Apple appears to be testing a major HomePod home theater upgrade that would let users build a four-speaker surround sound system using separate front and rear HomePods. References found in audioOS 27 beta 8 also point to a new Party Mode designed to spread audio more evenly across a room.
MacRumors forum member pdfu found code that describes front-left, front-right, rear-left, and rear-right positions for second-generation HomePods. The system includes automatic room calibration, speaker-position mapping, timing adjustments, bass management, EQ, dialogue enhancement, and separate processing modes for movies and music.
For stereo audio, Apple is also testing options that would either spread spatialized sound across all four HomePods or keep traditional stereo playback limited to the two front speakers.
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Apple is also testing new HomePod hardware
The code includes references to a tuning system called “Forklift,” which combines two second-generation HomePods with two speakers carrying the unknown AID12007 hardware identifier. That identifier does not match any current HomePod, which suggests Apple is testing the system with unreleased audio hardware.
The software also mentions Party Mode for stereo-paired HomePods, with audio processing designed to create a wider and more even sound field across the room.
Apple currently limits HomePod home theater setups to a stereo pair, and neither the Home app nor Apple TV supports a four-speaker configuration. The beta code confirms Apple is testing these features, although Apple has not announced plans to release them.
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