If you updated your HomePod to 13.2, do not reset it or remove it from the Home app
Apple has withdrawn the HomePod 13.2 update. If you've had a successful update, you're fine -- but do not reset the HomePod, nor remove it from the Home app, or you're going to have a problem that will require service.
Apple retracted the HomePod 13.2 update at some point on Monday evening. The retraction was following reports of long updates, with users resetting the HomePod to try and restart the process.
Unfortunately, this results in a non-functional HomePod, stuck in a boot loop. The only resort for this is to contact Apple support, and make an appointment at the Genius Bar, or mail the device in. It isn't yet clear if venues other than Apple itself can fix a bricked HomePod, and we're trying to find out.
Specifically, Apple provides this advice in a newly-updated support document, that details how to reset your HomePod. Leading the article is the admonishment, specifically telling users not to reset at 13.2 HomePod.
"If your HomePod is running iOS 13.2, don't follow these steps," Apple says. "If you've already reset or removed your HomePod from the Home app, contact Apple Support."
Based on early feedback from service departments that AppleInsider was able to contact on Tuesday morning, so far the problem seems fairly small, and limited to a small percentage of users that were seeing the long update time and reset. Based on use patterns we've seen, most HomePod users don't have automatic updates enabled, so this may in fact be a limited problem -- but we'll see.
Saying it's a small percentage is fine, but that's not helpful to the folks impacted. We'll update this post when we see signs of the new update.
Almost two years ago now, we said that Apple's software problems didn't need a drastic fix. We're starting to re-think that, because while there may be a problem now and again with a firmware update, there shouldn't ever be a mass-bricking from it.
Apple retracted the HomePod 13.2 update at some point on Monday evening. The retraction was following reports of long updates, with users resetting the HomePod to try and restart the process.
Unfortunately, this results in a non-functional HomePod, stuck in a boot loop. The only resort for this is to contact Apple support, and make an appointment at the Genius Bar, or mail the device in. It isn't yet clear if venues other than Apple itself can fix a bricked HomePod, and we're trying to find out.
Specifically, Apple provides this advice in a newly-updated support document, that details how to reset your HomePod. Leading the article is the admonishment, specifically telling users not to reset at 13.2 HomePod.
"If your HomePod is running iOS 13.2, don't follow these steps," Apple says. "If you've already reset or removed your HomePod from the Home app, contact Apple Support."
Based on early feedback from service departments that AppleInsider was able to contact on Tuesday morning, so far the problem seems fairly small, and limited to a small percentage of users that were seeing the long update time and reset. Based on use patterns we've seen, most HomePod users don't have automatic updates enabled, so this may in fact be a limited problem -- but we'll see.
Saying it's a small percentage is fine, but that's not helpful to the folks impacted. We'll update this post when we see signs of the new update.
Almost two years ago now, we said that Apple's software problems didn't need a drastic fix. We're starting to re-think that, because while there may be a problem now and again with a firmware update, there shouldn't ever be a mass-bricking from it.
Comments
So this is not a new issue.
BTW I now suspect my HomePods never actually updated. I just assumed they had as I saw the Homekit app trying and was too busy to really check closely. I can well imagine had I looked deeper I'd have done a full reset too! I think I just dodged a bullet.
Is there a way to tell if the HomePods updated or not? I haven't looked but I am guessing there is a way to see the HomePods' install version on the iPhone or Mac somewhere?
The problem now is that AirPlay is COMPLETELY borked. The only way my two HomePods will play as a stereo pair is if I start an Apple Music stream directly from them. AirPlay results in one speaker only playing, although both show the lit-up plus and minus signs. If I tap on the dead one to try to encourage it to play, the plus and minus lights go out. If I tap it again, it starts paying something else from my library, and the other speaker shuts off. Meanwhile, the AirPlay source, whether it's a Mac or iOS device, keeps playing the original selection. THEN a message pops up on the source warning that I'm streaming to two devices, and asks if I'd like to upgrade to a family plan!
Tell you what. AirPlay 2 has NEVER worked right for me, and all my Apple devices -- iMac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch -- are the latest versions, and have been running the latest software updates throughout this agonizing Catalina/iOS 13/iPadOS 13 putz-with-it-till-it-sort-of-works update cycle. This latest screw-up, though, is absolutely crazy-making. It seems as though every time Apple issues a software update these days, more stuff that WAS working quits working, and it's half a year and several updates more before things go back to working -- sometimes -- as well as they were working before the update. At this point, I feel like mailing both my HomePods back to Tim Cook, and telling him where to stick them (And no, that wouldn't be on the ever growing pile of refurb candidates.)