The Bose Home Speaker 500 boasts “wall-to-wall stereo sound” with the push of a button. When used in combination with the Bose app, users can pair their device to their smart home assistants, activate voice control, and utilize tons of other features. The speaker usually relies on the Bose Music app to play your favorite tunes, so you may be wondering whether the device can sync with Apple Music too.

The Bose Home Speaker does not sync with Apple Music. However, by using AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth, you can stream music from your smartphone to your speaker.

Continue reading to learn more about how you can use Apple Music on your Bose Home Speaker.

Does the Bose Home Speaker 500 Work with Apple Music?

The Bose Home Speaker primarily relies on the Bose Music app. Not only does this let you toggle your device’s settings, but it also syncs to the following platforms:

You’ll notice that Apple Music is not on this list because it is not compatible with the Bose Music app. However, you can still connect to Apple Music via Airplay or Bluetooth if necessary.

How to Use Apple Music on Your Bose Home Speaker 500

Connect to Your Bose Home Speaker Using AirPlay

This option is only feasible for people who have iPhones. To connect to your Bose Home Speaker using AirPlay:

  • First, make sure that you have AirPlay enabled. You can check this by going into your phone’s settings and selecting the General tab.If you have an iPhone 7 or 8, swipe up to get the Control Center. Tap the AirPlay icon in the second top square on the right. It will look like a circle with a triangle at the bottom.If you have an iPhone X or later, navigate to your device’s Control Center. Then, swipe left until you reach the AirPlay device list. From there, select your speaker.

You should not have to download anything to use AirPlay. However, for the best results, make sure that your phone is on the latest iOS update.

Connect Apple Music via Bluetooth

This option works for whatever type of phone you have. First, you should put your speaker into “pairing” mode. You can do this by holding down on the Bluetooth button—located on the top of your device—for about three seconds.

If you have an iPhone, you can connect your devices with Bluetooth by following these steps:

  • Go into your phone’s Settings.Select Bluetooth.Turn on Bluetooth.Choose your speaker from the list.

Alternatively, if you have an Android:

  • Open your phone.Swipe down on the screen.Select the Bluetooth icon.Choose the speaker and hit Connect.

For these steps to work, your phone will need to be near your speaker. If your phone goes 30 feet beyond this range, it will disconnect.

Troubleshooting Bose Home Speaker and Apple Music Sync

Using the methods we described above, connecting your two devices should be easy, but if you have any problems, consider the following:

Open Up the Apple Music App

Once you have paired your devices, you might not hear anything. You will need to choose your music selections from your phone––not using voice command.

What if your devices are connected, and you’re using Apple Music, but you’re still not hearing anything? Try using another music-streaming app, like Spotify, YouTube, or Pandora. The issue could be with Apple Music, not your Bose Home Speaker.

You Cannot Use Two Devices at the Same Time

Your Bose Home Speaker can only connect to one device at a time. So, suppose that your roommate already has their device connected to the speaker. This would make it difficult for you to connect your device.

Make sure that your speaker is not currently connected to any devices. To save yourself some time, just put your speaker in pairing mode. This should sever the connection with any other smart devices.

You Can Connect Your Phone Using an Aux Cord

Worst case scenario, if you can’t pair your smartphone using Bluetooth, you can connect it using an aux cord. The Bose Home Speaker comes equipped with a 3.5 mm aux jack. If you have an iPhone 8 or later, your phone might not have an auxiliary port. In this case, you would need to buy the adapter to use this function.

In Conclusion

While your Bose Home Speaker 500 doesn’t sync with Apple Music, this doesn’t mean you’re out of options. By using AirPlay or Bluetooth, you can still hear your favorite hits on your new speaker.