakers would gain AirPlay 2 support sometime in “early 2019”, you guys even had an article about it.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/28/bose-homepod-competitor/
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colinchuang Avatar
85 months ago
I love the sound of my HomePod, but I frequently have connectivity issues when trying to stream from my iPhone. Oddly, no issues when I ask the HomePod to play directly from Apple Music.

Sometimes my WiFi is a little wonky, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why Airplay streaming would be the only casualty.

As steaming is what I’m mostly interested in from a smart speaker, maybe I’ll look into the Sonos and Bose. Anyone have an opinion on the relative sound quality of these three?
Hi, AirPlay works great with Sonos. I have the beam and a One, and am waiting for these new speaker lamps from Ikea to arrive. But I have a Bose Soundbar 700 too which I can now test with Airplay. This will make or break. The Sonos AirPlay is seamless ✌️
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
85 months ago
That’s also true, I have the QC30 Buds, did have the QC35’s but sold and replaced with Sony’s latest and they seem to be rated as better than QC35.
I think Bose should be very worried - they no longer have the edge with a lot of their consumer product...
I’m not sure about this. Specifically the qc35 are supposed to have the edge in comfort and can connect to two sources. Sony has always made good products, but it’s always an individual choice. I have the qc35 and love them. I think the interface and use of the qc35 are better than the Sony based on the features/functions.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
85 months ago
Well I don’t know about Sony’s anc, but I bought the Bose qc35 ii on a impulse due to a flight from Phoenix to NY. I wore the qc35 nearly the entire flight and the performance was phenomenal and comfortable. So if the Sony’s are better it wouldn’t make a difference and I would go for comfort, features and use. Ymmv.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colinchuang Avatar
85 months ago
Yep. This is true. They make damn good headphones though ✌️
[doublepost=1555738026][/doublepost]
Bose were originally on the Airplay2 list but that was close to 2yrs ago and more recently were not listed on the official Airplay2 sign ups...
Bose have been promising Airplay2 support on the SoundTouch range as ‘coming soon’ ever since Airplay2 was announced by Apple and it has still not appeared and probably never will as the SoundTouch models are now old product, replaced by a newer and non compatible range.
Would advise strongly to avoid Bose as they promise many things but do not deliver. The Bose forums are full of angry SoundTouch owners that have ongoing issues with connectivity and lack of promised features..
Yep. This is true. They make damn good headphones though ✌️
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Tomorrow With These 8 New Features

Sunday November 2, 2025 11:50 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 26.1 this Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app,...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...