Can’t play music from iPhone, iPad, or Mac on HomePod? Here’s how to fix it
Follow the solutions in this article if you can’t stream AirPlay audio from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV to your HomePod, or if your HomePod can’t be selected as an audio output.
Selecting HomePod as Audio Out
On iPhone or iPad
Open Control Center > tap the AirPlay icon and select your HomePod.
On Mac
Open the macOS Control Center, click the AirPlay icon next to the audio slider, and select your HomePod.
On Apple TV
Press and hold the TV button to open Control Center. From here, click on the AirPlay icon and select your HomePod.
Troubleshooting when using HomePod as a speaker
Sometimes attempting to select HomePod as the audio source may fail and an error message “AirPlay: Unable to connect”will appear on the screen. In other cases, this may result in no sound from either HomePod or the built-in speaker on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Follow the solutions below if you are experiencing the issue above or similar. The fixes here work for all HomePod models, including HomePod 1st or 2nd generation or HomePod mini.
Stop using your HomePod as your Apple TV speaker
When you set up your Apple TV or HomePod, you are given the option to use HomePod as your default Apple TV audio output. If you choose to set HomePod as an Apple TV speaker, you may not be able to select HomePod as an AirPlay output on iPhone, iPad, and Mac if your Apple TV is turned off.
To fix this, simply turn on your Apple TV and then select the Apple TV name with tiny HomePod and TV icons.
- Open your Apple TV settings and choose Video & Audio > Audio Out.
- Under Default Audio Output, select TV Speakers or any other option than HomePod.
- Your HomePod will then appear as a separate AirPlay option in Control Center, and you can select it to output audio to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac even if your Apple TV is turned off.
Make sure HomePod is on and not installing an update
Please check if your HomePod is turned on. To confirm, touch its screen and it should light up.
If you see a white light spinning on its screen, it means your HomePod is running or updating its software. You will have to wait about 5 minutes for the update to be installed.
If the white light is flashing, it means your HomePod is having problems and you will have to reset it to fix the issue. After that, you can select HomePod as your audio output.
Select your HomePod again
If you can’t select HomePod as your speaker, try again a couple of times. First, select your device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) as output, and after successful completion, try to select HomePod again.
Reboot your HomePod
Your HomePod is no stranger to temporary bugs and glitches that prevent it from working properly. To fix this, either restart it using the wall outlet switch or open the Home app on your iPhone > select HomePod > scroll down and tap Reset HomePod > Restart HomePod.
Once restarted, you will be able to select it as your AirPlay audio receiver on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Reboot the main devices
In rare cases, your iPhone, iPad, or Mac might be the one causing the problem, and to fix this, simply turn them off and on again.
Update your HomePod
Open the Home app and install any pending HomePod updates. This should solve your problems.
When doing so, make sure your primary devices are running the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, or macOS.
Restart your Wi-Fi router.
AirPlay works on your Wi-Fi network, so it might be a good idea to turn your router off and on again.
Reset iPhone or iPad network settings
If you still can’t use your HomePod as a speaker, go to iPhone Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings. Once the reset is complete, your iPhone or iPad will be able to connect to your HomePod and AirPlay audio to it.
Reset your HomePod
If none of the solutions work for you, this is the final solution before submitting your wireless speaker to an Apple Store for review.
When it comes to resetting your HomePod, you have three easy ways to do it. A reset will erase all settings on your HomePod and make it brand new. Once the reset is complete, set up your HomePod again and it should start working perfectly as an audio output.
Take your HomePod to an Apple Store
Finally, if you haven’t been able to fix the problem yourself, have your HomePod checked at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.
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