Using a Shortcut to play BBC Sounds from a HomePod

[Adam Pymble]

Hello all

Given this more of a niche request, I won't type it out until someone kindly advises that they have this working nicely.

In short, whilst the Shortcut runs, it only plays from my IPhone, and won't send the audio to whichever HomePod I was making the request to.

I've seen lots of others on forums saying similarly, and AI simply confuses me as all her instructions are a composite of various versions of iOS,  HomePodOS and Shortcuts App  over several years.

So, any tips from anybody who has it working nicely, really appreciated.

Adam

p.s. I realise I can use Handoff or BlueTooth, but I'd just prefer the oral instruction to work as it should / used to?!? Feels that "it just works" is a bit of a distant memory as an Apple mantra!

[Stephen Watson]

Hi Adam,

If it’s any consolation it doesn’t work on my iPad either!

If I create a shortcut which says “Set destination to minipod then play this album from Apple Music” then it works just as it should.

However, if I tell it to do the same but instead of Apple music I tell it to play Radio 6 music in BBC Sounds it simply opens BBC Sounds on its Home Screen and plays nothing at all - it doesn’t even select Radio 6!

This problem can be laid at the door of the BBC I think, not Apple.

Regards,

Stephen

You meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it. ~ Carl Jung

On 16 Sep 2026, at 11:28, Adam Pymble <adamp...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello all

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[Adam Pymble]

Hi Stephen

Really appreciate the reply, thanks. It's some small consolation! I'm not technical enough to know why it would work nicely for one App and not t'other. Seems peculiar. And a shame.

Apple and BBC never worked very well together, largely I think because of the different payment model (licence fee vs ad revenue) meaning Aunty Beeb not available to stream via TuneIn etc.

Just a bit of a shame it can't quite do as it should so easily do!

But thanks so much again for making the time to reply. The helpful, friendly tone of SMUG never disappoints!

Bye for now