HomePod The wrong HomePod mini responds

[stocklen]

I have a multi room setup with HomePod minis.

Two pairs, and 3 individuals.

Today, regardless of which HomePod was nearest or which I was talking to…. One specific one responded every time. AnnoYingly the one furthest away and well out of earshot.

Even if I was downstairs 2 feet away from a HomePod, when I said hey Siri I heard faintly in the background the upstairs HomePod reply.

So annoying.

Also hey Siri turn on the lights just wouldn’t work given that the HomePod I spoke to and which clearly heard me was not the one that was responding.

Really frustrating. Anyone know why this might be happening?

 

[StumpyBloke]

Happens to me all the time. Others have posted the same thing. Don’t know why, but in my experience, as I’ve mentioned dozens of times, the HomeKit/HomePod setup has got massively worse since the release of iOS/HomePod audio 15 software. It’s still no better with 15.2 either (current beta).

 

[stocklen]

Thanks stumpybloke.

This spontaneously started yesterday afternoon.

Usually they work OK. No the most reliable of things (replaced a more reliable Alexa multi room setup)....

But interestingly this morning all back to normal. I was expecting to have to power cycle the lot but wasnt necessary.

So strange. Very annoying.

When this happens (done it maybe 3 times in the past) then the whole system is useless. You can ask a HomePod to turn on the light, and that annoying one that takes all the commands turns on the wrong light in the wrong room.

 

[stocklen]

I spoke too soon.

Jen I got home it’s back to not working.

Only the bedroom HomePod responds. There’s no way it can hear my commands but it’s the one that replies.

 

[Itinj24]

Just got this issue for the first time last night. Speaking softly and directly at a HomePod from a few inches away and a HomePod in a different room picked up. Tried a few times. Was working fine during the day and prior.

 

[stocklen]

Just got this issue for the first time last night. Speaking softly and directly at a HomePod from a few inches away and a HomePod in a different room picked up. Tried a few times. Was working fine during the day and prior.

Thats interesting.

Im pleased its not only me.....

I have had this happen before but it seems to 'clear itself' - though i recall in frustration I did go through the house unplugging each HomePod but as I have 7 of them and they dont have an off switch its a bit of a pain scrabbling down on the floor and behind furniture pulling out plugs. We could do with a 'restart' option in the home app for such eventualities.

Ive no idea why this happens but clearly theres a software issue here.

I guess its not all that common for people to have more than a couple of HomePods around the house although clearly the system is supposed to handle many.

Its so frustrating when you talk to a HomePod then you hear in the faint distance in another room another one reply. There is no way the one thats replying could have heard the command.

I could understand this if you talked loudly and perhaps the HomePod in the adjacent room responded instead - this is an acceptable idiosyncrasy of the system and the sensitivity of the mics... but this is not whats happening here.

 

[Itinj24]

Thats interesting.

Im pleased its not only me.....

I have had this happen before but it seems to 'clear itself' - though i recall in frustration I did go through the house unplugging each HomePod but as I have 7 of them and they dont have an off switch its a bit of a pain scrabbling down on the floor and behind furniture pulling out plugs. We could do with a 'restart' option in the home app for such eventualities.

Ive no idea why this happens but clearly theres a software issue here.

I guess its not all that common for people to have more than a couple of HomePods around the house although clearly the system is supposed to handle many.

Its so frustrating when you talk to a HomePod then you hear in the faint distance in another room another one reply. There is no way the one thats replying could have heard the command.

I could understand this if you talked loudly and perhaps the HomePod in the adjacent room responded instead - this is an acceptable idiosyncrasy of the system and the sensitivity of the mics... but this is not whats happening here.

I believe the HomePod Mini was designed and priced to entice more people to have multiple units in their house. I currently have nine OGs and seven Minis. Never had a problem like this until last night. I did always consciously direct my voice at the intended HomePod with a volume that shouldn’t be mistaken by another HomePod but I’ve grown to realize that the software driving the HomePod is just pure crap. Enjoy it when it works and be frustrated when it doesn’t, hoping for the next update lol. That’s true with most Apple products in the past few years actually. iOS 15 had been a joke. Most of the highlighted features for it delivered at WWDC don’t work for me or my wife.

 

[estabya]

My 3 minis do the same thing randomly. I am wanting to get several more for additional rooms and some stereo pairs, but honestly if the software doesn't get fixed I'll probably look for a different solution.

 

[stocklen]

I believe the HomePod Mini was designed and priced to entice more people to have multiple units in their house. I currently have nine OGs and seven Minis. Never had a problem like this until last night. I did always consciously direct my voice at the intended HomePod with a volume that shouldn’t be mistaken by another HomePod but I’ve grown to realize that the software driving the HomePod is just pure crap. Enjoy it when it works and be frustrated when it doesn’t, hoping for the next update lol. That’s true with most Apple products in the past few years actually. iOS 15 had been a joke. Most of the highlighted features for it delivered at WWDC don’t work for me or my wife.

Very interesting.

I thought I had a lot at 7, but you have me beaten hands down.

Im totally the same. Im quite used to multi room multi speaker setups having previously had a house full of Amazon Echos and I fully understand that very occasionally the 'wrong one' will answer.

This, however, isn't the same issue at all. A single HomePod in a far away room gets 'stuck' as the ONLY one to reply and respond regardless of which actual HomePod heard you.

So very annoying and actually removes a vital piece of functionality as in 'turn on the lights' as it will only do it in the room with the HomePod Hog!

Over the last few days this has been on and off and today again its back to not working.

I do feel that the solution will be a mass unplug and plug back in exercise but Ill do that when I can be bothered at the weekend maybe. Fixed it last time but no guarantee it doesnt happen again, again.

I agree completely its just software. Its a shame as the system is fine, and in some ways is superior to the Amazon Echo setup it replaced but it needs to get the basics right here especially as it is intended to be the hub of the home and control the smart home reliably.

We can only hope this gets fixed.

Im wondering how and if to report this specific issue to Apple. I mean, how many HomePod users have multiple devices in multiple rooms? Im guessing a small proportion of the owners. Perhaps the more you have the more susceptible it is to this weird problem.
I am loathed to call them and talk it through as they wont have a clue and ill only be lead down the route of unplugging which I know will fix the issue anyway. I want a permanent solution and the problem flagged as real and needing fixing.

 

[Itinj24]

Very interesting.

I thought I had a lot at 7, but you have me beaten hands down.

Im totally the same. Im quite used to multi room multi speaker setups having previously had a house full of Amazon Echos and I fully understand that very occasionally the 'wrong one' will answer.

This, however, isn't the same issue at all. A single HomePod in a far away room gets 'stuck' as the ONLY one to reply and respond regardless of which actual HomePod heard you.

So very annoying and actually removes a vital piece of functionality as in 'turn on the lights' as it will only do it in the room with the HomePod Hog!

Over the last few days this has been on and off and today again its back to not working.

I do feel that the solution will be a mass unplug and plug back in exercise but Ill do that when I can be bothered at the weekend maybe. Fixed it last time but no guarantee it doesnt happen again, again.

I agree completely its just software. Its a shame as the system is fine, and in some ways is superior to the Amazon Echo setup it replaced but it needs to get the basics right here especially as it is intended to be the hub of the home and control the smart home reliably.

We can only hope this gets fixed.

Im wondering how and if to report this specific issue to Apple. I mean, how many HomePod users have multiple devices in multiple rooms? Im guessing a small proportion of the owners. Perhaps the more you have the more susceptible it is to this weird problem.
I am loathed to call them and talk it through as they wont have a clue and ill only be lead down the route of unplugging which I know will fix the issue anyway. I want a permanent solution and the problem flagged as real and needing fixing.

FWIW, the following day, my HomePods were acting normally with respect to which one picks up the query.

Try invoking Siri by tapping and holding on the top of the one you want to control. That may jar something and unf*ck it.

 

[stocklen]

FWIW, the following day, my HomePods were acting normally with respect to which one picks up the query.

Try invoking Siri by tapping and holding on the top of the one you want to control. That may jar something and unf*ck it.

great idea.

I tried it and although tapping and holding forces the specific HomePod to respond for that one request... when you use hey siri it just reverts back to the rogue homepod responding.


checked again this morning and its steadfastly back to the rogue HomePod taking all requests for the house regardless of the one closest.

So.... very... annoying.

 

[Itinj24]

great idea.

I tried it and although tapping and holding forces the specific HomePod to respond for that one request... when you use hey siri it just reverts back to the rogue homepod responding.


checked again this morning and its steadfastly back to the rogue HomePod taking all requests for the house regardless of the one closest.

So.... very... annoying.

Damn sorry… was hoping that would be an easy fix. Have you done anything yet with regards to troubleshooting? Unplugging, restarting in the Home app, rebooting network (this also fixes a lot of HomeKit issues), hard rebooting your iPhone (if they’re set up under your AppleID… this has fixed some HomeKit issues for me in the past as well).

 

[stocklen]

Damn sorry… was hoping that would be an easy fix. Have you done anything yet with regards to troubleshooting? Unplugging, restarting in the Home app, rebooting network (this also fixes a lot of HomeKit issues), hard rebooting your iPhone (if they’re set up under your AppleID… this has fixed some HomeKit issues for me in the past as well).

im not sure the iPhone itself can be at fault - but i know in the past an unplug should fix things.

As ive mentioned its a pain, as im sure you can appreciate having so many HomePods yourself, to scrabble around on the floor and behind furniture to switch off and on again - but seems its my only recourse right now.

A house full of amazon echos was not flawless, and occasionally needed a reboot but with them you just pulled the cord out the back and plugged it back in.

Hopefully Apple can address this software issue in the future - just a shame there are such long gaps in-between iOS iterations.

 

[jimmysalg]

Happens to me all the time. Others have posted the same thing. Don’t know why, but in my experience, as I’ve mentioned dozens of times, the HomeKit/HomePod setup has got massively worse since the release of iOS/HomePod audio 15 software. It’s still no better with 15.2 either (current beta).

Correct and there are a bunch of threads talking about these problems. Its such a shame. I had to get rid of my OGs because of the "popping" and ultimate demise that would have come. But now I have 6 minis and the random issues just continue to grow!

 

[DJLC]

I've fought with this for a long time... if I say "Hey Siri," I never know if my watch, iPhone, Mac, HomePod mini, or Ecobee thermostat will respond. It's a complete crap-shoot. Sometimes I can whisper to my phone in my bedroom and still hear the response coming from the kitchen HomePod mini.

Can't quite recall if it has gotten worse since iOS 15, but it certainly isn't new and frustrates me to no end. I disabled Siri on the Ecobee only because it kept responding to everything.

What IS new? Siri has gotten notably dumber. The other day, I asked my HomePod mini what the outdoor temperature was. All it could come up with was "weather for where?" even after telling it where. Nevermind that it hasn't physically moved since I set it up. At this point it's easier to just do it myself vs. asking Siri anything. And based on my experience so far, I certainly don't want more HomePod minis.

 

[stocklen]

I've fought with this for a long time... if I say "Hey Siri," I never know if my watch, iPhone, Mac, HomePod mini, or Ecobee thermostat will respond. It's a complete crap-shoot. Sometimes I can whisper to my phone in my bedroom and still hear the response coming from the kitchen HomePod mini.

Can't quite recall if it has gotten worse since iOS 15, but it certainly isn't new and frustrates me to no end. I disabled Siri on the Ecobee only because it kept responding to everything.

What IS new? Siri has gotten notably dumber. The other day, I asked my HomePod mini what the outdoor temperature was. All it could come up with was "weather for where?" even after telling it where. Nevermind that it hasn't physically moved since I set it up. At this point it's easier to just do it myself vs. asking Siri anything. And based on my experience so far, I certainly don't want more HomePod minis.

Siri still has a long way to go.

Ive been surprised having changed from an Alexa house to a HomePod one. I still have a couple of Alexas running as I have devices from Nest and Ring that steadfastly refuse to be HomeKit compatible for now.

You seem to have the same problem as me, in that randomly ONE HomePod decides that it will handle ALL the requests regardless of whether it heard you or not.

To help a bit... if you say 'hey siri' if you have a HomePod in earshot it will ALWAYS respond in preference to your watch, phone, or iPad even if they are technically nearer you - makes sense i suppose as the HomePod will always be further away than your watch and therefore if it didnt function like that it would never work. My advice is that if you specifically want your watch or phone to respond you just have to manually call up siri with the side button.

For this problem its so weird that it comes and goes. Ive found over the last week that it works fine, then snaps back to the single homepod hogging the response... then the next day its OK again. Right now its working fine for me - but I fully expect to find it not working again soon and to keep glitching for a few days.

I just hope apple are aware of this and can fix it. With HomePod minis being cheaper and more ubiquitous they are designed to be in multiple rooms - this is what Apple want after all so they need to fix the software to make it work flawlessly.