HomePod mini stuck in ''configuring''

This is patently ridiculous. The whole “it just works” mantra is what draws consumers to Apple in the first place. I won’t spend any more time than I already have trying to get a brand new HomePod Mini to correctly connect. We got two for Christmas. One connected flawlessly, and the other has cost me a half-day of my holiday vacation.

I’ll be voting with my wallet and returning it.

No one should have to be this knowledgeable about networks to get this thing to connect.

I recently encountered "Stuck on Configuring" issue and successfully resolved it, and I wanted to share the step-by-step guide with you in case anyone else is facing the same problem. I am located in Trinidad and Tobago and I have been fighting to derive a solution to this issue since January 2023. Here's how you can fix the issue by changing the location associated with your subscription:

Step 1: Cancel AppleOne or Apple Music Subscriptions

Start by canceling your AppleOne or Apple Music subscriptions. Don't worry; you'll later resubscribe and retain all your data. No need to cancel iCloud storage service.

Step 2: Wait for Subscription End Date

Wait until the subscription's end date for that cycle has passed. This is when the subscription truly comes to an end.

Step 3: Access Apple Music App

Go into the Apple Music app and select your account icon at the top right. It might ask you to log back in with your account, so go ahead and do that.

Step 4: Navigate to 'Account Settings'

Once in the 'Account' area, scroll down to 'Account Settings.' From there, proceed to 'Country/Region.'

Step 5: Change 'Country/Region' to United States

In 'Account Settings,' change your 'Country/Region' to United States. Enter a known US address and phone number, then save the settings.

Step 6: Add HomePod in the Home App

You can now proceed to add your HomePod in the Home App. Remember to remove them from the Home App and your Apple Account first before re-adding.

Step 7: Resubscribe to Apple Services

At this stage, you can resubscribe to AppleOne, Apple Music, or any other Apple subscription you had to stop.

Note: This process won't impact your Apple security notifications since the addition of the US phone number is separate from your actual Apple account information. The US address and phone number are associated with your shipping address used for the Apple.com online store.

If you use a courier to forward purchases from the US to your home country, use the provided US address and phone number for delivery information. Otherwise, you can use the US address and phone number of someone you know (with their permission).

Remember, when purchasing items on the Apple.com store, you can direct them to any address you want as a temporary address at that point in time. 🌐

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck! 🍏✨

Before

After

I encountered a similar issue with my original HomePods. They are placed on my desk and paired. I tried to update them to 17.0 and then to 17.1. However, I was only able to upgrade one, as the other was stuck in a perpetual "Configuring limbo," which prevented it from fully configuring. Additionally, I couldn't get them to pair, whether during the initial setup or after the second one appeared to be "Setup Complete" but was still in "Configuring limbo." Here are the unsuccessful steps I took:

1. Hard reset (unplugged, then pressed down on the top until I heard three beeps).
2. Removing devices from my iCloud Account, followed by a hard reset.
3. Creating a new Home in the Home App, while also removing the devices from my iCloud Account first, and performing a hard reset, then joining the new "Home."
4. Using my iPhone, iPad, or my wife's iPhone to set up the initial configuration for both devices.
5. Excessive cursing and throwing of desktop items.
6. Each time I managed to fully configure the first HomePod, the second one remained stuck in Configuring Limbo. The order did not seem to matter. If HomePod "Thing1" fully configured, then "Thing2" would not, and vice versa.

Initially, I did not check my router's network settings, as prior to the 17.0 upgrade, this pair had been playing music happily for 2-3 years since purchase without any issues during the original install. The configuration issues only arose when I attempted to upgrade them to 17.0.

After trying various methods without success, I revisited my network settings and here's what I did:

1. Logged into my Router and verified some of my Wi-Fi settings.

• • I have a primary network and a guest network (this is my office router).
  • I'm broadcasting on both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz.
  • I'm using WPA2/WPA3-Personal for security.
  • I had also enabled AP isolation.

1. I "downgraded" my security to WPA2-Personal and disabled AP isolation.
2. Removed both devices from my iCloud Account.
3. Unplugged and replugged both "Thing1" and "Thing2", and pressed down on top until I heard the beeps.
4. Set up both HomePods, waited for both to fully configure (which took about 5 minutes after setup), and then paired them together.
5. Changed my settings back on the router to the security levels I wanted.

This seems to have resolved the issue.

I also pondered why Apple doesn't allow us to configure them directly instead of only relying on the Home App/install scripts. The current method doesn't seem to save me any time or headache. While it may work seamlessly most of the time, when it doesn't, the process to get results feels like eating salad with a straw.

These are all workarounds, not fixes. Switching to US account (or probably any other empty account) does work, but that way I will loose all of my data and services. Im sure Apple is actively looking into this issue, I hope they will manage to soon find the cause of this problem.

Stuck for a month or even more: 😔

I am experiencing the same issue. I tried contacting Apple. The problem definitely has something to do with iCloud account used, maybe even with a country set on the account? The strange thing, it was working on my first setup. I tried different network, it didn't help. I tried the other iCloud account with different country and it started working immediately, it configured almost instantly, but I want to use it with my main iCloud account since I have Apple Music and the other services setup there :-(

I'm not sure if this is because HomePod is not officially available in my country? Is this the same for you?

I will tell you how I solved this problem .

remove HomePod , reset it (the 10s thing)

then CREATE A NEW HOME

and add the HomePod to this new home

I found the solution in internet and it worked for me …

hope this helps

Updated to 17.3 tonight.

while the update installer seems to be stuck in a loop!!! The software says version 17.3 and it seems to be working properly on all networks.

I’ll try a reset and see it is works properly afterwards when I get a chance.

Have you tried resetting the HomePod and setting it up again?

If you are unable to reset it from the home app, you can do this at the HomePod itself.

You can do this by unplugging it for 10s or more. 10s after plugging it back in, tap and hold down on top of the speaker until it glows red and says hold until you hear three beeps. After the beeps, you can let go. Be reasonably precise about the 10s; watch your watch - don't rely on counting. You must hold down for a while before you get the beeps, so don't give up quickly. The HomePod will take a few moments to start up after being reset. Wait for the start-up chime before setting it up again. Be sure to remove it from your home app; this is probably best done before setting it up again.

If, after a reset, the HomePod is still stuck in configuring mode (I'd suggest leaving it for 24 hours) you may need to try restoring it. You can do this by connecting it to a Mac, opening it in the Finder and following the instructions therein.

See if you can reset it with your Mac. It’s called “restore” but is the same as a factory reset. Then set it up again and see how that works. If it still shows configuring, Reset or Restore it again & take a look in settings on your iPhone - Your Name - scroll down to make sure it’s not showing in the list of devices signed into your Apple ID. If it is tap on > Remove, then try setting up again. The latter is eventually what worked for mine. Being it should not be in your devices after a factory reset. It’s sort of stuck in limbo.

Reset HomePod or HomePod mini - Apple Support

Restore HomePod mini with a Mac

If you can't reset HomePod mini, you can restore it. Restoring your HomePod mini resets it and updates it to the latest software.

1. Plug HomePod mini into your computer using the USB-C cable that came with it.
2. Wait a few seconds. If you're using a Mac, open a Finder window. If you're using a PC, open the latest version of iTunes.
3. Select your HomePod when it appears on your computer. 
4. Click Restore HomePod.
5. 

This was the only solution that has worked for me. I have five HomePod mini's and two second generation HomePods. Four out of the five HomePod mini's are a pair and my regular HomePod's are also paired. It was a nightmare getting this fixed. For the regular HomePod's I had to unplug ALL HomePod mini's in the house, Factory reset them and set them up as a single speaker then after they configured I paired them.

For the HomePod mini(s), I had start the setup, wait until it said configuring, remove them from my HomeKit, plug them into my MacBook Pro, and click Restore HomePod. This problem is CLEARLY NOT location based. I'm in America, everything I have is Apple USA. This whole issue is a mess. I set up my whole house on HomeKit with Ecobee thermostat, smart sensors and security systems with Eve outdoor Cameras. Everything works beautifully. The HomePod setup has been a catastrophe. For the price they are, this should NOT happen. Apple, please fix this. A fix for this issue is well overdue. I literally waited to set up my last HomePod for the Master Bathroom of my house just for this reason. I figured, it's just one HomePod mini, it should not be an issue. I even waited two hours for it to configure. It is not my network. I have Gigabyte Fiber with a nighthawk router (not mesh). I even disabled the feature on my router that caused issues with Airplay.

Again, plugging it into my MacBook Pro and clicking Restore HomePod has been the ONLY workaround that has worked besides unplugging all other Homepods. Even that took several tries.

Hey there rharripersad,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Based on the steps you've taken so far, if the HomePod is still stuck in "Configuring" mode, you'll want to contact Apple directly for troubleshooting: Get Support

Take care!

I think the latter issues are related to it not being fully set up yet. 20 mins isn’t too bad at this stage. Try not to look at it for an hour or so, and if it’s still stuck try unplugging for 10 seconds. Plug back in.

Do check location services on your iPhone are in order though. It should look like this in Apple ID - Find My, Keychain needs to be enabled also.

Creating a new home (and reseting devices) worked for me for both HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini. Tried to use older 2.4 GHz WiFi, but without success. By the way, I am using HomePods in an unsupported country, so this should not be an issue.

Thanks for help!

OK. I had the same issue and (after a fruitless conversation with Apple Support where we tried turning off my mesh network, restarting the router and various other things) this is what fixed it for me.

Create a second ‘Home’ account in the Home app, force the HomePod Minis to re-set and then set them up as if from new, but link them to the new ‘Home’ account. They then worked as expected (stereo pairing, etc).

Unfortunately, it is not possible to migrate them from the new Home account back to the original one, so I had to migrate all my other devices from the original account to the new one, which was a PITA, but at least they’re working again.

Fingers crossed Apple come up with a better fix soon (but having been kept waiting for two years before I could play to a stereo pair of HomePods from my Mac, I’m not overly hopeful anyone there can be bovvered with such mundane housekeeping chores…).