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Important: Restart Your Studio Display

Posting this to safe other studio display users a lot of time and hassle. YOU HAVE TO RESTART your studio display on occasion, especially if you run into issues with the3 camera, microphone or speakers. The studio display runs its own internal version of IOS that operates the camera, speakers and microphone. Much like ANY other device that runs its own operating system, you can't run it indefinitely without ever restarting it. You will eventually run into issues and your device does funny stuff. I got my studio display on march 18th and yesterday the camera started acting up, then the microphone etc. After hours with Apple support and trying all kind of things to isolate the issue, it occurred to me that we did EVERYTHING except restart/reboot the display itself. because it has no power button and no software control to restart it, the only way to do it is to unplug it from the power source, wait at least 1 full minute and plug it back in. Of course it immediately solved all the issues. So if your display - or for that matter any of your other devices - starts acting up. Restart it that way to see if the issue resolves. Apple: please implement a firmware update that allows for rebooting the display via system preferences rather than having to crawl ion the floor find the plug, unplug it, wait, plug it back in.

Posted on Apr 5, 2022 10:33 AM

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68 replies

Jul 26, 2022 2:28 AM in response to Holger Laufenberg

I completely lost my microphone since Sunday. No FaceTime, Google Chat, or WhatsApp calls. I spent 2.5 hours with Tier 1 and Tier 2 Apple advisors without any solution. Then I saw this blog and followed your advice. Hallelujah! It worked.

Jul 26, 2022 7:28 AM in response to Darwin 53

My initial reply to you was removed by Apple as it contained criticism of their support staff. That is no longer allowed in this brave new world controlled by our IT overlords. Anyway, you are better off searching the web or YouTube for solutions than calling their support staff.

Jul 27, 2022 9:35 AM in response to yoboyt

there isn't currently. but for me the bigger question is why users are still put through all this hassle of re-installing Mac OS etc etc instead of my solution being the first one to apply. makes ya wonder ehh?

yoboyt

Level 1

22 points

Jul 27, 2022 11:01 AM in response to Holger Laufenberg

Well, based on my experience calling Apple Support they have no idea of how to diagnose the Studio Display. They waste time diagnosing the Mac.

If it's really an iPhone in there, there's gotta be something that can "reach it". If/when I get time, I was contemplating seeing if there's any developer docs for the Studio Display that might offer a clue.

In the meantime, if your experience is like this one, you might try a power cycle. In the video, I'm switching between the Mac Studio's internal speakers and the Mac Studio Display's speakers. I do this twice and a few seconds after switching to the Studio Display's speakers, audio stops each time.

https://youtu.be/80gGnyyHpOw

This problem tanked everything that uses the mic and speakers, including all meeting apps like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet.

Nasty.

Jul 28, 2022 4:42 PM in response to Holger Laufenberg

Disconnecting from power for a short spell solved my peculiar Studio Display audio-cutting-out-problem too. (Audio was shutting off after about 1-2 seconds — from all audio sources, including Airplay. Switching to Mac Studio internal speakers worked fine; issue was limited to the display speakers.)

Many thanks to Holger’s post on this, above! Apple Care: please take note since this key troubleshooting step needs to be communicated to the front line troops. I just spared myself a whole macOS restore from startup disk wasted effort so thanks again, Holger! I’d thought my problem arrived with latest macOS update. Now I think my glitch might be associated with my having used my display for my Mac Studio to set up an M1 Mac Mini. I had switched the thunderbolt cables with the Macs powered down but never unplugged the display power cable. So that seems to have set up the glitch. Cheers!

Jul 28, 2022 5:05 PM in response to yoboyt

After solving the problem in the wee hours of Tuesday, I called Apple support to communicate to them as to how I fixed my problem after reading Holger's blog and asked the lady on the phone to enter this resolution into my case and communicate it with the Tier 1 and Senior advisors who literally wasted my 2.5 hours. She did that but also told me that this is a known issue and she has a compony wide memo in her hand that was sent to every apple support advisor. Apparently some advisors are not reading their memos.

Aug 2, 2022 6:49 PM in response to freedomtrooper

Looks like Apple is finally acknowledging the problem and the fact that the current solution is simply to reboot the Studio Display. Articles to this effect appeared tonight on MacRumors and on Cult of Mac. The articles also confirm the fact that Apple thinks this can be fixed by a firmware update.

Aug 2, 2022 6:57 PM in response to Rabbit51

I had been thinking of doing this, too (using a smart plug to facilitate toggling the Studio Display on and off). However, I really want to keep the Studio Display plugged into my surge protector, so haven't tried it yet. If you do try it, please let us know how it works, Rabbit 51. Thanks.

Aug 2, 2022 9:01 PM in response to mpetrides

I am also experiencing this issue.

Studio Display with tilt/height using a Mac Studio

Super annoying and frustrating that I have to reboot my monitor and that I don't even have the dignity of a button to do so. Look forward to the . . . iOS update (!) to resolve this.

Aug 5, 2022 8:55 AM in response to Holger Laufenberg

Many thanksfor the tip. I just followed your recommendations and it worked perfectly. THAT SAID, IT IS DISAPPOINTING TO GET THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH SUCH AN EXPENSIVE DISPLAY.... some kind of control of the studio display settings needs to be created in the MAC settings to manage the display features and updates properly. Many thanks.

[Edited by Moderator]

Aug 5, 2022 9:16 AM in response to gerardfromcreteil

Well, you CAN control updates in either System Preferences or About this Mac --> Software Update on your Mac. In fact, as soon as I heard yesterday that there was a firmware update for the Studio Display, I went to Software Update and installed it. Haven't had it long enough to tell if the problem is resolved.

Since the Studio Display is running a Studio Display-specific version of iOS, the fact that it requires periodic reboots doesn't really bother me. They have not been needed that frequently in my experience. YMMV. However, what WOULD be nice would be a software method to reboot the Studio Display without having to physically unplug it.

That said, emboldened by an earlier post by Rabbit51, I put a smart plug between my Studio Display and the APC/surge protector it is plugged into and I'm assuming that will work just fine. ("Hey Siri, Turn OFF my Studio Display. Hey Siri, turn ON my Studio Display.") I haven't had occasion to try it yet, but will report back when I do.

Aug 5, 2022 9:51 AM in response to gerardfromcreteil

The software update for the displays and this issue was released yesterday by Apple. Go to About this Mac, Software Update. I had no issues installing it on both monitors for my Mac Studio... time will tell :)