Apple Music is about to get its biggest update in years thanks to iOS 26, including upgrades to one of my favorite features—lyrics—just in time for the device that will be perfect for them.
Lyrics in Apple Music are getting two iOS 26 enhancements
When I’m listening to music, I don’t pay much attention to lyrics. My mind is tuned into the rhythm far more than to the words being sung.
I know other people—my wife for example—who are very much the opposite.
But for whatever reason, my brain struggles to pick up lyrics while listening.
I love to sing along with songs as they’re playing, though, which is why I love Apple Music’s lyrics feature so much.
In iOS 26, Apple has two upgrades coming to lyrics:
Lyrics Translation
Lyrics Pronunciation
Each of these improvements offers a unique benefit when listening to music in another language.
With Lyrics Translation, Apple Music will still show the original lyrics on-screen, but underneath you’ll also see those lyrics translated into your preferred language.
I was recently listening to Dos Oruguitas from the Encanto soundtrack with my toddler, and loved getting to see the meaning of the Spanish words live on-screen in front of me.
Lyrics Pronunciation does something a bit different. It provides phonetic lyrics underneath the original words, so you can better sound out what you’re hearing and sing along in the original language.
Each of these upgrades is a great addition to the iPhone. But I’m especially excited to get lyrics support on another forthcoming device: the rumored HomePod Touch.
HomePod Touch will be perfect hub for Apple Music lyrics
Next spring, Apple’s long-rumored HomePod with a screen is expected to ship.
When this HomePod Touch/HomePad arrives, I expect it to be the default way my family listens to music in our household—like HomePods are now.
And lyrics in Apple Music will no doubt be a killer feature of the new device for me.
The biggest problem with my family’s current HomePod setup (besides Siri troubles) is that while we’re listening and having dance parties, singing along is hard with no lyrics available.
Sometimes I pull out my iPhone to follow along that way, but I can’t wait until there are HomePods with screens all around my home offering lyrics at a glance.
I won’t need to use my iPhone at all while enjoying family time. Instead, I can simply sneak a quick glance at the HomePod Touch to better learn songs I don’t already know.
This should enable a less disruptive technology experience, and pair especially well with iOS 26’s new lyrics upgrades too.
Do you use Apple Music’s lyrics feature very often, and will that change at all with a HomePod Touch? Let us know in the comments.
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