HomePod HomePods are getting worse with updates

[Rradcircless]

I sent the following to Apple Support:

Experience with HomePods has deteriorated after recent updates.

'Siri' and 'Hey Siri' barely works, HomePods only hears me when I shout even when the room is silent and no media is playing.

HomePods are connected to Apple TV 4K latest model and today they did not respond to volume controls on Siri Remote. I had to shout, "Hey Siri, turn down the volume," and the HomePods stopped the media altogether.

Siri often misunderstands requests for songs via Apple Music, recently playing 'Do You Mind' by DJ Khaled when I requested "Just the Memories' by Nicki Minaj".

This consistently worsening experience makes me anxious to use HomePods and unsure which is the most reliable control method for them. Reminder, all control methods should work without fault, voice, remote, touch, AirPlay.

 

[erihp]

Haven’t had any issues pop up after an upgrade as you are describing.

 

[ghanwani]

OP which model do you have?

 

[Itinj24]

I sent the following to Apple Support:

Experience with HomePods has deteriorated after recent updates.

'Siri' and 'Hey Siri' barely works, HomePods only hears me when I shout even when the room is silent and no media is playing.

HomePods are connected to Apple TV 4K latest model and today they did not respond to volume controls on Siri Remote. I had to shout, "Hey Siri, turn down the volume," and the HomePods stopped the media altogether.

Siri often misunderstands requests for songs via Apple Music, recently playing 'Do You Mind' by DJ Khaled when I requested "Just the Memories' by Nicki Minaj".

This consistently worsening experience makes me anxious to use HomePods and unsure which is the most reliable control method for them. Reminder, all control methods should work without fault, voice, remote, touch, AirPlay.

Been on a steady decline with every Software update since they came out in 2018. There was one update that flat out just bricked these things. Think it was 13.1 or something like that.

 

[Arran]

It's definitely got worse in the last couple of months.

I've had them ignore me completely. They're also getting more things wrong (which is kind of par for the course) and yesterday Siri insisted an album that's been in my library for decades (originally ripped) was NOT in my library.

After a shouting match, it finally played. Kind of embarassing.

(Platform: Gen 2 with Apple One Premier sub.)

 

[dotnet]

I hate when they win over the Apple TV in the selection the Home hub. When that happens, most of my Home devices show as “not responding”. There doesn’t appear to be a way of manually overriding the Home hub selection, so the only solution is powering off the HomePods for a while and hoping they don’t take over again.

 

[Rradcircless]

OP which model do you have?

Second generation.

 

[ghanwani]

Second generation.

Wow. I thought maybe it was 1st gen and that would explain it since one of the selling points of 2nd gen is that it’s better at processing commands.

 

[stocklen]

The whole experience remains as ropey today as its ever been.

I have 8 HomePods - 2 pairs - and multi-room sound in 6 rooms as a result.

Every update I remain hopeful they will be more reliable. Every update ive been disappointed. Not even major updates such as iOS16, 17 etc have made a difference.

What I find when using multi room music is that if im lucky.... maybe 80% of the time it works without issues.... if im lucky.
It's never 100%. When its worked 5 times in a row I think to myself "this is good" and yet I always speak too soon and the whole thing breaks down.

Right now, we are in a bad patch - id say 10% of the time I can get it working.., playing 'everywhere' without an issue. The rest of my attempts it says its doing something then just remains silent... some HomePods have the glowing white light as if they are playing but they arent... rooms are missing.. speakers cut out from a pair....

I just with they would fix this or at least get to the bottom of why it happens.

 

[Lee_Bo]

I bought one several years ago.

So far I’ve used it twice.

 

[erihp]

The whole experience remains as ropey today as its ever been.

I have 8 HomePods - 2 pairs - and multi-room sound in 6 rooms as a result.

Every update I remain hopeful they will be more reliable. Every update ive been disappointed. Not even major updates such as iOS16, 17 etc have made a difference.

What I find when using multi room music is that if im lucky.... maybe 80% of the time it works without issues.... if im lucky.
It's never 100%. When its worked 5 times in a row I think to myself "this is good" and yet I always speak too soon and the whole thing breaks down.

Right now, we are in a bad patch - id say 10% of the time I can get it working.., playing 'everywhere' without an issue. The rest of my attempts it says its doing something then just remains silent... some HomePods have the glowing white light as if they are playing but they arent... rooms are missing.. speakers cut out from a pair....

I just with they would fix this or at least get to the bottom of why it happens.

just as another data point here, my multi-room airplay synced playback works very well. even between homepod minis and airplay express devices. One difference, I dont use homepods in a stereo pair. Where I want stereo imaging, i use an airplay express, amp, and two speakers.

 

[cardfan]

When i hear they have an update it's fingers crossed they don't brick.

 

[stocklen]

just as another data point here, my multi-room airplay synced playback works very well. even between homepod minis and airplay express devices. One difference, I dont use homepods in a stereo pair. Where I want stereo imaging, i use an airplay express, amp, and two speakers.

interesting to add also for me.....

My experiences are based around using SIRI to control the speakers.

"SIRI, play music everywhere".
"SIRI, play music downstairs".

This is where things just get ropey.

If, however, I admit defeat and reach for my iPhone... and start playing music on that and THEN I use the airplay option to manually select all the speakers I want.....
... generally that works 99% of the time.

 

[erihp]

interesting to add also for me.....

My experiences are based around using SIRI to control the speakers.

"SIRI, play music everywhere".
"SIRI, play music downstairs".

This is where things just get ropey.

If, however, I admit defeat and reach for my iPhone... and start playing music on that and THEN I use the airplay option to manually select all the speakers I want.....
... generally that works 99% of the time.

i can say i have also had this happen when trying to use siri initiate adding zones.

 

[Alicia1]

HomePods are connected to Apple TV 4K latest model and today they did not respond to volume controls on Siri Remote. I had to shout, "Hey Siri, turn down the volume," and the HomePods stopped the media altogether.

I also have a pair of 2nd gen homepods and the latest apple TV and I also experience the volume controls not working. It is frustrating and I find I have to turn the power off at the point on the Apple TV, turn it back on again, wait a minute or so and then it all works ok again. Sometimes I also have to restart the homepods.

My original homepods don't seem to do this with an older Apple TV in another room.

Not sure if it is an apple TV, remote, or homepod issue.