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Apple Releases tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 Software Updates

Fingers crossed but I was able to add my ecobee. Still seemed like I had to ask twice but baby steps I guess.
 
like others here, my HomePods have been saying "There was a problem completing your request, try again in a moment" whenever I ask it to run a scene. if I immediately ask for the same scene, it works fine. I’ve gotten used to interrupting the “There was a problem…” message with a RE-request of the scene, and it works fine. It’s annoying, but has been working.

I was hoping for this update to fix that. While I was waiting for it to download, I saw several other people here post that it’s still broken. That’s annoying/disappointing.

So, I started googling, and found this article: https://www.droidwin.com/homepod-problem-completing-your-request-after-16-3-update-fix/

I followed the instructions - this is still BEFORE I applied the new update. Then I installed the new update.

I’ve only tried a few commands since then, but it seems to be working!

I can’t say that it was the article’s steps that “fixed” it, or if it was the update. Or, maybe it’s just a coincidence (when I had the problem before, it wasn’t 100% of the time that it failed, so maybe I’m just fooling myself)

Anyway, I thought I’d post the link in case it’s helpful to others. No: I have nothing to do with the linked article, and while it may look ‘suspicious’, following the steps seemed (to me) like it couldn’t hurt. And it *seems* (so far) to be working.

It may break again…

EDIT: I thought I’d give a few details. Before I updated my HomePods to the PREVIOUS update (the one that ‘broke’ running HomeKit scenes), I had updated all of my devices to the “new“ HomeKit architecture (I forget what it’s called). Unlike others, it all worked for me, and my HomePods were working fine.

Then, the HomePod update was released a couple of weeks(?) ago, and I installed that. That’s when asking the HomePods for HomeKit “scenes” broke for me. I could ask “what time is it?”, and that worked fine, but running a scene failed (until I asked a second time)

Another detail (in case it matters): I’m running HomeBridge on a Raspberry Pi, with several devices behind it. Some of the scenes that I run involve HomeBridge devices, but (importantly), some of the scenes that fail are 100% HomeKit native devices. So, I don’t think HomeBridge is a culprit, but since it’s in my HomeKit “home”, I thought I’d mention it.

One more detail: most of my HomePods are OG HomePods. 2 are a stereo pair in my living room, one in my bedroom, and one HomePod Mini in my kitchen. I don’t use the kitchen one too often, so I can’t say whether/not it suffered from the “need to ask twice” issue. the others (OG) definitely suffered the issue.

UPDATE: I’ve had a few “failures” today, where the HomePod said “There was a problem completing your request, try again in a moment"”. But, for the most part, it’s working. Unlike before, where I got that response most of the time.

So, it’s “better”, but not “fixed”
 
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FlyGuyDEN said:
It updated to all my HomePods Mini but it’s not showing them as updated in the Home app-only my OG HomePod shows there that it’s updated. I had to look at each one individually in the Home app to see the update had been applied.

Another bug?
Click to expand...
Same experience here.
 
Keness said:
That's actually how the automation triggers have always been. The temperature and humidity sensors in the HomePods aren't actually treated any differently than any of the bazillions of of temperature and humidity sensors that have been around for years.

For many people who haven't "gotten into" the smart home thing, this may me their first exposure to a temperature and humidity sensor and setting up automations with them, but they're not actually anything that hasn't already been around.

As for the triggers, you are correct, the temperature must CROSS the threshold to trigger the automation, not be AT (or on the other side of) the threshold. You'll notice the wording is "rises above" or "drops below" a certain temperature when you are creating the automation. The wording isn't "is above" or "is below"...

It's basically easy-to-read computer programming, so you have to treat the way it is written 100% literally.

The reason it works this way is that sensors don't continuously transmit their readings. That would destroy their batteries to be sending updates (even though most are the same as the last) all the time. Additionally, many automations, depending on what they do, would have to be running non-stop constantly checking. With a lot of automations, this would become resource heavy.

So automations use the "trigger" methodology, and so when a sensor sends an update (which it only does when it is reporting a CHANGE from it's last update) this triggers the automation to run and evaluate if the condition meets the automation's programming. Ie, if it has risen above or dropped below a certain point.

For temperature and humidity sensors as a whole category, an automation's TRIGGER can't contain something that is continuously TRUE. (ie, IS 64 degrees.)

I probably haven't explained that well, sorry. Basically, you have to follow the way the wording of the automations "program" is written to a tee... So an automation that, at 3am checks if the temperature rises above or drops below a certain temperature would have a very tiny chance of ever triggering. Because it would have to both BE 3am AND the temperature would change just the right way at that exact same moment. haha
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Like I said, they test for the condition literally as written. Behavior then is different than my Sensibo device but I definitely want to take advantage of these sensors. I am just trying to figure out the construct for testing what the temp is then at a particular time of day, on selected days, to turn on local heaters that are on smartswitches.

why times of day and selected days? I have two blocks of time on weekdays that are half price electricity plus all day on weekends. If already between the lower range temp trigger and the high limit, so two automations, it works great but “if too cold” at the start of half price times/rates, nothing happens. I could just force an on state at the beging of each time block, but that’s 3 automations per heater, per time block, and I still cannot specify day of week when denoting time.

will get there, and thanks for the background how other sensors work. The battery use angle makes sense if that’s industry standard. These are plugged in devices, as is the Sensibo. I Guess they just have different models.

I’m okay with the literal interpretation of what’s written, it’s just that it makes achieving what I want a little bit more cumbersome. Whatever it ends up being, it’s 9 HomePods, times 2 lower rate times on weekdays plus weekends.

turns out mimicking a thermostat using sensors is a bit of work. Dunno how many mere mortals are going to understand this. :)
 
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xpxp2002 said:
Hallelujah! Hopefully it fixes first generation HomePods needing to be asked twice to perform any command.
Click to expand...

Got home from work late and forgot about this until about an hour ago. The HomePods are all updated and they seem to be working great. Well, they turn the lights on and off with a single request now. How are yours?
 
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I’ve always struggled with temperature controls, no matter what OS version I’ve used with HomeKit. I have a complete Netatmo weather and multi-room setup with Eve plugs attached to electric radiators and they never react properly. Timers are fine, but reliance on a temperature or humidity sensor just fails time after time.

It’s so bad, I’ve ended up buying Tuyasmart thermostat plugs and using homebridge to view them in my HomeKit environment.

I’m tempted to test it in an Alexa setup.
 
xpxp2002 said:
Hallelujah! Hopefully it fixes first generation HomePods needing to be asked twice to perform any command.
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I just sold my HomePod original and bought the new one. Siri’s reliability is infinitely better. I’d basically stopped using Siri on the original, with the 16.3 ‘double ask’ issue being the nail in the coffin (rather convenient timing mind you).
 
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So, I received my new HomePod. Set it up. Compared to my old (original). It definitely sounds more clear and a tad more bright. I did a side by side comparison. Bass nice and deep yet not boomy. Glad these are back!
 
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T5BRICK said:
Got home from work late and forgot about this until about an hour ago. The HomePods are all updated and they seem to be working great. Well, they turn the lights on and off with a single request now. How are yours?
Click to expand...
It seems to have fixed mine, too. Also appears to have fixed the volume controls not working on the Apple TV Remote in iOS Control Center.
 
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Tyler O'Bannon said:
Just restored both of my HomePod minis via connecting to my Mac, and they are both configuring. They haven’t worked right for 2 months now since doing the HomeKit upgrade that was pulled. I have restored them via Mac so many times.

Edit: I've done every form of reset and restore on them multiple times. Ever since the HomeKit architecture upgrade (December I think?) they have never gotten past "Configuring" in Home app. If anyone has had success getting past this, please share. I've tried everything. I haven't been able to use them as a stereo pair since then either (which is how I have used them 100% of the time for 2 years). I was hopeful that I 16.3 and today 16.3.1 would fix it. I will update this if it does. Until then, any help is appreciated.
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No luck today - the HomePod Mini 16.3.1 still did not fixed automations! What a nightmare since 16.2 and the Home update that was pulled.
APPLE 16.1 worked perfectly with my automations on my HomePod Mini - I WANT IT BACK!
 
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Just updated, this definitely fixed issues I saw with 16.3 with timers and alarms suddenly not working and crazy long response times in general. Nice to get a quick fix, would have been nicer if that stuff was caught in their initial QA
 
seek3r said:
Just updated, this definitely fixed issues I saw with 16.3 with timers and alarms suddenly not working and crazy long response times in general. Nice to get a quick fix, would have been nicer if that stuff was caught in their initial QA
Click to expand...
My Siri response times are definitely better now, but I still have 3/9 HomePods showing as “no response” in HomeKit for some unknown reason. Even a restart won’t fix the no response issue.
 
decypher44 said:
Just throwing this out there. I just bought a pair of minis this weekend, and had so many issues trying to update, pair, etc. Then the OG pair that I had got all screwed up. Two tech supports over 4 hours couldn’t figure it out. After resetting each one over 6 times and no luck, I tried something different on my own.

What I did was unplug all devices in my home app. Then I removed the four HomePods and my AppleTV from Home. After those were cleared out, I went into the Home app’s settings and chose “Remove” Home (not delete app). Then it presented with a fresh, clean Home. I started with the OGs, doing one speaker at a time. I plugged one in and reset it as it was starting up. Then it started the set up process. I waited until it was all the way finished with configuring. Then I plugged in the other OG, did the same steps, this time when asked if I wanted to pair, I said yes. Finally they were back to normal. I moved on to the minis and did the same process. Now everything works, stereo pairs are still stereo pairs.

For me, it didn’t take too long as I don’t have a lot of Home accessories. If you have a ton, I could imagine this taking a while. But I had spent over 24 hours waiting for everything to finish updating and configurations, I just tried the process I laid out above. It worked. I called the support person who last was trying to help, and gave her the steps I went through.

I will say that the support staff are not happy with all the blunders lately.

eta: I have the new Home architecture, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
matrix6028 said:
No luck today - the HomePod Mimi 16.3.1 still did not fixed automations! What a nightmare since 16.2 and the Home update that was pulled.
APPLE 16.1 worked perfectly with my automations on my HomePod Mini - I WANT IT BACK!
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, same here. There was a person that replied to my comment yesterday with how they fixed it. Unfortunately, it took removing all devices from the home, deleting the home, adding new home, and setting each device up one by one. I’m gonna hold out a bit and hope that the new architecture releases again and works properly. Post quoted above.
 
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ive not managed to update the appleTV yet.

Does anyone know if it specifically fixes the weird text corruption issues on the up next list in the TV app?

Was introduced in 16.2, and was shocked to see it still present in 16.3 - its so blatantly wrong im surprised they let it stand for another 16.x release.
 
uller6 said:
My Siri response times are definitely better now, but I still have 3/9 HomePods showing as “no response” in HomeKit for some unknown reason. Even a restart won’t fix the no response issue.
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I have this, too, on my phone. On my Mac it’s working. So odd.
 
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And to reiterate, neither of my two sets of stereo OG HomePods work first time anymore, even with this update. So infuriating.
 
matrix6028 said:
No luck today - the HomePod Mimi 16.3.1 still did not fixed automations! What a nightmare since 16.2 and the Home update that was pulled.
APPLE 16.1 worked perfectly with my automations on my HomePod Mini - I WANT IT BACK!
Click to expand...
You’re not the only one. We all got burned.
 
Tyler O'Bannon said:
Thanks!

Unfortunately, same here. There was a person that replied to my comment yesterday with how they fixed it. Unfortunately, it took removing all devices from the home, deleting the home, adding new home, and setting each device up one by one. I’m gonna hold out a bit and hope that the new architecture releases again and works properly. Post quoted above.
Click to expand...
I have heard of that option too. Don't do it. It didn't work. I believe is all has to do with the MINI. I have tried and tried different things with no consistency. Sometimes it works but eventually it stops. The only TRUE fixed is when I used an AppleTV has the hub - then my automations work perfectly!
 
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