[Update: Fixed] HomePod stereo music playing on one speaker, different songs on each speaker, one speaker drops out, & other bugs

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…

Original story (published on May 5, 2021) follows:

With an aim to build a more advanced ecosystem at home, Apple brought the HomePod to its users.

HomePod is probably the best wireless smart speaker option for Apple users. This can be controlled by voice, much like other alternatives available in the market.

Even though the smart speaker offers a great experience while at home, it has its own list of flaws with limited features and versatility.

Most users prefer having a duo to pair them together, creating a stereo setup for content consumption purposes. This is ideally an incredible combo.

But there are multiple reports from the users about the HomePod stereo pair going haywire, restricting users to use it as stereo speakers.

One HomePod speaker drops out

According to affected users, one of the HomePods automatically drops out after playing for some time.

Does anyone else experience music playing on only one speaker a significant amount of the time? Or do you hear one speaker drop out of the mix even though it was already playing as a stereo pair? (Source)

There appears to be a connectivity issue with HomePod as some users who previously used stereo setups perfect well had to struggle a lot to make them work again.

Music on only one speaker

There are complaints that when the stereo set-up is connected to Siri, only the one directly connected to Siri plays the song, the other one stops working when Siri’s given a command.

This seems to have appeared only after the latest iOS 14.5 update. But it works fine when played via AirPlay.

Syncing issue on HomePod stereo

Apple TV users who are trying to sync the HomePods with stock speakers are having trouble with the audio lag and syncing issues.

Since the latest update, i am experiencing a bit of an audio lag from my AppleTV to my stereo pair. Prior to the update, I haven’t had any issue in months since the option to make the Homepod the default audio source. (Source)

According to the users, the problem appeared only after the iOS 14.5 update. But there’s a workaround as well.

In the TV settings under Audio, an option to calibrate wireless speakers is available. This should help get rid of the syncing issues.

The same is the case with some users after the latest macOS Big Sur update.

The sound (latest macOS Big Sur) when playing stereo HomePod mini is not in sync with video! Really poor solution apple (Source)

This has been the story of lags, sync, and connectivity issues with the Apple HomePods so far. This affects all Apple devices that are trying to connect with the speakers.

For most of the cases, it started to trouble only after the latest software updates from Apple which makes sense as there could be compatibility issues with major updates.

Contrary to the reports, some users even claim that the HomePod stereo pair have gotten better after the latest iOS 14.5 update. Head here to read their obersevations.

For what it’s worth, Apple may soon address this issue as more reports reach them. We will keep an eye on it to see if at least a workaround pops up.

IST 12:58 pm: iOS 15 is here and sadly, HomePod users are still facing issues with pairing and stereo on their units (1,2,3,4,5,6, 7).

IST 05:10 pm: The bug where HomePod users were facing pairing and stereo issues on their units has finally been resolved with iOS 17 update.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Apple Section so be sure to follow them as well.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.