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HomePod HomePod 14.6 overheating

Deadeyeshark

Deadeyeshark

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 1, 2011
248
144
England
I have 2 HomePods currently detached from the power until the overheating issue is addressed. I know this a considered an issue with the 15 Beta, but I'm just running 14.6 which I believe is also having similar issues, has anyone experienced an overheating HomePod failure while running 14.6?
 
I have 2, paired and used with a HD AppleTV, which were 100 degrees when at rest. I’ve unplugged and am waiting for feedback on 15 and won’t install until it’s out of beta.
 
Mine are also currently unplugged on 14.6. They have not overheated. But they were being used as the default audio source for an Apple TV so I am playing it safe. From what I have read, 14.6 also seems to be bricking HomePods (though maybe not at the rate we have seen on that 15 beta?).

I am wondering if Apple has not released a fix for people on 14.6 because then they would have to admit they shipped the bug in publicly released software. For on the 15 beta, there are all the usual disclaimers about how Apple is not responsible for any damage to your device etc, etc. But, if Apple patches 14.6, they will be admitting in effect that they are responsible for bricking a bunch of HomePods and would likely be on the hook for replacing them free of charge.

My guess is that the bug will be patched in 14.7 when it is released (likely within the next week or so since we got the RC today). But, I would bet money the release notes won’t mention it or will be very vague. I don’t know if Apple even has enough replacement stock to fix all the HomePods that have been fried over the past few weeks…
 
Yep, mine are unplugged as well also on 14.6. Set as the default source for my Apple TV 4K, while they don't get massively hot, it is definitely noticeably warm even when idle so i'm also playing it safe. Hopefully it'll get fixed in 14.7.
 
Just unpaired all of my stereo pairs, removed them as the default audio and unplugged them all of them. I’m not taking any chances with these either just to have Apple turn around and say too bad. It’s like HomePod genocide lol.
 
14.7 hasn’t fixed the heat here. They always used to run cool, and I won’t use ‘em until it’s fixed.
 
how hot is hot. Both my OGs have been paired to the new Apple TV 4K and I thought the + and - constantly showing was a "feature" lol. Theres slight warmth when I put my palm flat on the top panel. But thats when its playing as well.
 
garethjs said:
how hot is hot. Both my OGs have been paired to the new Apple TV 4K and I thought the + and - constantly showing was a "feature" lol. Theres slight warmth when I put my palm flat on the top panel. But thats when its playing as well.
Click to expand...
Mine run a little warm. Warmer than an iPhone, but way cooler than a router (Eero in my case).
 
garethjs said:
how hot is hot. Both my OGs have been paired to the new Apple TV 4K and I thought the + and - constantly showing was a "feature" lol. Theres slight warmth when I put my palm flat on the top panel. But thats when its playing as well.
Click to expand...
With my stereo pair, They run very warm and seem to keep getting hotter as theyre used. Bear in mind they used to run at room temp even when on for a good few hours. Its since 14.6, turning off siri and intercom has no effect; ive unpaired and reset them completely and still run warm. Doesnt feel right and I dont feel I can use them until this is fixed in case they damage themselves. I have one mini also but tgere is no heat issue with that one.
If I could roll back to an earlier software version, I would… at least I could use my homepods then…
 
Last edited:
My homepod in 14.7 runs at 36 degrees celsius when music, 28 at cool down. No idea if it is dangerous
 
Ikertxo40 said:
My homepod in 14.7 runs at 36 degrees celsius when music, 28 at cool down. No idea if it is dangerous
Click to expand...
So today I unplugged both of my Homepods (stereo pair). They WERE running fine until the 14.7 update. Ugh. I had already turned off all 'higher' functions in the Hp settings previously on 14.6 in order to avoid/forestall any overheating. And that did seem to work. Now, just a few days after allowing the 14.7 'upgrade' and today my HomePods just crashed after playing music for a few hours. It could be that the Music app on my phone crashed - as i have been using Airplay from my iphone 12 max in order to avoid stressing the Homepods.

When the music just stopped I thought to check on the temperature - and both Hp's were HOT on top. They've never been this hot before to my awareness. And my apartment is nice and cool, it was only 77 degrees F today here!

Anyhow. I unplugged them as I would hate for them to have a real meltdown. But, I'm very unhappy that I need to worry about this! I have only had these for around 2 years at most. Wondering whether (since they are still fine) I should just cut my losses, sell them, and purchase Sonos speakers instead? This is ridiculous.
 
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Always upsetting when you discover issues after catastrophic failure.
My HomePods were in stereo and playing when one stopped. I decided to try another power socket and when picking it up noticed how hot it was.
Apple said - 3 years old so not their problem. I’m pretty upset.
 
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That really sucks. I love my Homepods, which are also in stereo setup. As a preventative action, I turned off Siri and all higher functions. Hoping that makes the difference and they survive a few more years. Mine are around 2.5 years old. They seem to be doing all right, not getting hot (which they were before I turned off anything that could possibly tax the processor and other delicate hardware). Then I reset them, unpaired, re-paired, and they have been cool to the touch.
 
Sorry, but how is everybody reporting homepod temperatures, is there a function to check inside temp ?

I have 9 homepods, on 15.1 all of them. and no temp issues now that I fixed the few that grilled.
What I think in my personal opinion, one of the reasons that makes the temperature high when I tested the Hompods dismantled, is when your iphone is near and it downloads new firmware for homepod in Home app, even when in settings, software update is OFF.
The iphone downloads the firmare, and transmit it automatically to the homepod. EVEN when you chose not to update the firmware. Then you see in Homeapp, 'update available'
The moment if iphone is transmitting the firmware, the iphone goes out of reach of the Homepod, the homepod struggles turning on bluetooth and WiFi searching for the iphone connection.
The culprit is a diode on the control board of the Homepod, found out searching on the web.
When all is struggling, Siri listening, music playing, bluetooth and wifi searching, this diode heats up.
The diode sits on the board and the board has a protective black Dye .
When Diode heats up, it is melting the Dye and shorting with the board negative copper circuit.
Two alternatives on this.
Either it shorts a tad and kills the motherboard firmware. in this scenario the Homepod lights up again when cold, with plus and minus buttons flashing. This would render Homepod impossible to repair, since firmware impossible to clone on the board
Or it shorts and bonds with the pcb circuit, where the Homepod would not start again. fixable by resoldering new diode

If you are tempted to replug your Homepod , and want to be on the safe side, when you plug it, keep your iphone next to it with bluetooth and wifi on, if in Home settings you see in software update the firmware downloading.
Just don't play music for the couple of minutes that the firmware downloads. my 2cts
 
geolab said:
Sorry, but how is everybody reporting homepod temperatures, is there a function to check inside temp ?

I have 9 homepods, on 15.1 all of them. and no temp issues now that I fixed the few that grilled.
What I think in my personal opinion, one of the reasons that makes the temperature high when I tested the Hompods dismantled, is when your iphone is near and it downloads new firmware for homepod in Home app, even when in settings, software update is OFF.
The iphone downloads the firmare, and transmit it automatically to the homepod. EVEN when you chose not to update the firmware. Then you see in Homeapp, 'update available'
The moment if iphone is transmitting the firmware, the iphone goes out of reach of the Homepod, the homepod struggles turning on bluetooth and WiFi searching for the iphone connection.
The culprit is a diode on the control board of the Homepod, found out searching on the web.
When all is struggling, Siri listening, music playing, bluetooth and wifi searching, this diode heats up.
The diode sits on the board and the board has a protective black Dye .
When Diode heats up, it is melting the Dye and shorting with the board negative copper circuit.
Two alternatives on this.
Either it shorts a tad and kills the motherboard firmware. in this scenario the Homepod lights up again when cold, with plus and minus buttons flashing. This would render Homepod impossible to repair, since firmware impossible to clone on the board
Or it shorts and bonds with the pcb circuit, where the Homepod would not start again. fixable by resoldering new diode

If you are tempted to replug your Homepod , and want to be on the safe side, when you plug it, keep your iphone next to it with bluetooth and wifi on, if in Home settings you see in software update the firmware downloading.
Just don't play music for the couple of minutes that the firmware downloads. my 2cts
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the HomePod downloads the firmware by itself, not the iPhone. When I first had mine and automatic updates were enabled, it updated while I wasn't home and my iPhone and iPad were with me..

The diode you speak of is located on the circular shaped amplifier board. The main logic board is the smaller circular board right underneath the touch sensitive control board on the top.

I've written a proper disassembly guide on iFixit a while back.
www.ifixit.com

HomePod Disassembly

www.ifixit.com www.ifixit.com
 
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