Apple HomePod Not Connecting: What To Do

Apple HomePod Not Connecting

The Apple HomePod is a great little device that can connect your whole home with amazing sound and Siri capability. It’s versatile, while the HomePod Mini comes in five bold colors to suit your decor. 

While the HomePod has many features, most are unavailable if the Apple HomePod is not connecting to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. This article will cover how to fix the most common connection problems with your HomePod so you can enjoy its full capabilities. 

Apple HomePod Not Connecting: Here is What to do

This section will review possible fixes if your HomePod is not connecting to your devices.

Turn On Bluetooth on Your iPhone

The HomePod uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone and other devices. When fixing connection issues, the first thing you’ll want to do is check the Bluetooth settings. 

You can find this by opening “Settings” and scrolling down to “Privacy.” Within the “Privacy” menu, you will find Bluetooth. 

If Bluetooth isn’t already turned on, do so now. Once you tap the option, you will see the Bluetooth toggle along with a list of connected and remembered devices. The toggle will be green if it is turned on. 

Apple HomePod Not Connecting
Apple HomePod Not Connecting: What to do

Restart Your HomePod

One of the most surprisingly effective ways to fix electronics is by resetting them. To restart your HomePod, start by unplugging the HomePod from the wall and waiting for at least 10 seconds. 

After you’ve done so, plug the HomePod back in. 

As power returns to the HomePod, press and hold the middle of the touch panel in between the control and volume buttons. 

Keep hold of the touch panel as it lights up white and turns red. 

Once the light turns red, Siri will announce that the HomePod will reset. When that happens, the HomePod will beep three times and you can stop holding the touchpad. 

Your HomePod’s settings will then be completely reset. As an extra step, you could go into your Home app and delete the profile for the HomePod before you attempt to reconnect with it. So, when you attempt to reconnect the HomePod, it will be as if you’re doing so through a new device. 

Delete And Reinstall Home App

If it’s not the HomePod itself, issues with the “Home App” may be at fault for the device refusing to connect. That can happen when the app needs to be updated or a previous update wasn’t able to install properly, leading to a glitch in the system. 

Whatever the case, an easy fix is to uninstall and reinstall the app. 

To do this, start by long holding the “Home App” icon on your home screen. After a couple of seconds, the apps will wiggle, and a small “x” will appear in the upper corner of the icon. When you tap this “x,” you will uninstall the app from your device. 

To reinstall the app, start by opening the App Store. Once there, search for the “Home App” and tap “Install.”

Allow the app to download and install on your device before opening it once again. 

Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your phone is also a common solution for connection issues between your phone and the HomePod, or when the HomePod is not responding

If you have an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, or beyond, start holding one of the volume buttons (it doesn’t matter which one) and the side button simultaneously. 

After a moment, a slider will appear on the screen to give you the option to power off the phone. Slide over this slider now, and allow the phone to turn off. 

It should take about 30 seconds for the phone to turn off, at which point you can switch the phone back on. You do this by holding the side button on your phone until you see the Apple logo on the screen. 

If you have any of the older generations of phones, you only need to hold the side button to power down (or the top button in much older phones) instead of holding the side button and volume together. 

Apple HomePod Not Connecting
Apple HomePod Not Connecting

Reset Your HomePod

As mentioned above, one effective way to deal with connection issues with your HomePod (or you can’t set up your HomePod) is to reset the device. This section will go over how to reset your HomePod step by step if your Apple HomePod is not connecting to another device. 

It will assume that you have no connection to an Apple device. However, if you have a connection with an Apple device, you can reset the HomePod through the “Home App.” 

Also, if you have a HomePod Mini, the mode to reset is the same. Some of the lights seen turning the reset process may be slightly different, but you still follow the process written out below. It could be a solution to a HomePod Mini not responding or a HomePod Mini not connecting to iPhone.

Wait a Few Seconds

The first step is to unplug the HomePod from the wall (or another power source). It’s best to wait a few seconds before plugging it back in. At least 10 is recommended, but 30 seconds is safer. 

Plug Your HomePod Back Into Power

Then, plug the HomePod back in. You should see power returning to the HomePod via the light-up touch screen. If your HomePod is not powering on, try again. Otherwise, your device might be faulty if the HomePod is not turning on.

Press and Hold the Top of Your HomePod

The HomePod features a small touchscreen with volume and control buttons. You will need to touch and hold the center of this touch screen between the other buttons. 

Wait for the White Light in a Spinning Motion To Turn Red

As you hold the center of the touch screen, you should see Siri’s white light start spinning around the touch screen. You’ll need to keep holding the touch screen while waiting for the spinning light to turn red.

Continue Pressing Down on the Top of Your HomePod

After the spinning light has turned red, continue to hold the screen until you hear three beeps from the HomePod. Siri will announce that the device will reset soon. Your HomePod will now reset. 

Put Apple HomePod in Pairing Mode

After you’ve reset your HomePod, the light should return to a pulsing white light. That pulsing light means that the HomePod is ready to pair again. 

Touch and Hold a HomePod

If the pulsing light doesn’t appear right away, touch and hold the touch screen on the HomePod until the white light starts pulsing. Again, this means that the HomePod is now in pairing mode. 

Scroll Down, Then Tap

With the HomePod in pairing mode, grab your phone and unlock it. Hold the phone near the HomePod until the latter appears at the bottom of the screen. 

At this point, you can tap “Set Up” at the bottom of the screen and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup. 

Tap Create Stereo Pair and Follow the Onscreen Instructions

If you don’t see the HomePod appear on your front screen immediately, you can go to the Home App instead and see if it appears there. 

Within the Home App, tap to pair a new device, then create a stereo pair. Like the other option, simply follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup.

Apple HomePod Not Connecting
Apple HomePod Not Connecting

Conclusion

The HomePod can bring a whole home together with its easy controls and Siri connectivity. You can use it to Airplay music in any room, add reminders to your to-do list, make calls, and even add to your shopping list. 

If you’re taking advantage of its full functionality, there is nothing worse than when your Apple HomePod is not connecting to another device. We hope that this article has given you a way to fix your Apple HomePod so that you can enjoy it once again. 

Contact us if you still need help or have any other problem with your devices, we’ll be happy to help you.

FAQs

Finally, we’ll go over a few frequently asked questions that often come up regarding the HomePod not pairing. 

Can I use a HomePod without Wi-Fi?

Yes! Thanks to Apple Airplay, you don’t need Wi-Fi to use the HomePod. All you need is a connected Apple device such as a Mac, iPad, or iPhone. 

With one of those devices, you can send music, podcasts, or any type of sound over to the HomePod. 

One thing to note is you will need Wi-Fi to set up the option to use Airplay only. If you’ve just bought the device, it may be a good idea to connect your HomePod to new Wi-Fi so you can set it up. That way, you’ll still be able to use it even when the Wi-Fi is down. 

How do I force HomePod to update?


You will need your connected iPhone, iPad, or Mac to force an update. To do this, start by opening the Home App on the connected device. In the Home App, tap the More button (it looks like three dots horizontally), then go to Home, Settings, and Software Update. 

In the software update menu, you can see if there are any new updates for your HomePod. If there is, you will be able to force an update to your HomePod. 

If there are no updates, you can choose if HomePod should update automatically whenever new versions are released. 

Why is my HomePod blinking white?

On the HomePod, a pulsing white light simply means that the HomePod is ready to be set up or paired with a device. 

Alternatively, a pulsing white light may also mean that you have an alarm or timer going off. 

If the white light is spinning, the HomePod is currently going through a software update. Alternatively, it could mean that the HomePod is turned on. 

If you have the HomePod mini, the meanings are slightly different. The white pulsing light on a HomePod mini means the device is currently playing audio. The spinning white light means the same thing as the regular HomePod and means that the HomePod mini is updating. 

How do I reset my HomePod without Wi-Fi?

You do not need Wi-Fi to reset the HomePod. 

To start resetting your HomePod, unplug the device from the wall and wait at least 10 seconds for it to completely power down.

After your wait, plug the HomePod back in and wait for it to power up. With the HomePod back on, touch and hold the middle of the touch screen (located between the control and volume buttons). When you first start holding the touch screen, there will be a spinning white light. After a moment, this light will turn red. 

After the light turns red, continue to hold as Siri tells you your device is about to reset. After this announcement, the HomePod will beep three times. 

You can now stop holding the touch screen, and your HomePod is restarted. 

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