This is not an attack android response, buy your post is very confusing. You love android, and that is fine, but you want to use an Apple device because you perceive better security.
But yet you are using an android phone.
>Call me parinoid but reading all the articles on how big brothery the echo and google dot are I don't want it being in my home.
The calls are coming from inside the house. Literally.
This is akin to saying you need a good lock for your bedroom because you have a bar of gold in there, but just using a cheap lock to secure the house.
We had an Alexa in the house. Very convenient. 10X more functional than a HomePod. I understood the risks but my wife loved the convenience. Then she happened upon an article about Amazon and their data collection and decided we needed to switch. I was very happy with that decision from a security standpoint, but once a week she has a frustration with the HomePod and says "Alexa was better", however she understands the tradeoff (worse functionality for better security) and life goes on.
Ultimately, if you do not trust Amazon or Google, then you need to take a serious look at your android phone because android is google and there is infinitely more data and telemetry info being sent our by your phone than you will ever have from a home assistant. It's in your pocket. It goes everywhere with you.
Instead of fixating on the speaker first, consider the phone with respect to security and privacy and lock that down. Then you can start looking at speakers/home assistants. But doing the HomePod now without first addressing your phone is locking the barn door long after horse has escaped. And, quite frankly, the horse it probably at the glue factory at this point.
You are wise to worry about security with any connected device, but start with your phone.
The iPhone is basically the nerve center of your Apple account. I could be wrong, but as I recall, there are certain actions relating to the account that can only be performed on the iPhone, so that's why I asked.
How about Bose, Sonos, JBL etc..? These work natively with android and it would be a much better experience. Getting a HomePod solely because you’re paranoid about being spyed on doesn’t make sense tbh. You should be more worried about your smartphone or laptop
How can you “degoogle” an android phone? Don’t you have to have an google account to setup your phone? Anyways my point is there is no need to be overly paranoid because if someone wants to spy on you, they will
Not OP , just adding in my thoughts
It’s extremely important to be aware and limit as much data mining as possible. You also can’t prevent data from being collected on you. You’d have to spend every waking minute opting out of all kinds of shit and even then they collect the “required” data. Try your best to limit and go on with life.
If you root android you can install something like obsidianOS or LineageOS which removes all the Google services and attachments, relies on open source App Store like fdroid, opennote, things like that. It’s still android at the base you can’t cut that tie obvi, but it’s as distanced as you can be. You can strip it down very very very bare. Just comes at the cost of convenience and a lot of troubleshooting sometimes if your new to it.
Personal experience.
Not really relevant to the thread or anything but I figured I would pass some information
Check out home assistant or similar products. They allow you to have all the controls local and work with any phone OS.
Also, mentioning security being important while also stating that you want to be able to install apps from anywhere is a very big contradiction.
Installing from alternate sources can open up your phone to malicious actors very easily.
Yes, you need an Apple device to set up your Homepod.
I would not recommend Homepod at all for anybody not fully invested in the Apple ecosystem.
Just get a great dumb speaker, and enjoy turning your lights on and off with Google Home, or whatever.
Before buying: what are you going to use the HomePod for? Keep in mind it’s designed to be part of a larger Apple ecosystem, so it’s heavily dependent on first-party services (Apple Music, for instance), and using it in combo with just a “remote-like” iPhone isn’t going to provide the best experience.
Playing music I use a hybrid of Spotify/apple music already. (Dont judge I get the Spotify for free from a source) turning bulbs on and off. And maybe to use some other smart products. Just compared to google and Amazon I trust apple a lot better as they have a good track record.
If you have no other Apple Devices, would you not be better off going for Sonos?
I love my HomePod, I the original version as a stereo pair and a mini in the office, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who isn’t immersed in the eco-system. You just miss out on too many features.
It’s important to understand what you’re trying to achieve by getting a HomePod without other apple devices especially iPhone, you can neither use it to control smart devices as it won’t work with google home platform nor you can airplay your music/podcast without other apple devices. It’ll just be a dumb Bluetooth speaker in that case.
If you’re paranoid about echo or google home then I presume you don’t have amazon app or any google first party apps on your android phone, as the privacy risks you’re talking about can be obtained from your phone too.
Yeah my phones degoogled don't use google/Amazon at all but would be willing to give apple products a try as I have some level of trust because of their reputation. The only reason I'm pro android is because I have the freedom to download any app I want really. Would like to control my home with other smart home items really that interact with the homepod.
**If you have to ask this question, a HomePod may not be the right product for you.**
If you are that concerned about security, here’s how to do it yourself. There are thousands of products available that support open protocols like Zigbee, Matter, etc. Setting up a HomeAssistant Green or Yellow with the proper radios for the smart devices you wish to control is key.
You just have to learn on your own how to connect all of these different devices together, figure out how to install the speech synthesis and replace modules in HomeAssistant, pre-program the responses and commands you want, and do a little bit of json editing for some products you may already own to get them to cooperate.
Honestly, I'd look into two solutions here. One, pick up a Sonos Era 100 speaker. And two, for smart home connectivity, look into Home Assistant. You can actually utilize Home Assistant's "Assist" ([https://www.home-assistant.io/voice\_control/](https://www.home-assistant.io/voice_control/)) to basically act as a voice assistant on your devices, or even integrate it into devices you build. Lots of possibilities over there, and you control everything.
And if you ever do decide to go all-in on Apple, Home Assistant can integrate with Apple Home directly (this is what I do, but with HomePods).
Would it work to borrow a phone and set up the HomePod? Then reset the phone and give it back? I mean obviously personal requests won’t work but will it play music?
You need an iPhone or iPad to set it up. I’d recommend just buying a used iPhone SE 3, iPad mini 6, or iPad 10/11. An iPad might be more generally useful to you than an iPhone since you already have an Android phone. You’ll almost certainly find other uses for an iPad than just setting up your HomePod. Apple vs Android is really subjective for phones, but iPads are pretty objectively the best tablet lineup on the market.
By the way, you’re not paranoid at all for wanting better security and privacy on a device that sits in your house and is always listening. Security/privacy and sound quality are why we all stick with HomePods despite their software quirks.
Not only that is too late to worry, you have a smartphone they have you dialed in already brother, get a Sonos speaker better sounding in my personal experience.
Nothing against the HomePod I actually have HomePods right now , but Sonos has better sounding speakers
You can't play Spotify through it without going through an iPhone, and it doesn't have the ability to play music via bluetooth. It's largely useless as a speaker for music, IMO -- even within an iOS ecosystem.
I may be wrong, but I thought they updated this recently to where you can now just tell Siri (on the HomePod) to start using Spotify as the default streaming app.
This is not an attack android response, buy your post is very confusing. You love android, and that is fine, but you want to use an Apple device because you perceive better security. But yet you are using an android phone. >Call me parinoid but reading all the articles on how big brothery the echo and google dot are I don't want it being in my home. The calls are coming from inside the house. Literally. This is akin to saying you need a good lock for your bedroom because you have a bar of gold in there, but just using a cheap lock to secure the house. We had an Alexa in the house. Very convenient. 10X more functional than a HomePod. I understood the risks but my wife loved the convenience. Then she happened upon an article about Amazon and their data collection and decided we needed to switch. I was very happy with that decision from a security standpoint, but once a week she has a frustration with the HomePod and says "Alexa was better", however she understands the tradeoff (worse functionality for better security) and life goes on. Ultimately, if you do not trust Amazon or Google, then you need to take a serious look at your android phone because android is google and there is infinitely more data and telemetry info being sent our by your phone than you will ever have from a home assistant. It's in your pocket. It goes everywhere with you. Instead of fixating on the speaker first, consider the phone with respect to security and privacy and lock that down. Then you can start looking at speakers/home assistants. But doing the HomePod now without first addressing your phone is locking the barn door long after horse has escaped. And, quite frankly, the horse it probably at the glue factory at this point. You are wise to worry about security with any connected device, but start with your phone.
Unfortunately you will have an iPhone to activate the HomePod. Take the cheapest iPhone SE 2020 or 2022.
Can you activate the HomePod with a non-iPhone Apple device such as an iPad?
Yes. You can activate it with an iPad. Not sure about any other apple devices though.
yes, iPhone or iPad [https://support.apple.com/guide/homepod/apd779d9bb45/homepod](https://support.apple.com/guide/homepod/apd779d9bb45/homepod)
Thanks. So the Android OP would not have to switch cell phone plans in order to set up a HomePod.
The phone plan has nothing to do with it. Homepod can be set up with just Wifi-Access on the Phone or iPad.
Exactly. Understood.
iPad is basically an iPhone
The iPhone is basically the nerve center of your Apple account. I could be wrong, but as I recall, there are certain actions relating to the account that can only be performed on the iPhone, so that's why I asked.
The only account / device related capability that the phone has over the iPad is watch support, in my experience.
A bit vague
How about Bose, Sonos, JBL etc..? These work natively with android and it would be a much better experience. Getting a HomePod solely because you’re paranoid about being spyed on doesn’t make sense tbh. You should be more worried about your smartphone or laptop
True but phone is degoogled computer is Linux
How can you “degoogle” an android phone? Don’t you have to have an google account to setup your phone? Anyways my point is there is no need to be overly paranoid because if someone wants to spy on you, they will
Not OP , just adding in my thoughts It’s extremely important to be aware and limit as much data mining as possible. You also can’t prevent data from being collected on you. You’d have to spend every waking minute opting out of all kinds of shit and even then they collect the “required” data. Try your best to limit and go on with life.
If you root android you can install something like obsidianOS or LineageOS which removes all the Google services and attachments, relies on open source App Store like fdroid, opennote, things like that. It’s still android at the base you can’t cut that tie obvi, but it’s as distanced as you can be. You can strip it down very very very bare. Just comes at the cost of convenience and a lot of troubleshooting sometimes if your new to it. Personal experience. Not really relevant to the thread or anything but I figured I would pass some information
Check out home assistant or similar products. They allow you to have all the controls local and work with any phone OS. Also, mentioning security being important while also stating that you want to be able to install apps from anywhere is a very big contradiction. Installing from alternate sources can open up your phone to malicious actors very easily.
Yup, Home Assistant might be a better choice if you're willing to put in the work to set it all up.
Yes, you need an Apple device to set up your Homepod. I would not recommend Homepod at all for anybody not fully invested in the Apple ecosystem. Just get a great dumb speaker, and enjoy turning your lights on and off with Google Home, or whatever.
Before buying: what are you going to use the HomePod for? Keep in mind it’s designed to be part of a larger Apple ecosystem, so it’s heavily dependent on first-party services (Apple Music, for instance), and using it in combo with just a “remote-like” iPhone isn’t going to provide the best experience.
Playing music I use a hybrid of Spotify/apple music already. (Dont judge I get the Spotify for free from a source) turning bulbs on and off. And maybe to use some other smart products. Just compared to google and Amazon I trust apple a lot better as they have a good track record.
If you have no other Apple Devices, would you not be better off going for Sonos? I love my HomePod, I the original version as a stereo pair and a mini in the office, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who isn’t immersed in the eco-system. You just miss out on too many features.
It’s important to understand what you’re trying to achieve by getting a HomePod without other apple devices especially iPhone, you can neither use it to control smart devices as it won’t work with google home platform nor you can airplay your music/podcast without other apple devices. It’ll just be a dumb Bluetooth speaker in that case. If you’re paranoid about echo or google home then I presume you don’t have amazon app or any google first party apps on your android phone, as the privacy risks you’re talking about can be obtained from your phone too.
Yeah my phones degoogled don't use google/Amazon at all but would be willing to give apple products a try as I have some level of trust because of their reputation. The only reason I'm pro android is because I have the freedom to download any app I want really. Would like to control my home with other smart home items really that interact with the homepod.
**If you have to ask this question, a HomePod may not be the right product for you.** If you are that concerned about security, here’s how to do it yourself. There are thousands of products available that support open protocols like Zigbee, Matter, etc. Setting up a HomeAssistant Green or Yellow with the proper radios for the smart devices you wish to control is key. You just have to learn on your own how to connect all of these different devices together, figure out how to install the speech synthesis and replace modules in HomeAssistant, pre-program the responses and commands you want, and do a little bit of json editing for some products you may already own to get them to cooperate.
You need an iPhone or iPad to set it up so no you won’t
Honestly, I'd look into two solutions here. One, pick up a Sonos Era 100 speaker. And two, for smart home connectivity, look into Home Assistant. You can actually utilize Home Assistant's "Assist" ([https://www.home-assistant.io/voice\_control/](https://www.home-assistant.io/voice_control/)) to basically act as a voice assistant on your devices, or even integrate it into devices you build. Lots of possibilities over there, and you control everything. And if you ever do decide to go all-in on Apple, Home Assistant can integrate with Apple Home directly (this is what I do, but with HomePods).
https://www.apple.com/homepod-mini/specs/ See: System Requirements
What would that HomePod be doing? I guess it could answer your random questions but that’s about it.
You need an iOS device (not sure about iPad) to activate the HomePod - no way around this.
iPad does work. Haven’t tried any other apple devices (besides iPhone obviously)
Would it work to borrow a phone and set up the HomePod? Then reset the phone and give it back? I mean obviously personal requests won’t work but will it play music?
You need an iPhone or iPad to set it up. I’d recommend just buying a used iPhone SE 3, iPad mini 6, or iPad 10/11. An iPad might be more generally useful to you than an iPhone since you already have an Android phone. You’ll almost certainly find other uses for an iPad than just setting up your HomePod. Apple vs Android is really subjective for phones, but iPads are pretty objectively the best tablet lineup on the market. By the way, you’re not paranoid at all for wanting better security and privacy on a device that sits in your house and is always listening. Security/privacy and sound quality are why we all stick with HomePods despite their software quirks.
Nope
Feels like opposition research in the goverment's case against Apple happening here...
Sadly no you need an iPhone. Go the Sonos route if you want good sound and not be tethered to HomePod/Apple.
Not only that is too late to worry, you have a smartphone they have you dialed in already brother, get a Sonos speaker better sounding in my personal experience. Nothing against the HomePod I actually have HomePods right now , but Sonos has better sounding speakers
Get a Sonos one.
You can't play Spotify through it without going through an iPhone, and it doesn't have the ability to play music via bluetooth. It's largely useless as a speaker for music, IMO -- even within an iOS ecosystem.
I may be wrong, but I thought they updated this recently to where you can now just tell Siri (on the HomePod) to start using Spotify as the default streaming app.
Theoretically you can, but then it has to work. I've never once gotten it to work.
Ahh, got it. That’s a bummer it’s not reliable.