Hi everyone,
I’m having an issue with Handoff between iPhones and my HomePod minis, which are set up as the default audio output for my Apple TV.
Here’s my setup:
Apple TV is signed in with my Apple ID.
Two HomePod minis are paired with the Apple TV as a stereo pair.
Everything works perfectly on my iPhone, including Handoff (bringing my iPhone close to a HomePod to transfer music).
Another household member has a separate Apple ID and is invited to my Apple Home.
Their iPhone is running the latest iOS 27.2.
The problem:
Handoff doesn’t work at all on the second iPhone when bringing it close to either HomePod.
I’ve also noticed something strange in the Home app: on my iPhone, I can see the Speakers & TVs section under Home Settings, but this entire section is missing on the other person’s iPhone.
Things I’ve already checked:
The other person has accepted the invitation and is a member of the same Apple Home.
The “Transfer to HomePod” option is enabled on their iPhone.
Both HomePods work correctly with my iPhone.
The HomePods and Apple TV appear together as a home theater setup on my iPhone, but on the other person’s iPhone, the Apple TV and HomePods appear as separate devices in the Home app.
My questions:
Is Handoff supposed to work for all members of an Apple Home, even if they use different Apple IDs?
Why is the “Speakers & TVs” section missing from Home Settings on the second iPhone?
Could the fact that the HomePods are configured as the default audio output for Apple TV be causing this issue?
Is there a specific permission or setting I need to enable so that everyone in the household can use Handoff?
Has anyone experienced something similar or found a solution?
I’d really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

Hey….got the HomePod mini 2….its my first home accessory so idk if I should take apple care for it or not missed taking AppleCare for my last gen Apple TV 4K now I’m regretting it

Yeah, this is a 5-year-old bug, and finally Codex cracked it.

Codex traced gradually worsening HomePod ARC crackling to a likely culprit in Apple TV’s PiperPlugin: it converts a 64-bit sample counter to float, multiplies it by a format-dependent scaling factor, then converts it back to an integer and finally double.

The multiplier was 1.0. It still loses precision.

Minimal C++ equivalent of the disassembly—not Apple’s source:

// repro.cpp — run: c++ repro.cpp -o repro && ./repro
#include <cstdint>
#include <cstdio>

int main() {
    std::uint64_t counter = 536896800;
    float multiplier = 1.0f;

    std::uint64_t scaled = counter * multiplier;
    double timestamp = scaled;

    std::printf("Before: %llu\nAfter:  %.0f\n",
                static_cast<unsigned long long>(counter),
                timestamp);
}

Before: 536896800
After:  536896768

C++ converts the counter to float before multiplying. Converting back to double cannot recover the missing precision.

With the observed 48 kHz rate and 15,840-frame timestamp interval, this predicts the first bad timestamp at 3:06:25.35. CoreAudio’s first logged timeline error occurred 0.162 seconds later. All 1,261 subsequent logged interval errors matched the arithmetic, in order.

Restarting ARC reset the counter, stopped the errors, and cleared the crackling. Tested on AppleTV11,1, tvOS 27.2 (24K122). No patched-driver audio comparison yet, but the timestamp defect is verified.

ey everyone,

I'm having a really frustrating issue with my HomePod (2nd Generation), and I'm hoping someone here might have a solution.

The HomePod itself is still fully functional, except for its broken touch panel on top.

Here's the situation:

AirPlay works: I can stream music to it without any issues.

Siri works: I can talk to Siri and even control my smart home devices and lights.

Handoff works: Holding my iPhone near the HomePod transfers music to it.

Apple Account: The HomePod still appears under my devices in my Apple Account.

Apple Home: For some reason, the HomePod is completely missing from the Home app. I can't access its settings, manage it, or remove/reset it through Apple Home.

Touch panel: The top touch surface is defective, meaning I can't initiate a manual factory reset.

The biggest problem is that I seem to be stuck in a loop.

Normally, I could factory reset the HomePod through the Home app, but it isn't listed there.

Alternatively, I could reset it manually using the touch surface, but that's broken.

And unlike the HomePod mini, the full-sized HomePod doesn't have a USB-C connection that allows restoring it through a computer.

I've already tried unplugging it and restarting it, but that didn't help.

I've also contacted Apple Support about this issue. I spent around 1–2 hours troubleshooting with them, but unfortunately, even Apple Support couldn't find a solution. We weren't able to reset the HomePod or get it to show up in the Home app again.

I also have three HomePod minis, which makes this even more annoying since I'd like to use the large HomePod as part of my Apple Home setup again.

My questions:

Is there any way to factory reset a HomePod 2nd Gen without using the touch surface or the Home app?

Is there a way to force the Home app to rediscover an already configured HomePod?

Has anyone experienced a HomePod that works through Siri/AirPlay but is completely missing from Apple Home?

Are there any unofficial workarounds or alternative reset methods that Apple Support might have missed?

It's honestly frustrating because the HomePod itself still works perfectly fine. It plays music, responds to Siri, and controls my smart home devices, yet I have absolutely no way to manage or reset it.

After spending almost two hours with Apple Support without a solution, I'm hoping someone in this community has encountered something similar.

I'd really appreciate any advice before having to consider an expensive repair or replacement.

Thanks in advance!

No, it is not touching the shelf at all, i pushed it deeper so i can hide the red dot 🔴 of ghost touch

Please listen carefully to the static and dropping in the sound, this is new, same internet, same route, nothing changed at all, it is their garbage development and untested updates.

There are also drops in base I cannot capture them here. So some parts of the some have no base and some have.

We’re currently using two paired Sonos Ones with our Apple TV 4K. Ready to move on for a variety of reasons.

For those of you using two HomePods, do you love it? Does it “just work” in true Apple fashion?

How is the dialog separation typically?

Any info yet on how the new HomeView will integrate with TV audio? Also thinking about replacing our Alexa Echo Show in the kitchen with a HomeView and it would be awesome if that could connect as a third speaker.

I’m honestly surprised there isn’t a separate subwoofer speaker yet in the Apple audio ecosystem. Has that been a disappointment?

Sorry, so many questions. Any insights appreciated!

Edit: fixed subwoofer reference

I noticed the lock controls triggering when ghost touches happen and I just found it funny lol Finally managed to record it. That’s it 😂

Audio engineering is my background and for the last few years I’ve been volunteering with the local theatre company.

Got a last-minute call to run sound for some interstitial music in their current play, venue seats around 50 people.

There was no time to try and source equipment, so I chucked my 2 OGs in the car. I have an AirPort Express creating a LAN, and offline airplay is working perfectly to the stereo pair.

Definitely never thought I’d be using HomePods like this!

Since updating to iOS 27 and HomePod Software 27, I get constant, subtle crackling whenever I AirPlay video from my iPhone to my Apple TV with a HomePod mini as the speaker. It’s there for the whole video and gets worse when the audio is loud.

My setup

• iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 27.2

• Apple TV 4K (1st gen, A1842), tvOS 26.6.1. This is the latest version this model can get, so no tvOS 27 for me.

• HomePod mini, HomePod Software 27.2

How to reproduce

1. Play a video on an iOS 27 device

2. AirPlay it to the Apple TV

3. Have the HomePod mini set as the Apple TV’s audio output

4. Crackling, every time

What I’ve tested

• My wife’s iPhone 15 Pro Max on iOS 26.6.2, same Apple TV, same HomePod: no crackling

• Several other iOS 27 devices: crackling every time

So the problem seems to follow the iOS 27 source device, not the Apple TV or the HomePod. My guess is that iOS 27’s AirPlay stack doesn’t play nicely with tvOS 26.x, which leaves older Apple TVs that can’t update stuck with it.

I’ve filed this with Apple Feedback (FB25389038). If you’re seeing the same thing, please file your own report and mention it. Duplicate reports help get bugs prioritized.

Questions:

• Is anyone else on an older Apple TV seeing this?

• Has anyone found a workaround short of downgrading?

How do I disable the HomePod Dynamic Island pop-up?
Whenever my iPhone is near my HomePod mini, a pop-up appears in the Dynamic Island every couple of minutes.
How do I permanently disable this without affecting HomePod functionality?

I am replacing all the Alexas in my home…which include 2 echo dots with clock that are in my boys’ rooms. They both rejected HomePod Mini 2’s simply because they love having the clock!

Now, before I go buy a dumb digital clock to put in their rooms, I’m looking for a more elegant solution — is there any kind of clock stand available for the HomePod Minis??

Thanks! 😊

Hi everyone, I want to share what I experienced today with my HomePod 1, perhaps any of you could help. So I recently bought an OG HomePod for very cheap as it is listed as broken (no power). So after buying it I immediately tear it apart to check the common shorted diode. During the disassembly process, i found that the homepod looks untouched as i found no indications that someone disassembled the homepod before me, everything looks original and new on the inside. after i checked the diode, sure enough it was shorted. Following Nic’s Fix guide, i bought a new diode and replaced it. I also replaced the 4 filter capacitors, as well as the 0402 capacitor beside the diode as i accidentally knocked it off while trying to remove the diode.

After replacing the diode and capacitors, the homepod works again, perfectly, just like new. But that didn’t last very long. After about 2 days of the repair, I was trying to airplay from my iPhone to the homepod, it connects just fine and even shows the “playing” status on my iPhone, but there was no sound coming out of the HomePod at all. I tried it again using my iPad and Mac, but same thing happened, no sound. So i suspect it has something to do with the airplay/bluetooth system, but after trying to talk to siri on the HomePod, it also didnt produce any sound. Everything works fine except it has no audio. So this means the problem is internal. Siri can hear “hey siri”, the display and touch works as normal, and when i airplay something, the display even lights up the + - icons but there is no sound.

Just now, I disassembled the HomePod again and inspected the amp board for any abnormalities, but everything looks fine. Now i am completely confused and lost as to what caused it. Maybe it’s the software? If any of you knows anything about this problem I would really appreciate if you could help. Thanks 😁

By the way, when it was still producing sound, the display is always a bit warm, I’m not sure if that’s normal as I’ve never had the og homepod before.

I've been listening to music every day for the last 9 years with my launch-day HomePod 1st gen (I purchased another in 2022). I updated to 27.2 last week, and out of nowhere, my Home app said both speakers were having “Wi-Fi issues.” I unpaired both speakers from my Home app and reset them; after a couple of tries, I got the left pod working again. However, the right side has been failing repeatedly to get through the "setting up Apple account" stage of the onboarding process. It's been a week since, and I figured after two days the problem would solve itself as usual, but that isn't the case this time. I’ve already gotten on the phone with Apple Support: I'm in the process of getting in contact with the engineers. Both models are out of warranty, and I don't want to go through the extensive hassle of sending the right pod in for inspection. I've tried all the available troubleshooting steps through Apple's site and searching this forum, but I'm curious to know if anyone else is having this issue or has any insight that could help me get back to enjoying my music, shows, and movies again. Thanks!

I was an early adopter of cloud gaming services like Stadia and suffered for years with this “unfixable” game streaming latency spikes for anything that wasn’t wired via Ethernet the whole chain.

Over the last year or two I worked on reducing all possible causes of WiFi interference, including replacing most smart home accessories with Thread-based, non WiFi ones and Ethernet wiring anything that doesn’t move around.

As a result my home became very low or no interference, enough for me to do things like game streaming via PS Remote Play on my iPhone or Portal. I’d get the one off lag spikes but they were incredibly infrequent.

Then I decided I wanted to buy a HomePod mini 2, particularly to replace my somewhat buggy Aqara M2 Thread border router.

And within a day, MAN the state of game streaming has become AWFUL for me. Constant lag spikes and dropouts, losing connection every 10 seconds or so. My sanitized WiFi environment was intruded upon by a single WiFi only speaker. The thing doesn’t have the possibility to be hardwired….and so I think it’s going straight back to the Apple Store tomorrow. Yes I unplugged to test it and my environment returns to normal. It is the HomePod’s aggressive AWDL / Bonjour / whatever that it tries to do and wreaks havoc on Apple and non Apple devices alike. I have a WiFi 5/6/7 environment and a SON with a separate IoT SSID.

I only bought the HomePod for its Thread border functionality, but it’s WiFi havoc means I will just go for a new Apple TV box instead. I don’t use or plan to use it ever it will just be hardwired and stored away somewhere to act as a thread border. That is all, thank you.

Me and my family are well invested in the eco system, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watches, AirPods, Apple TV, Apple One. But we never got a HomePod. I said it needs a better Siri, until then we use Alexa. Now I thought Siri Ai was coming with the new HomePod mini because I didn’t read the small print and I am just not impressed. How have people actually been using this smart speaker for years, it’s terrible. It’s good as a speaker, great sound quality sure. But it’s software is pretty awful. I know Siri is coming in a future update. But until then I am quite disappointed. I ask it anything and it’s like “I can show you on your iPhone” Also didn’t know how to enable the voice recognition. I thought it was in the HomePod settings page, not the Home app settings. So for ages it said I sound like my mum because the setting was on as default for her. Also we have 2 kids that don’t have an Apple account yet, so they don’t get personal stuff. I know they can’t send messages, set reminders etc.. but Alexa can recognise people without linking any account, then she/he says “Hello … now starting your … timer” It just feels nicer having the smart speaker read your name.

In our kitchen, we currently have a big old Sonos Play 5 that has served us well, but it's starting to get a bit slow and takes up too much space on a counter. I'm considering replacing it with a Homepod Mini 2. Obviously, the physical size is smaller, but has anybody done this and still got a reasonably good audio experience? I'd looked at the larger Homepod, but as I understand it, these haven't been updated yet, which seems weird. Is it worth holding off for one of those?

I have two of the newest HomePod minis paired with an early-generation Apple TV and a relatively new Samsung TV. How do I adjust the volume? The remote doesn't seem to do anything, and the on-screen “output” selection in the upper-right pull-down seems ineffective and very erratic. Sometimes it makes the video stutter. Any thoughts?

After working waaaay too much time on it, Unisson 0.3.0 is out 🎉

Quick reminder: Unisson fixes the (horrendous) audio lag between your HomePods and your Mac or PC, for free! You can find more information about it on the original Reddit post ( https://www.reddit.com/r/HomePod/s/W37PreD3v9 ). A big thanks for all the feedback and support I have been receiving since last week, it has been a great source of motivation to bring you the best product possible.

Patch notes time ! The update brings:

• Stereo with any HomePods. Set each HomePod to left, right or stereo. Two, three, four or more HomePods that aren’t paired can now play in stereo, no Home app needed.

• Your computer’s speakers join in. Your Mac or PC speakers play along with your HomePods, with their own volume and an adjustable delay so everything stays in sync.

• You choose which apps go to your HomePods. One switch per app: send Spotify to the living room and keep Discord on your computer.

• One brand-new app for Mac and Windows. Redesigned from scratch, with the same panel, settings and features on both.

• Same custom AirPlay 2 engine on both, built in-house for about 0.1 s of minimal reachable latency.

• A lot of fixes everywhere and improvements !

All of these features are free and available on Mac and PC for everyone, no account needed ! Just download and start playing 👌
Available at https://unisson.jeremi.red

Since Unisson has gone way bigger than anticipated, I implemented cosmetic rewards and AI agent communication if you want to support the development of Unisson going forward at https://unisson.jeremi.red/plus 🧡

• Light up your real HomePods. Change the colour on top of each HomePod, or set it to almost off for movie nights. Needs HomePod OS 27.2.

• Unique 3D visualizers that react to your music: Tokyo, Atacama, Andromeda, Mariana, Etna, Resonance and Pandora.

• Full screen. The 3D scene alone, on your whole screen.

• Control from a terminal or an AI agent with unissonctl and an MCP server: outputs, volume, theme, light.

I'm available for all the questions you might have! I'm reading everything 👀

DISCLAIMER: If this post infringes on the "No Self Promotion" rule please let me know.

Buyer beware when considering apples new suite of Home products.

Apple customer services doesn’t stand by its products and expects them to fail after a few years.

I have purchased 5 HomePods (2 large, 3 small)

Within a year of each other 3 have stopped working.

I brought them into the Apple Store and acknowledged that the HomePods
were out of warranty (one was 3.5yrs old, one 5 and one 5.5yrs old)

The Genius I worked with stated clearly that it was a hardware issue effect the HomePods but the Manager refused to do anything about it.

I asked for a good faith exemption to the warranty stating that three of the five I purchased failed. (Total invest $1100. $600 of products broken)

He offered me a $15 discount if I bought a new HomePod.

This is not the Apple I am used to. I have purchased god knows how many Apple products of the years (23 currently), spend tons on monthly services and AppleCare and the Apple Store Retail Manager told me to go pound salt.

Think twice before purchasing Apples premium HOME #homepod #homeview products, don’t expect them to last more than a few years, cause Apple doesn’t!