HomePod Stereo Pair

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Level 1

9 points

HomePod Stereo Pair

After about two hours of play my HomePods stop pairing with each other and just stop playing music or just start to play two independent songs separate from each other. The last time I spoke to tech-support they asked me if I was on the updated iOS and version of software 11.4.1. I did install this version however now this is the first time since the install that the HomePod did the exact same thing before of the software upgrade which is on pairing used fRom itself.

I cannot get them to create the stereo pair again and play music they are paired but now they will not play. Typically the only thing that resolve this issue is if I restart my iPad that is the device that they are sent to primarily.

HomePod, iOS 11.4.1

Posted on Jul 23, 2018 6:46 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jul 24, 2018 1:05 AM in response to lils_crib

I would try resetting the devices, one after the other, then try to recreate the stereo pair.

tt2

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Aug 18, 2018 9:06 AM in response to lils_crib

I'm inclined to agree with deggie. A newer router may be able to better manage the traffic between your devices. I replaced mine just before I got my first HomePod as my Mac mini kept losing its connection while I was syncing data over Wi-Fi from another computer. I suspect I'd be in the same boat as you if I hadn't already switched.

tt2

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Answer 3

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

Aug 3, 2018 7:29 PM in response to lils_crib

That is sounding more and more like a problem with your router/network.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Jul 24, 2018 9:06 AM in response to lils_crib

Any clues from your router? I can't really see why it would help, but you could try adding an address reservations so the devices always get the same IP. Are you in a crowded Wi-Fi area? Is your router creating multiple networks?

tt2

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Answer 5

lils_crib Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 3, 2018 5:04 PM in response to lils_crib

Today Siri tells me the Homepod can’t access my music and to check the Home app associated with the HomePod. When I go to the home app it does not show that my iCloud account is signed in, but when I click on sign in, nothing happens. I can’t sign in.

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Answer 6

lils_crib Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 24, 2018 9:00 AM in response to turingtest2

I have already done this before. The issue is happening more frequently not less. So I don’t want to have to reset them every time I want to play music from them.

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Answer 7

lils_crib Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 26, 2018 6:06 PM in response to turingtest2

No router is fine.

i’m the only single no other houses or apartments near me

each device can have its own address.

Router assigns as they are online.

no multiple networks.

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Answer 8

mathetes

Level 1

92 points

Jul 26, 2018 6:04 PM in response to lils_crib

I have experienced similar situations, similar symptoms. turingtest2's suggestions are good, but they don't seem to resolve it altogether. I've wondered if some of the following are factors (first let me state that I do have all systems HomePods, iPhone, iPads, updated with the most recent software:

as indicated, there are several devices--my iPhone (an X, if that matters), two iPads--each of which has the Home app, and on each of them the HomePods are paired as stereo
the stereo set up is in the living room, where I have a wi-fi extender. Same wifi network as upstairs, but "_ext" on the end of the name
there are occasions then when I'll come down from upstairs with my iPhone having been on "network" to the living room where the paired HomePods are on "network_ext". ---is it possible that this confuses the Home/HomePod set up?

I have noticed when doing a reset of the HomePods that if there's an iPad resting near one of the HomePods, it seems as if this presence of another iOS device interferes with the to-be-setup Pod being aware of and tuned into my iPhone even when it's held immediately adjacent. [I've totally powered down the iPad and then succeeded in the reset]

Interestingly, even when it starts playing only from one of the HomePods, the Home app shows them visually as a pair.

All of that said, I love the sound of the stereo pairing when it's working, but am mystified as to the cause of it's losing the stereo connection.

So clearly somewhere in the system a weak link, something that fails, leaving the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing (so to speak).

mathetes

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Answer 9

lils_crib Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 26, 2018 6:04 PM in response to mathetes

I’m been doing some troubleshooting today.

I,m going to break this down, potato head style, in case support reviews this.

1. I plugged both pods in. I don’t leave them plugged in all the time. I don’t like there no visual sleep feature.

2. I’m using the ipad I initially paired them to. The music on this I paid has been downloaded and is not streaming.

3. I just ran a Speedtes. I’m getting 59MB down right now and 6.15 up.

4. all devices are on 11.4.1

5. I initially started with them paired. I airplayed my playlist shuffled to paired HomePod. They played approximately 7 songs about 25 minutes and then unpaired and only the left pod was playing.

6. I stopped the song. Unpaired them visually in the home app, as the home app still showed them as paired. Repaired them and then tried to airplay them again. Nothing plays.

7. I closed the home app and the my music app. I also unpaired the pods.

8. This time I asked Siri to play my playlist. The “paired“ pods played for 12 minutes 3 songs and then stopped playing again.

9. My iPad shows only one pod. The right pod doesn’t appear in the AirPlay menu. I was able to airplay a song to just one pod.

when they work the sound is great and better than my old stereo but I can’t get them to stay paired.

things to note:

home app and airplay don’t sync together very well. The playlist will play different songs simultaneously.

airplay isn’t keeping up with pairing and unpairing of devices.

home app is not a great diagnostic tool. “No response” doesn’t give enough detail as to what is not responding. With 2 pods I don’t know which one or both are having an issue especially when the home app doesn’t keep up with the pairing and unpairing.

i do not use my iPhone 7as the device which controls the pods. The phone is nearby but it’s not the closest device to the pods.

device list:

I phone 7 plus

ipad 6 generation

2 homepods

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Answer 10

lils_crib Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 18, 2018 8:45 AM in response to deggie

But music airplay’s via WiFi and not Bluetooth. The message doesn’t make sense when the music will run.

I experienced some weird issues yesterday. There was a delay in changing tracks the left speaker would make the change instantly and the right speaker would change after about a 3 to 7 second delay . Then the music would pair up and synchronize.

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HomePod Stereo Pair

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