HomePod Mini keeps disconnecting

This has been going on for a number of years, at least since the Minis could be stereo paired anyway. I got mine just as that was being introduced.

In my case I regularly had one speaker (the RH one) disconnect from the stereo pair after a short time of playing anything on the TV (not music though, it only affected movies etc.). It would cut in and out during the time it was playing.

I have seen, and contributed to a few threads on the matter over that time, which I can't find now.

However, there have been many suggestions to fix it, or at least 'workaround' the issue.

I was never convinced by the Private WiFi Address address trick. I thought it would work for a while, then the same issue would eventually crop up again. That's a device specific setting anyway, it's not even available on a desktop device.

I also tried many other tricks, restarts, resets, reinstalls and so on. Until I got to a fully manual IP address setup, and private stuff disabled, and still the issue kept cropping up. I tried all the known suggestions I could find.

Eventually It would remain stable for a while, after a few sets and restarts could be a few weeks if I was lucky. But it was never clear what actually sorted it at any time.

Then iOS 17 came about, and after that I have everything reset back to defaults, my DHCP server is auto, Private WiFi Address is enabled on my iPhone and iPad. Although I do use CloudFlare (1.1.1.1) for my DNS settings.

Since its release last year I haven't (yet!) had a single drop out.

That would suggest to me that we have just been fighting a bug all this time, and it might be that Apple have finally fixed it. It's certainly not unknown for possible bugs to suddenly disappear after an update (it used to happen a lot after supposed 'security' updates).

Anyway, that's just in my own experience here. Perhaps try just resetting everything back to default, and start afresh there. YMMV applies as always :-).

Cheers.

SmittyMcSmithFace wrote:

Some router systems work more seamlessly with Apple devices, particularly the private Wi-Fi address default. Based on some advice, I bought an Eero 6E 3-pack. I have all kinds of devices hooked up to the network. 2 Apple TVs, two HomePod Minis, a Phillips Hue hub, a Yale door lock, three televisions (LG and Samsung) 10 Kasa Smart dimmer Switches, a pellet grill, a Cafe grinder/coffee maker, garage door opener, GE washer and dryer, multiple computers phones, two iPads, air monitor and an Ecobee Smart premium with 8 rooms sensors…multiple Sonos speakers and an Marantz Network-enabled receiver…no trouble with any of it over the past year when I installed it all aside from having to reset the Yale lock once. Not a single problem with the HomePod Minis. They’re in separate rooms, not paired, and I don’t use them for the televisions. That’s all Sonos. I’ve read other comments from Eero users that say the same thing. I love the Minis. I use them for music, to tell me about the weather, Wikipedia seamless and to give verbal commands to most of my devices. Aside from Siri periodically asking who I am when there’s background noise, it all works seamlessly.

Interesting. Lots of earlier complaints involved the Eero WiFi setups, so I'm not surprised they took steps with updates to workaround the challenges of Apple's Private Wi-Fi defaults and dealing with periodic HomePod Wi-Fi address changes quickly.

It's a reminder for folks to verify their WiFi systems are on the latest firmware if dealing with HomePod connection issues (perhaps they've been forced to workaround apple's bugs and poor design decisions ;-).

FWIW: I have 6x HomePods Mini and 2x HomePods 2nd Gen (setup as stereo). I have Apple TV Latest Gen (MN893LL/A) connected straight to my WiFi router using hard wire! My WiFi is 6x Amazon eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6. I use an Apple MacMini M1 as entertainment system also hard wired to same WiFi Router.

My Fiber connection is so fast that my Apple TV never skips a beat, and despite all this, my one HomePod just stops playing. Mostly (80% of the time) the right one. Both are less than 6ft from the WiFi/TV/Apple TV/Apple MacMini M1.

I have figure out that if I open the Control Center, click on Audio, and then click on the connected HomePods (stereo paid), it then unclicks itself for a second or two, then clicks itself back, and when I exit, the sound is back.

... but come on, surely this could be fixed:

• Pause whats playing (optionally) until the sound is back.
• Instead of waiting for action, keep trying to get reconnected and the sound back.
• Apple, tell us what gear we need to get this working.

So this is weird, but works. If I open the home app on my mac and go into the settings for the ihome mini and just leave it open, it does not disconnect. The minute I close out the setting for the speaker, it starts losing connection again. Not a very good fix, but at this point I will take it. Please either do an update or make a better speaker.

I have the same problem. Tried everything with 2 different routers, two Apple music accounts and so. Nothing worked. I happens with two homepods mini (one per generation) connected individually or as a pair - Music stops, mutes, pauses, also the connection between the home pod and the iPhone controls goes lost with a "Connecting..." message. It's driving me crazy.

I do have an Aqara Hub M2 (wired) in the same room.

Plus 2 smart switches, 1 temp sensor and one smoke detector. All Aqara.

• I had a Firmware update pending for the hub, I installed it but didn't work.
• I move the hub to Matter (beta) - Didn't work.
• I unplugged the hub - the problem persisted.
• Removed batteries from both Aqara switches, Aqara temp sensor and unplug the Aqara hub. - It worked for 20 mins and music stoped again.

Ok. I’m mistaken sorry. I’d like to share because my experience is different than these posts and I’m very happy with my setup at the price. In the home app turn off home summaries, turn off intercom, assign long sentences to the names of the home, rooms, groups and speakers, keep setting on “only people sharing this home” and keep family sharing always active. I have been disconnected like twice in two years. Had some skipping problems that went away. Have some quality issues with Dolby Atmos albums that I keep at bay with shuffle. Don’t know if I’m lucky or what I did helped. I have always had private address on.

Try this

As you said, AirPlay works so I was able to connect the two HomePod minis to the TV in temporary audio output mode. By manually disabling them through this manipulation:

Home app -> Apple TV -> Settings -> Default audio output -> (choose) TV speaker

Then on the Apple TV, long press on the Home button of the Siri Remote -> Audio and I select the pair of Home, but it only works when multimedia content is playing.

As you said, AirPlay works so I was able to connect the two HomePod minis to the TV in temporary audio output mode. By manually disabling them through this manipulation:

Home app -> Apple TV -> Settings -> Default audio output -> (choose) TV speaker

Then on the Apple TV, long press on the Home button of the Siri Remote -> Audio and I select the pair of Home, but it only works when multimedia content is playing.

I tried @bgmeek's suggestion around a months ago, and it definitely helped, but it didn't 100% cure the problem:

I have 6x HomePod Minis around the house and 2x HomePods (version 2) in stereo, and had one incident were the HomePods (not the minis) disconnected (one by one with seconds between). They were "connected" to my Apple TV at the time, so I used my remote to enter the Control Center and click on the HomePods pair, and attempt to untick the speaker. It then unticks for a few seconds, and then automatically ticks them back on.

They have worked since.

Hello:

Everything with the last version of firmware.

I have:

2 – HomePod First Generation

9 – HomePods Mini

4 Apple TV 4K

- 1 with 2 HomePod Fitst Generation in stereo (I really end up always using the home cinema)

- 6 with the other 3 Apple TVs with stereo pairs.

I also have 4 Sonos Roam paired in stereo that support

AirPlay 2 and 5 Yamaha MusicCast Multiroom with AirPlay 1.

7 Alexas

I have had the private address disabled for years in my iPhone and iPad.

My access points are Linksys Velop AX4200 (Wifi 6), recommended by Apple. Previously, Linksys Velop WHW03 (Wifi 5), also recommended by Aplle.

1GB symmetrical fiber.

I don't have any problems with any device on the network. Everything works perfectly, I have a sustained speed of 900Mb upload and download on average. I only have problems with the HomePods.

I have had two open incidents with Apple for months. They don't answer me anymore.

Problems:

- The stereo pairs are disconnected and only one of the HomePods can be heard. Sometimes the left and sometimes the right.... In all cases, both HmePods are connected to the same access point.

- Apple TVs disconnect from HomePods. You have to restart everything to get them working again for some time. No more than 24 hours.

I have tried everything possible:

- Disable private address, do not disable it

- Factry Reset of everything (HomePods and AppleTV) and tests in all cases. I'm tired of trying things.

- I have disabled the 5GHz network so that everything is only on 2.4GHz and I have the same problem. When I have both bands activated I use the same SSID. The problem is the same.

- I have changed router/access points (WiFi 5 to Wifi 6)

- Random MAC addresses are generated and I do not understand why and I consider it to be a security problem for my network since I cannot identify the devices that are mine.

- The network is as normal as any normal house can be.

I don't know what I can do anymore.

Apple is no longer what it was. Many products, many services, but less and less quality and higher prices. I have been with Apple for more than 15 years.

I have the entire house automated. Lock, sensors, heating, lights (Philips HUE), plugs,..., fortunately I have looked for compatibility with Alexa and HomeKit.

I use Alexa instead of Siri. Alexa works perfectly, Siri fails a lot and drains the phone's battery with the Home App without using it.

When I ask Siri to do something, sometimes it does it and other times it tells me it can't help me... I also have two open incidents without resolution for months.

The support, over the years, has gotten worse and worse.

I even use Apple TVs to watch television using an HDHomeRun four-channel tuner. I really use the television as a monitor. In the end I hear them through the television speakers or through the home cinema in the living room.

With Yamaha or Sonos, no problems when using them as temporary audio output for Apple TVs.

Please, If anyone sees this, I will try to put it everywhere I can, I would really appreciate some solution before removing all the HomePods and changing them for Sonos or Yamaha, which also have better sound and can be associated with Alexa to have sound throughout the house .

Thanks

Dave778778 wrote:

I wrote in another post that my HomePods disconnect but that was an isolated case that I nixed with my methods and not bgmeek’s method of exposing your devices to hacking

I realize that Apple's "Privacy Warning" is alarming, but in no way does turning off Apple's (unique with in the industry) Private Wi-Fi Address 'feature', on only your home network, expose one's "devices to hacking". Seriously, I'll send you a dollar if you can cite ONE instance of any victim of a "hack" or even real evidence that tracking a device's hardware address across publically-accessible networks is even a thing! Does Starbucks track my hardware address across their stores? I doubt it but don't care if they do. There are much better ways for a nefarious entity to know exactly where you are.

Anyway, since you're groovin' with Private Wi-Fi Address=ON with the iPhone that setup your HomePods on your WiFi, please share your WiFi network setup. Generally the mesh setups have the most issues. The issues are random annoying network flakiness after homepod reboots/updates.

Look, it's a bug exposing half of a mobile feature on what's normally a stationary device. I'm glad it's not affecting you. With a simple WiFi setup it won't matter if your HomePods use a different WiFi hardware address with each reboot. As long as they have the SSID & passkey, and they do, you're cool. Any peers used to talking to "KitchenHomePod" at one address may or may not glitch when KitcheHomePod suddenly gets new network addresses, but they'll recover and learn the new addresses (in the case of AirPlay, instantly).

If Apple ripped the dern "Private Wi-Fi Address" feature out of iOS tomorrow, along with the unsubstantiated 'Privacy Warning' when it's not in use, nobody would miss it. Although, several business network managers would shake their heads recalling their scramble when every properly-secured-and-identified iPhone in the company got updated to iOS 14 and suddenly started using new WiFi hardware addresses.

I have a home full of 'pods, old and new. Sadly they do the same, totally unpredictable *except TV stereo duo always perform flawlessly* via 4K AppleTV. But all the others drop off from time to time when streaming radio or music content around the home. Not ideal to say the least. Clinging on to the hope that an update will resolve eventually.

Same, from the jump.

For some context, I live in a small 650 sq ft apartment. There is no concrete or metal between my new, up-to-date wifi 6 Amplify Alien router and any of my HomePods.

I have two original home pods within 12 feet between our router, used as a stereo pair with a new Apple TV 4K in our living room area.

Our HomePod mini's are in our bedroom, on either side of our bed, maybe 30 feet max. They NEVER stay connected and this has been going on for several years and through multiple updates. I've tried what many have with static IPs, HomeKit Router Security on or off, you name it. Both have been restored via my iMac to restore their software. Didn't help.

Because of this issue HomeKit is unstable, If the pod that looses connection is also the hub at that time, it breaks everything.

I live in a city environment near a firestation. I suspect the radio interference in this area is to blame and the HomePods programming isn't robust enough to overcome these events.

Which seems crazy to me, given this company have labs designed for testing radio interference, the fact that they released a product that does not work, boggles the mind.

Anyway. Add my voice to the chorus here, I hope they fix it soon. I rely on HomeKit for some daily automations that cost money when they break.

OH! And if you are part of Apple's beta program you can submit feedback via their "Feedback Assistant". if you haven't already please go there, create a ticket and share your experience.

After repositioning the several devices and hubs to avoid overlap my setup has become more reliable, but still not perfect. One of my homepod mini's, the one closest two my Aqara temp sensor still continues to looks connection.

I'm curious if anyone else has two HomePods separated by a king sized bed, with the speakers posited on their night stand, paired and used as default audio for their bedroom Apple TV?

This arrangement in a city environment with a lot of radio interference is very problematic, I wonder how common it is.

I'm about to create a new feedback ticket for apple, I'd encourage anyone reading this thread to do the same and provide more detail about your environment. It is VERY likely they know and for some reason this high-touch issue remains elusive for them to fix.