Just been to the Apple store (UK), offered out of warranty repair at £250.00. Spoke with the girl about it appearing a for other users, advised me to hold on to HomePods and watch for recall, would keep my case open to flag situation
I have seen similar things at my Apple Store: talk to one rep and
get one answer, talk to another and get a totally different answer.
I
doubt that the typical sales rep or even technician in an Apple Store
even knows about this: they keep blinders on to only know official
Apple Announcements.
That said, I sincerely
hope that Apple would not make the user bear repair and replacement
costs (knowing that you can't replace them anyway!) where the problem
was directly caused by Apple themselves.
... I think her advice to hold on and wait for an official reaction is the best course of action.
Just been to the Apple store (UK), offered out of warranty repair at £250.00. Spoke with the girl about it appearing a for other users, advised me to hold on to HomePods and watch for recall, would keep my case open to flag situation
I have seen similar things at my Apple Store: talk to one rep and
get one answer, talk to another and get a totally different answer.
I
doubt that the typical sales rep or even technician in an Apple Store
even knows about this: they keep blinders on to only know official
Apple Announcements.
That said, I sincerely
hope that Apple would not make the user bear repair and replacement
costs (knowing that you can't replace them anyway!) where the problem
was directly caused by Apple themselves.
... I think her advice to hold on and wait for an official reaction is the best course of action.
She told me they don’t even repair them just replace them with stock they have not for sale.
Rep I spoke to on the phone this morning says she’s had a couple of these calls today so here’s hoping Apple acknowledges it quickly
HomePod is the most vexing product I've ever obtained from Apple. Almost nothing about it works well. I've got 10 HomePods and 5 Minis and there isn't a day in which I don't encounter an error of some kind. Setting timers is a crap shoot because the alarm often goes off on a HomePod that's all the way across the house from the one I set it on. Apple TV pairing often fails, leaving me with no ability to control the audio volume. The only solution is factory reset.
Integration with HomeKit is a mess, with Siri saying she can't do things that I'm easily able to do via buttons on the HomeKit App. Siri often contradicts herself by executing commands while simultaneously saying she can't.
A recent update seems to have improved the widely reported problem of HomePods ignoring Siri volume change requests, but that's still not working 100%.
Your problem (or a significant part of it) may be with your WiFi network. I don't have anywhere close to that number of HomePods, but I do have a number of HomeKit switches and other devices. One could only imagine if you have 15 HomePods, you may have a lot of other things connected to your network as well. There is a limit to the number of devices a router can handle.
Certainly in my case my AirPort routers just weren't able to handle the number of devices I have and keep the network up and stable. The instability problems included some issues with HomePods not functioning as expected. I finally gave up and got a set of Eero Pro mesh routers and the problems went away. Of course, 15 HomePods on the same network is also certain to be an outlier use case, so there may be other issues.
Currently running 9 smart speakers including Sonos-branded, 4 smart displays, a pair of thermostats, a security system that includes connected-sensors in the out-buildings as well as the main house, 5 exterior smart cameras, four smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, several connected lights throughout the home, two smart tv's, two cast devices, plus the typical computers, NAS, Chromebooks and smartphones. I'm not experiencing any connectivity or performance issues on a mediocre 150GB FiOS internet service over a mesh 4 router setup covering the entire property. I wouldn't think 15 Homepods would stress the system so much as to be unreliable.
I saw reports of overheating issues on numerous HomePods running the 15 beta OS a few days ago and now this today on the stable one so I think it's simply a very problematic update series that everyone would be wise to avoid until the fixes are in. Replacing a mini is no big deal, Apple should have plenty of 'em to replace the ones they break, but what to do about the now-discontinued HomePod if their software bricks it?
It's always dicey running betas, and doing so on somewhat expensive non-replaceable devices is more risk than I'd accept. In this case tho I might have fallen victim too if having HomePods since even the stable release is causing some number of failures. That's not something I would have expected.
You missed my point entirely. I had an older WiFi router setup that wasn't able to stably handle an increasing number of connected devices. The other person was describing stability problems with a large number of HomePods. It's not unreasonable to imagine that a person with a lot of those might also have a lot of other wirelessly networked devices. So based on my own experience, I suggested considering that the problem might possibly be with the network rather than the HomePods themselves. Your description of all your devices running stably becomes irrelevant to my point when you note that you already have what appears to be the solution I was suggesting might possibly help @bsimpsen.
HomePod is the most vexing product I've ever obtained from Apple. Almost nothing about it works well. I've got 10 HomePods and 5 Minis and there isn't a day in which I don't encounter an error of some kind. Setting timers is a crap shoot because the alarm often goes off on a HomePod that's all the way across the house from the one I set it on. Apple TV pairing often fails, leaving me with no ability to control the audio volume. The only solution is factory reset.
Integration with HomeKit is a mess, with Siri saying she can't do things that I'm easily able to do via buttons on the HomeKit App. Siri often contradicts herself by executing commands while simultaneously saying she can't.
A recent update seems to have improved the widely reported problem of HomePods ignoring Siri volume change requests, but that's still not working 100%.
Your problem (or a significant part of it) may be with your WiFi network. I don't have anywhere close to that number of HomePods, but I do have a number of HomeKit switches and other devices. One could only imagine if you have 15 HomePods, you may have a lot of other things connected to your network as well. There is a limit to the number of devices a router can handle.
Certainly in my case my AirPort routers just weren't able to handle the number of devices I have and keep the network up and stable. The instability problems included some issues with HomePods not functioning as expected. I finally gave up and got a set of Eero Pro mesh routers and the problems went away. Of course, 15 HomePods on the same network is also certain to be an outlier use case, so there may be other issues.
Currently running 9 smart speakers including Sonos-branded, 4 smart displays, a pair of thermostats, a security system that includes connected-sensors in the out-buildings as well as the main house, 5 exterior smart cameras, four smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, several connected lights throughout the home, two smart tv's, two cast devices, plus the typical computers, NAS, Chromebooks and smartphones. I'm not experiencing any connectivity or performance issues on a mediocre 150GB FiOS internet service over a mesh 4 router setup covering the entire property. I wouldn't think 15 Homepods would stress the system so much as to be unreliable.
I saw reports of overheating issues on numerous HomePods running the 15 beta OS a few days ago and now this today on the stable one so I think it's simply a very problematic update series that everyone would be wise to avoid until the fixes are in. Replacing a mini is no big deal, Apple should have plenty of 'em to replace the ones they break, but what to do about the now-discontinued HomePod if their software bricks it?
It's always dicey running betas, and doing so on somewhat expensive non-replaceable devices is more risk than I'd accept. In this case tho I might have fallen victim too if having HomePods since even the stable release is causing some number of failures. That's not something I would have expected.
You missed my point entirely. I had an older WiFi router setup that wasn't able to stably handle an increasing number of connected devices. The other person was describing stability problems with a large number of HomePods. It's not unreasonable to imagine that a person with a lot of those might also have a lot of other wirelessly networked devices. So based on my own experience, I suggested considering that the problem might possibly be with the network rather than the HomePods themselves. Your description of all your devices running stably becomes irrelevant to my point when you note that you already have what appears to be the solution I was suggesting might possibly help @bsimpsen.
Yes, apparently I did misunderstand your point then. My apologies for not reading more carefully.
Just confirming that my HomePod has been brick after the 14.6 release.
I do not have Apple TV configured in my network. I have Roku.
The only devices that stream to my HomePod or my iPhone, my iPad, or my MacBook Pro.
I have seen other Comments on Reddit and Twitter of people in the same situation as far as not having Apple TV in the configuration.
I think that is a misrepresentation of the problem and it is just a software update issue that Apple needs to acknowledge and communicate a plan to resolve the issue.
HomePod is the most vexing product I've ever obtained from Apple. Almost nothing about it works well. I've got 10 HomePods and 5 Minis and there isn't a day in which I don't encounter an error of some kind. Setting timers is a crap shoot because the alarm often goes off on a HomePod that's all the way across the house from the one I set it on. Apple TV pairing often fails, leaving me with no ability to control the audio volume. The only solution is factory reset.
Integration with HomeKit is a mess, with Siri saying she can't do things that I'm easily able to do via buttons on the HomeKit App. Siri often contradicts herself by executing commands while simultaneously saying she can't.
A recent update seems to have improved the widely reported problem of HomePods ignoring Siri volume change requests, but that's still not working 100%.
Your problem (or a significant part of it) may be with your WiFi network. I don't have anywhere close to that number of HomePods, but I do have a number of HomeKit switches and other devices. One could only imagine if you have 15 HomePods, you may have a lot of other things connected to your network as well. There is a limit to the number of devices a router can handle.
Certainly in my case my AirPort routers just weren't able to handle the number of devices I have and keep the network up and stable. The instability problems included some issues with HomePods not functioning as expected. I finally gave up and got a set of Eero Pro mesh routers and the problems went away. Of course, 15 HomePods on the same network is also certain to be an outlier use case, so there may be other issues.
Currently running 9 smart speakers including Sonos-branded, 4 smart displays, a pair of thermostats, a security system that includes connected-sensors in the out-buildings as well as the main house, 5 exterior smart cameras, four smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, several connected lights throughout the home, two smart tv's, two cast devices, plus the typical computers, NAS, Chromebooks and smartphones. I'm not experiencing any connectivity or performance issues on a mediocre 150GB FiOS internet service over a mesh 4 router setup covering the entire property. I wouldn't think 15 Homepods would stress the system so much as to be unreliable.
I saw reports of overheating issues on numerous HomePods running the 15 beta OS a few days ago and now this today on the stable one so I think it's simply a very problematic update series that everyone would be wise to avoid until the fixes are in. Replacing a mini is no big deal, Apple should have plenty of 'em to replace the ones they break, but what to do about the now-discontinued HomePod if their software bricks it?
It's always dicey running betas, and doing so on somewhat expensive non-replaceable devices is more risk than I'd accept. In this case tho I might have fallen victim too if having HomePods since even the stable release is causing some number of failures. That's not something I would have expected.
In the post you’re replying to he specifically said to try a mesh network (Eero) like you’re doing.
HomePod is the most vexing product I've ever obtained from Apple. Almost nothing about it works well. I've got 10 HomePods and 5 Minis and there isn't a day in which I don't encounter an error of some kind. Setting timers is a crap shoot because the alarm often goes off on a HomePod that's all the way across the house from the one I set it on. Apple TV pairing often fails, leaving me with no ability to control the audio volume. The only solution is factory reset.
Integration with HomeKit is a mess, with Siri saying she can't do things that I'm easily able to do via buttons on the HomeKit App. Siri often contradicts herself by executing commands while simultaneously saying she can't.
A recent update seems to have improved the widely reported problem of HomePods ignoring Siri volume change requests, but that's still not working 100%.
Not to put too much of a fine point on it but 15 HomePods on the same network seems to invite interaction problems. I would guess little testing was done on such a scenario because it’s so out-in-left-field to have that many devices on the same network. I am having no such problems on my small setup.
My son has around 40 Amazon Echo Spot devices and a half dozen third party Alexa devices, all working flawlessly, and at a total system cost far less than mine. His business partner has a similarly large installation, also working flawlessly. Amazon seems able to handle the entire ball field while Apple struggles to cover first base. At this time, I would not recommend anyone go HomePod/HomeKit.
All three homes have wi-fi provided by three eero Pro 6 routers.
ETA: My son's IOT network consists primarily of direct WiFi devices, all his computers and Fire TV sticks are on WiFi. My home's IOT is mostly Lutron Caseta/Hue, operating over bridges. All of our AppleTVs and computers are on Ethernet. My total WiFi traffic load, both in terms of devices and aggregate bandwidth, is a fraction of my son's. Any argument that my installation is somehow beyond Apple's comprehension seems to admit that Amazon's comprehension is superior to Apple's.
Except that’s nonsense, of course. I have over 20 devices connected to my network, many of them HK and Apple gear, and no ball has been dropped. Your entire premise of “AMAZON GOOOD, APPLE BAAAD!” is built on a defective premise. Apple has been doing wifi since 1999, with the first mass consumer wifi device (iBook) and later the industry’s first 802.11g router, AirPort Base Station. Decisions they made then are then used by other companies today. Details here in an article by a former Apple wireless engineer, who went on to build for Ubiquiti.
HomePod is the most vexing product I've ever obtained from Apple. Almost nothing about it works well. I've got 10 HomePods and 5 Minis and there isn't a day in which I don't encounter an error of some kind. Setting timers is a crap shoot because the alarm often goes off on a HomePod that's all the way across the house from the one I set it on. Apple TV pairing often fails, leaving me with no ability to control the audio volume. The only solution is factory reset.
Integration with HomeKit is a mess, with Siri saying she can't do things that I'm easily able to do via buttons on the HomeKit App. Siri often contradicts herself by executing commands while simultaneously saying she can't.
A recent update seems to have improved the widely reported problem of HomePods ignoring Siri volume change requests, but that's still not working 100%.
Your problem (or a significant part of it) may be with your WiFi network. I don't have anywhere close to that number of HomePods, but I do have a number of HomeKit switches and other devices. One could only imagine if you have 15 HomePods, you may have a lot of other things connected to your network as well. There is a limit to the number of devices a router can handle.
Certainly in my case my AirPort routers just weren't able to handle the number of devices I have and keep the network up and stable. The instability problems included some issues with HomePods not functioning as expected. I finally gave up and got a set of Eero Pro mesh routers and the problems went away. Of course, 15 HomePods on the same network is also certain to be an outlier use case, so there may be other issues.
Currently running 9 smart speakers including Sonos-branded, 4 smart displays, a pair of thermostats, a security system that includes connected-sensors in the out-buildings as well as the main house, 5 exterior smart cameras, four smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, several connected lights throughout the home, two smart tv's, two cast devices, plus the typical computers, NAS, Chromebooks and smartphones. I'm not experiencing any connectivity or performance issues on a mediocre 150GB FiOS internet service over a mesh 4 router setup covering the entire property. I wouldn't think 15 Homepods would stress the system so much as to be unreliable.
I saw reports of overheating issues on numerous HomePods running the 15 beta OS a few days ago and now this today on the stable one so I think it's simply a very problematic update series that everyone would be wise to avoid until the fixes are in. Replacing a mini is no big deal, Apple should have plenty of 'em to replace the ones they break, but what to do about the now-discontinued HomePod if their software bricks it?
It's always dicey running betas, and doing so on somewhat expensive non-replaceable devices is more risk than I'd accept. In this case tho I might have fallen victim too if having HomePods since even the stable release is causing some number of failures. That's not something I would have expected.
In the post you’re replying to he specifically said to try a mesh network (Eero) like you’re doing.
LOL!. You're a day late and should read more carefully as I said I should in Post 26.
I only have two HomePods (set up as a stereo pair with my 2021 Apple TV) and a single HomePod mini, and only offer this as a data point: I do believe I had some issues on the day 14.6 came out (had to re-pair the speakers to the Apple TV), but since then it has been smooth sailing again.
Updateawaiting a call from a Senior Advisor. Apple looking to document the issue so asking for serial number and detailed description of the fault and circumstances so finger crossed something seems to be happening
Updateawaiting a call from a Senior Advisor. Apple looking to document the issue so asking for serial number and detailed description of the fault and circumstances so finger crossed something seems to be happening
Have you heard back from a senior tech on the bricking of your Homepod?
Comments
Rep I spoke to on the phone this morning says she’s had a couple of these calls today so here’s hoping Apple acknowledges it quickly
https://blog.amplifi.com/2016/12/06/the-evolution-of-home-wi-fi/
I have 4 HomePods, they’re all fine.
Hi Iamnotrory, Any update? Do you have the case number for us to reference?