Level 1

10 points

Airplay to homepod dropping when using iTunes on Windows.

I've been having this issue ever since I bought the Homepod about a year ago: when using airplay to stream from iTunes on Windows, the audio will periodically drop out seemingly randomly. It will come back if I hit the "next song" button. Sometimes it comes back by itself after a while. When it drops and I click on the Airplay control in iTunes, the checkmark next to the Homepod has turned into a horizontal line. Ican make it come back if I click the horizontal line and turn it into a checkmark again.

Here are some observations:

Happens on Windows 7 and Windows 10.
The Homepod is about 10 ft from the WiFi Router (NetGear R7000)
When two Homepods are connected, it happens to both of my Homepods at the same time.
It doesn't happen when I'm using iTunes for Mac, but it still happens if I use iTunes for Windows running via Parallels (Windows 10) on the Mac.
My PC is connected to the router via Ethernet.
if I continuously ping the Homepod, there are no apparent packet drops when the music cuts out, so it's still connected to the network. Latency is <10ms, but after disconnecting, latency will increase to >100ms until the audio is reconnected, and it goes back to <10ms.

Here's some things I've tried (unsuccessfully) to fix it:

Update the firmware for Homepods
Update iTunes to latest version
Update router firmware to latest version
Tested 2 different brands of routers, a modern one from TP-Link and an old one from Cisco.
Turn off network QoS in the router setting and in the Windows network settings
Turn off IPV6 in network settings
Turn off the 5GHz radio on the router
Turn off the 2.4GHz radio on the router
Called Apple tech support (got "make sure your WiFi signal is good/software is updated" answer)

Seeing that this only happens on Windows and not the Mac, it seems like either some Windows incompatibility or an iTunes for Windows bug.

Windows, Windows 6

Posted on Mar 16, 2020 12:39 AM

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34 replies

GSer

Level 1

9 points

Apr 22, 2020 7:17 AM in response to mah6786

In the year or so since I purchased a HomePod I have been experiencing the same drop out issue on the HomePod but I am not using iTunes on Windows at all and stream from either 2019 MacBook Pro (Music app on Catalina) or my late 2011 iMac (iTunes on High Sierra).

All my wi-fi equipment is Apple made but admittedly some of it is pretty old now so and as I don't have everything Airplay 2 compatible I stream from a Mac and use Remote on my phones to control. It is only the HomePod that always drops out after a couple of songs. Changing the volume of the HomePod via the Remote app will bring it back for a little bit but then it will drop out again soon.

So despite my issue being nothing to do with iTunes on Windows it does sound like the same issue as described throughout this thread. Only two devices transmit/broadcast the same wi-fi network (the Kitchen a/c Time Capsule and the Garage n 2nd Gen Express) and generally the wi-fi network performs excellently.

If I stream direct from iPhone or iPad to HomePod it never cuts out, nor does it when playing directly off AppleMusic via voice command.

I thought my problem was because of my older devices not supporting AirPlay 2 but reading this discussion it sounds more like it is a pure HomePod issue. It is very annoying for quite a pricey speaker.

Jun 17, 2020 5:12 AM in response to mah6786

I've just been left hanging since earlier this year by their ''Senior Support'' Eileen - data collected and no replies to email from her or them since! I'm absolutely sick of it! Yet another software update - 2nd in the last few weeks and nothing is fixed! I genuinely feel we have all been misled into buying these - there should have been mention that those of us with Windows OS will have compatibility issues so we don't waste our money. FIVE of these defunct speakers I now have and the 2 I use for the apple tv in the lounge and the 1 in the bed room for the apple tv does the same now - drops off and I have to keep on reconnecting / rebooting! Another day off spent rebooting - updating and hoping for some sort of assistance or advice from Apple which we all know isn't going to happen.

Apr 19, 2020 11:57 AM in response to Pieter Ratering

Tested iTunes 12.10.6.2.this morning. Same problem. After some time (about 15 minutes) it stops streaming to my HomePod. Other times iTunes just completely stops playing the music.

This is really hopeless.

mah6786 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 19, 2020 12:16 PM in response to Pieter Ratering

I was on the phone with an Apple support senior adviser yesterday. Getting a senior adviser is a completely different experience from what you usually get (e.g. "Did you turn on the WiFi etc"). We installed some special software to collect logs, I reproduced the issue, and submitted the logs. They're getting engineering to take a look. So not all hope is lost yet.

Apr 19, 2020 2:04 PM in response to mah6786

Yes. They collected logs from me too some months ago. Senior support lady named Eileen was very helpful - but I’m still waiting on answers / solutions. Perhaps when this gathers momentum something will be done. We can’t be the only ones with the issue surely?

Apr 22, 2020 8:16 AM in response to GSer

It certainly does seem to be purely an issue with the homepods. It’s also started on the 2 I use as speakers for the Apple TV. So, now I’m down 4 HomePods that won’t function as I’d like them too.

My white homepods have now been relegated to the spare room for me to stream music from my iPhone/iPad.

The black ones I use for Apple TV I just don’t know what to do with now and where to go next with all this - Watchdog? Which? Magazine? Citizens Advice Bureau?

I know it NOT my network or laptops as I’ve purchased Sonos Play 5 and Sonos One’s this week and they are working perfectly!

May 2, 2020 11:23 AM in response to mah6786

I've experienced this with Windows iTunes and my iPhone X / iPad Pro. I even managed to get my HomePod replaced by Apple and I'm experiencing the same issue. Upgraded my router and everything. I'd really like to get this sorted!

May 10, 2020 9:17 AM in response to mah6786

Exactly the same issue, absolutely no problems when streaming from any apple device such as iPhone, iPad, Macbook pro or Apple TV but the second I use Itunes on a Windows PC there are continuous problems (Cuts out probably once a minute for about 30 seconds to a minute on each occasion. This isn't a new issue I have experienced it for months; seems like there is absolutely no prospect of Apple understanding that Airplay from PC is not fit for purpose and that itunes on PC has been shockingly unreliable for quite some time now!

May 11, 2020 5:31 AM in response to nickfromwilland

This really is poor show from Apple. I’ve not had a reply to my last couple of emails from them either - but I understand there are larger things at play in the world right now. Like everyone else here I just want the issue fixed so I can enjoy my music and my homepods. They’re not cheap to buy and having 5 of them not fit for purpose is getting annoying now.

bsd2020

Level 1

4 points

Jun 26, 2020 11:47 PM in response to hitandrunlover

Hi, Were you able to resolve your issue? iTunes and Homepod integration is broken. Also, Macs are not faring better in realizing the full potential. iTunes on Windows drops every 1-2 minutes when streaming to Homepod. On Mac, it wont drop but equalizer is useless. I cant believe the way they are crippling every step of the way. On iOS it wont drop, but no equalizer. Somehow I feel this product is made to antagonize the end user. Very disapopinting.

Tony_Mak

Level 1

12 points

Apr 6, 2020 10:25 PM in response to dimkalgr

dimkalgr, Thank you for sharing your experience of overcoming this problem with Tuneblade, I can now use my HomePod as my notebook speaker. I am very happy with it. Once again, Thank you very much!

Apr 18, 2020 12:58 PM in response to hitandrunlover

Similar problem here. iTunes on Windows streaming to HomePod stops after about half an hour.

Just downloaded and installed 12.10.6.2. Will test it tomorrow if it's getting better now.

Apr 18, 2020 1:59 PM in response to Chris0419

This is definitely an issue that Apple are hopefully looking into. At the moment I have 5 homepods that, as far as I’m concerned, aren’t fit for purpose 😭

Apr 18, 2020 2:16 PM in response to hitandrunlover

I’m on a Lenovo Ideacentre 720-18IC Desktop. I suppose it's a HomePod-iTunes-for-Windows issue.

Apr 19, 2020 12:06 PM in response to Pieter Ratering

And why $#&! are we allowed to use only 140 charecters to describe our problem when we ask support from Apple?

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Airplay to homepod dropping when using iTunes on Windows.