How can I stop HomePod mini from playing music automatically?

I have a pair of HomePod 2 speakers connected to an Apple TV 4K. Everything was working normally until one day I noticed that music would start playing randomly in the middle of the night, with no apparent pattern. Even after changing the settings to require a 4-second press for activation, the issue persisted, though less frequently.

When I had some free time, I reset the HomePods and tested them individually without connecting them to the Apple TV. I discovered that one of the HomePods had an abnormal touch panel that would automatically register multiple touches. Sometimes, when rebooting after changing settings, it would automatically enter reset mode (as if the touch panel was being pressed during startup).

I eventually opened up the problematic HomePod and disconnected the touch panel's ribbon cable (the display and touch functions are separate). After this, everything worked normally. So, if you find that your settings are reset after a reboot, accompanied by three beeps, it's likely a touch panel issue. Since the touch panel isn't essential, you can simply disconnect it.

Based on current testing results, the issue is with the upper touch module. This problem can occur in both HomePod 2 and HomePod mini. To identify the problematic unit, you need to ungroup the speakers and use them individually. Once you've identified which one is malfunctioning, you can open it up and remove the touch control ribbon cable. This resolves the issue, although you won't be able to use the top touch controls manually anymore. However, Siri and the display will still function normally.