Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
had a problem with one or the other of the pair attached to my atv4k a few months ago. Only solution was resetting the atv, not the HomePods which hadn’t helped. No issues since then in fact working better than ever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: peanuts_of_pathos
He did. They’re called HomePods.
Am I missing something? Multi-room time-synced music, no-fuss wireless, spatial audio with 3D soundstage, automatic adjustments to compensate for even temporary occlusions in the physical environment… What would having gotten a “professional” audio installation have won him that’s perceivable to the average person? A digital, physical audio plug ain’t it. Would Sonos have been a better investment in your mind? They’re also wireless…

If it’s a large house with a large family, and they can afford it, it doesn’t seem *that* unreasonable. Let’s say three kids with their own bedrooms and their own stereo pairs… plus stereo pairs in the master bedroom and living room and office… and we’re already up to 12 units.

In any case, this sort of “stigma” in the tech scene is so harmful to consumers’ own self-interest. Whether it’s the dumb-dumbs who still say iPads are just “toys” because you can’t %specificUseCase% on it, or home automation elitists who ridicule HomeKit because it’s not as complicated as the Lutron system they installed 20 years ago that cost them an arm and a leg and required a “professional” to wire it.

Folks, it’s *supposed* to get easier over time. It’s supposed to trickle down and become effortless. Tech is supposed to become a democratizing force, it’s supposed to knock down barriers and banish gatekeepers to irrelevance. If you’re upset that home audio/automation/etc isn’t as “hard” or expensive as it was when you first got into it, the problem is with *your* displeasure that something you saw as a status symbol becoming accessible to the common person.

✌️ That’s my 🪙🪙
 
When asked about it on the Reddit link all they say is "They are not just for me my children and wife also have HomePods. 19 HomePods in the whole family."
That still is a lot of coin. Even at the current sale prices that is $5700. At their original prices that would have be over $6600.
 
Just curious how are people installing beta on a HomePod? If I update to iOS 15 on my phone will it automatically install HomePod beta? I don’t want that to happen if I do
 


Original HomePod models appear to be mysteriously failing at an increasing rate, according to multiple MacRumors readers and complaints on Reddit and Twitter. Many of the HomePods that have suddenly stopped working were running the beta version of the HomePod 15 software, but some affected users had HomePods with the 14.6 software installed.

HomePod-Crash-Feature.jpg

MacRumors reader Jose said that his 18-month-old HomePod running the 14.6 update recently stopped working, and that's a common complaint across multiple Reddit threads that have been created over the course of the last few days.

In one notable case, a Reddit user with a total of 19 HomePods had seven of them stop working today. Four of those HomePods were running the HomePod 15 beta, and three of them were running the 14.6 software.That Reddit thread has complaints from several other HomePod owners who have had their HomePods die, and MacRumors reader Andre curated a list of Reddit complaints, all from users who have had their HomePods die over the course of the last few days.
  • Failure 1, 5 days ago - Reddit user UnderstandingNo5785 was running the HomePod 15 beta and found that his HomePod was hot on the top, which may have led to a logic board issue. Other Reddit users have speculated about the failures being caused by using the HomePod as a default speaker to the Apple TV while running the HomePod 15 beta
  • Failure 2, 2 days ago - A newly opened HomePod was set up, updated to 14.6, and then it lost connection. A hard reset caused the LED to turn red and the volume lights to blink, but it was non-functional.
  • Failure 3, 1 day ago - One of two HomePods set as a stereo pair suddenly stopped working. Both HomePods were running the 14.6 update. Broken HomePod doesn't power up and doesn't respond to touch.
  • Failure 3, today - 7 HomePods stop working, four on beta, three on 14.6.
  • Failure 4, June - A MacRumors reader in June had his HomePod die after a software update. The HomePod does not light up, does not work, and resets do not do anything.
  • HomePod Overheating - A Reddit user had a HomePod die when used in stereo mode with the Apple TV, and it was hot to the touch. It survived and continued to work, but the Reddit user has noticed the HomePods are still getting hot in stereo mode while running 14.6. This person says that their two other HomePods also died previously.
There are multiple other complaints from affected users in the comment sections of these threads, suggesting that this could be a widespread issue impacting many HomePod owners. Most of the impacted HomePods were used in stereo pairing mode and were linked to an Apple TV running the tvOS 14.6 update, including HomePods running the 14.6 and 15 software updates.

Since many of the HomePods affected have beta software installed, it's not a good idea to install the HomePod 15 update if you have a HomePod. HomePod software is distributed on an invite-only basis, but some third-party sites often make the beta available, and if you install an unauthorized beta, Apple is not going to be able to help.

One Reddit user says that a senior Apple technician advised them to unplug their HomePods and stop using them until the next software update.There are also many complaints from users who are running the 14.6 update, and unfortunately, Apple support has not been helpful for those who have a HomePod that was purchased more than a year ago. MacRumors reader Jose who initially contacted us said that Apple support was unable to offer help because his HomePod was out of warranty, and other HomePod owners have also had the same response.

Given the high number of sudden failures linked to 14.6, it's possible there's a hardware or software bug that's causing the problem, and if that's the case, Apple may eventually offer more help to HomePod users.

There is no known fix for HomePod users at this time, but avoiding beta software is recommended, and those who are highly concerned about failures may also want to stop using the HomePods in stereo mode for the time being until more information is available or a new software update is released to address any possible issues.

One MacRumors reader said that his failure was caused by a diode that failed and he was able to replace the diode and get the HomePod working again, but it is not clear if this is the same issue that others are experiencing nor is it reasonable for HomePod owners to have to tear down their speakers to solder on a new component.

Article Link: HomePod Users Complain of Sudden Failures, Could Be Linked to 14.6 and 15 Updates

I've been having good luck with the Homepod ever since the day I was thinking about selling it but decided to keep it. Before that it kept disconnecting for some reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: peanuts_of_pathos
This is exactly why I always hold off on updates; my one HomePod is still on 14.5, and it'll stay that way for a while longer now. Let others be the guinea pigs and test it. These events are rare, but I'd rather avoid the headache entirely. It's either things like this, or more frequently, updates that cripple or remove features.
That's just it; iOS 14.6 came out on May 24th. That's well over a month ago, more than most people who "hold off on updates" will wait, and long enough for devices to have automatically updated by now.

If this is related to 14.6 there's going to be a LOT of bricked HomePods out there.
 
Lost one in June.
I never use betas. $1500 worth of this fake hardware still to fail in my place.
Wonderful sounding 40 year old Klipsch speakers powered through a separate amplifier still beautiful. I was a total dunce to buy the HomePods that apparently can croak at the appearance of an unsound series of 1’s and 0’s and aboard which the lovely sound architecture is married to electronics that are designed not to be replaced or updated.
S T U P I D.
Like the pun, “unsound”?
This is maybe the third time in my long use of Apple stuff that they have made me feel like a moron for believing that I could rely on them. Thanks, guys.
 
I just went to check if my HomePod stereo pair was warm on the top, and they were both concerning hot.
They are running 14.6 in stereo mode, but not connected to any ATV and the HomePods have not been in use for the last 24 hours. They are not the Hub in my HomeKit setup either.
They have never been hot to the touch before; this is something recent.
I powered them both off and will wait for the next update. They are both out of warranty and I really don't want them to brick. My Homepod mini's seems to be completely fine.
 
So, Apple does not offer any support if you have a beta installed, that sucks big time, think if I would follow up here where I reside (Somewhere in the EU) and sue them I would easily win.
There's a flaw in hardware/software, if a company releases bad software which destroys your device they should be held accountable, even if it's beta software.
If the device fails due to bad software/hardware design after warranty has passed a company should still be held accountable, see the car manufacturers, mine got a recall when it was 23 years old (Mazda 323).
 
HomePods are great and all but I had one stop working a year to the day that its AppleCare expired. Read around it had something to do with the power supply or something to that effect. Cost me $270 to have it replaced. To this day I’ve never had better sounding/integration into ecosystem speakers. Apple should be held much more accountable for an accessory as costly as this one.
 
Wow, just checked my three HomePods and they all felt pretty warm on top (especially to not be playing music or doing anything). They all seemed to be responding but I unplugged them anyway until this is sorted. All on 14.6.
 
EGAD. I have the TVOS 15 beta on the ATV4K my homepod stereo pair is connected to, but the homepods do not have any beta on them. Fingers crossed.
Same here. Didn't even know there was beta for HomePods (not that I would install anyway). Hoping they continue to run with no issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: peanuts_of_pathos
I have 2 HomePods in a stereo pair to the AppleTV. One of them randomly stopped working last week and had blinking volume lights. A reset did nothing. Apple support said it was a known issue and to book a genius appointment. The genius said it ISNT a known issue. They don’t know why it suddenly stopped working and all they could do is sell me a new one as it’s over 12 months old. Feel totally fobbed off. Neither of my HomePods or AppleTV are running beta versions. 🤬 I’m now left with an expensive blinking paperweight as apple have no interest in working out why it’s stopped working or what the blinking lights mean.
I am sure 1 or two class action lawsuits will change apples stance on this. No reason these devices should be randomly dying like some are experiencing.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.