Apple is making AirPlay and content sharing better in your home, hotel room, and car

Unlike Google during its I/O event, Apple refrained from saying “AI” during WWDC 2023. However, artificial intelligence is an undeniable part of the future of tech and an intrinsic part of many of Apple's products, so the company did share some AI upgrades to its software coming this fall.

For AirPlay specifically, Apple is making it possible for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to use on-device intelligence to learn your AirPlay preferences through machine learning (ML). Your devices can know what you like to listen to, at what time of day, and at what location.

Also: AI was all over Apple's WWDC. It was just running in the background

Suppose you like to play white noise on a HomePod Mini in your nursery at 7:30 p.m. every night. In that case, your devices will learn the pattern and begin suggesting connecting the HomePod Mini at that time, eventually connecting to your device automatically instead of you having to ask it each day.

More third-party apps AirPlay to HomePod

Apple is also making it possible to start an AirPlay session to access third-party audio apps from your HomePod using just your voice without needing to start it on your iPhone or iPad. This means you could ask Siri on your HomePod to play some music from SoundCloud, Tidal, YouTube Music, or any other third-party app that supports SiriKit and AirPlay.