HomePod AirPlay Problem

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Level 6

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HomePod AirPlay Problem

I AirPlay from my iPhone to HomePods all the time and never had this issue, but since updating the HomePods to 13.2.1 something different happens when I select one or both HomePods as AirPlay targets. As soon as I select one, the AirPlay control window now shifts its focus from the iPhone to the HomePod, which is different but not a problem.

What is a problem is that the playback source under these conditions seems to transfer from AirPlay from my iPhone to streaming from iCloud. While that may not seem like a big deal, it is when you consider that the songs playing no longer trigger a "last played" date, which screws up my smart playlists.

I am using iCloud Music Library, and I know that there is an issue where Last Played Date takes a very long time to update my iTunes library (and smart playlists) but Last Played is not updated at all whenever I AirPlay to my HomePods. I also have an AirPort Express connected to a small stereo, and when I AirPlay to that then (a) the AirPlay control behaves as it always has, and (b) I can tell that the music is streaming from my iPhone, not iCloud, and Last Played updates just fine (as do my smart playlists).

If anyone here has a HomePod I'm curious what your experience is like when you AirPlay from an iOS device? For now I'm including the AirPort Express in my AirPlay targets, along with the HomePod(s), and that seems to be a workaround to get Last Played to update in my library and iPhone playlists.

ps I have reset my iPhone, and just updated from 13.2.1 to 13.2.2 that was released today, no change.

HomePod

Posted on Nov 7, 2019 9:07 PM

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Answer 1

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turingtest2

Level 10

272,831 points

Nov 8, 2019 2:54 AM in response to rockmyplimsoul

The new behaviour regarding AirPlay is automatic Handoff, which is great unless you live on capped Internet where you might prefer not to use your broadband when the content could have been sourced locally. Use Feedback - HomePod - Apple to let Apple know about the broken stat updating.

tt2

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Answer 2

rockmyplimsoul Author

Level 6

11,155 points

Nov 19, 2019 9:46 AM in response to DarrenBolton

Two workarounds that helped me with this:

If you have an AirPlay 2 compatible device, other than a HomePod, add that as an AirPlay target and that forces AirPlay to be used from your iPhone. I have an AirPort Express router and this works, not sure about AirPlay-capable TVs.

But the best solution came by changing my HomePod's default account from mine to my wife's. Go into the Home app and then HomePod settings, from there you can change the default account. Now my iPhone will AirPlay to the HomePods and play history is working immediately with my smart playlists. If you have another Apple ID, even an unused one, try setting that as the default account for the HomePod. Doing this did not impact any other functionality of the HomePod.

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Answer 3

rockmyplimsoul Author

Level 6

11,155 points

Nov 8, 2019 7:11 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks tt2, didn’t know about this feature... from Macstories.net:

”audioOS 13.2.1 also adds Handoff support to iPhones. If music or other audio is playing on your iPhone, wave it close to the top of your HomePod, and the audio automatically transfers to your HomePod as an AirPlay stream from your iPhone. The feature works in the opposite direction too. Wave your iPhone over the top of a HomePod playing audio, and it transfers to the iPhone. It’s a fantastic way to continue listening to music, podcasts, and other audio as you move to and from your home during the day.”

I’ll try the “reverse” transfer back to iPhone, but it seems that manually initiating AirPlay should override this automatic handoff. Feedback is coming...

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,831 points

Nov 8, 2019 7:33 AM in response to rockmyplimsoul

Handoff is the feature that lets you transfer what is playing on your iPhone to the HomePod, or vice versa. Depending on what is playing your phone might still be fetching the data and then sending it to the HomePod, or the HomePod might make a direct connection to the source and take over the stream. When you manually initiate AirPlay the same thing happens. Either the phone remains in the loop, or when playing content from iCloud Music Library it seems, control is handed over to HomePod. I don't see anything advertising this new AirPlay behaviour, but you can check that HomePod really has taken over full control by closing the Music app on your device or sticking it in AirPlane mode.

tt2

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Answer 5

Nov 19, 2019 1:39 AM in response to rockmyplimsoul

I came here to post the exact same thing. Absolutely maddening. I also run playlist off last played and this has now completely destroyed it.

I found sometimes it DID airplay (and have the iPhone > HomePod), but most of the time not, and there seemed to be no reason for it.

It's awful, and completely ruined my Apple Music experience. It's better using another speaker which then uses airplay, and thus your iPhone and metadata works.

Before HomePod metadata used to take a day or 2, now it doesn't seem to work at all. Same when you put your phone near your HomePod. It simply does not work.

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Answer 6

Nov 25, 2019 7:10 AM in response to rockmyplimsoul

Yeah, I've done the other airplay device and then added the HomePod. It works, but it's ridiculous that we need to be doing this. I guess every time apple do an update we have to check to see if they've fixed it....

As for the second one, does this have a problem with it then not being my device for adding stuff to lists and playing my music etc? Or does the user accounts fix all that?

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Answer 7

Nov 19, 2019 2:19 AM in response to DarrenBolton

Also just tried it with my iPad, and that does what it always did, and should do, which is airplay it.

infuriating.

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HomePod AirPlay Problem

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