Apple today released the HomePod 17.1 software for the HomePod and HomePod mini, bringing support for Enhance Dialogue to additional devices.
Enhance Dialogue is a feature that boosts the volume of spoken voices to make dialogue easier to hear over effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show. The feature works when a HomePod or HomePod mini is paired to an Apple TV and used as the audio output option.
Prior to today, Enhance Dialogue was available on the second-generation HomePod, and it was a feature that was first introduced in tvOS 17. With tvOS 17.1 and HomePod software 17.1, Enhance Dialogue can be enabled on any HomePod (or set of HomePods) paired to an Apple TV 4K. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.
Software version 17.1 adds support for Enhance Dialogue on HomePod mini and HomePod (1st generation) so you can hear spoken voices more clearly over effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show when paired with Apple TV 4K. This update also includes bug fixes and stability improvements.
Enabling Enhance Dialogue can be done by playing a TV show or movie, bringing up the playback controls with the Siri Remote, and choosing the Enhance Dialogue feature from the Audio Options button. It can be enabled for all content by going to Settings > Video and Audio > Enhance Dialogue.
HomePod software is installed automatically on the HomePod unless the feature is disabled, but the HomePod can also be manually updated in the Home app by following the instructions in our HomePod update how to.
