In short: Try signing out of your Apple ID on the Primary User in the HomePod settings, then sign in again. This has worked for others with the same symptoms.
Designed to work with the Apple Music subscription service, the HomePod is an amazing smart speaker. However, often the Apple Music app won’t play on HomePod. Here’s what to do.
Check your Wi-Fi connection
I often have to deal with an issue on my HomePod, like Apple Music not playing on the device. This kind of flakiness seems to point to Wi-Fi issues more often than not.
Have you tried unplugging your Wi-Fi router? I would try this after unplugging your HomePod, then once your Wi-Fi router is back online, start the HomePod and see how things work.
If this addresses the issue, at least temporarily, it will be informative and suggest that we can dive more deeply into your available Wi-Fi configuration options.
On the upside, there’s not a whole lot of configuration to get your HomePod working beyond the initial setup from your iPhone or iPad. I expect unplugging the router solves the issue.
It seems that the HomePod and HomePod mini are overly susceptible to Wi-Fi confusion, which is why I think they work best with a plain “vanilla” Wi-Fi setup.
Whenever Apple Music is not working on HomePod, I’d go straight to the Wi-Fi router and do a quick reboot. The HomePod tends to sort itself immediately after that.
Remember, your HomePod and HomePod mini automatically connect to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone or iPad. If the signal is weak, move your HomePod closer to the router.
Make sure Apple Music is the default music service on HomePod
You can set a default music service on HomePod so that you don’t have to say the name of the service (Spotify, for example) when you ask Siri to play something.
If you’re unable to play audio from Apple Music on your HomePod, let’s start by making sure Apple Music is selected as the default music service on your HomePod.
First, make sure your HomePod is switched on. Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, and then tap on tap Home Settings. Tap on your user profile under People.
Under Media, tap the music service (in this case, Apple Music) you want to set as your default service. And that’s about it – you’ve set Apple Music as the default music service.
You can still play music from other supported music streaming apps that you add to HomePod, too, by saying the name of the app when you make your request to Siri.
Sign out from your Apple ID on HomePod, then sign in again
When you set up a HomePod for the first time, it uses your Apple account and subscription to stream Apple Music content, since you’re the primary user.
If Apple Music is not playing on HomePod, try signing out of your Apple ID for music and podcasts on the device, then sign in again. This has worked for others with the same symptoms.
You can sign out from the HomePod account, as well as change the Apple ID, using the Home app, as long as you’re the person who set up the HomePod. Here’s what you need to do:
First, make sure your HomePod is switched on.
Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Then, make sure you’re in the Home section of the app and long-press on your HomePod located under Favorite Accessories.
This will open a special menu with access to your HomePod settings. Here, scroll down to the MUSIC & PODCASTS section and tap on Primary User to continue.
You’ll be able to see the Apple ID email address that’s currently being used as the HomePod account. Tap on Sign Out to log out of this particular account.
After a minute or two, tap on Sign In to log back in. Simply type in the correct Apple ID login details and tap on Done located at the top-right corner of the menu to sign in.
And that’s about it. For some reason, signing out from your Apple ID on the HomePod, and then signing back in solves the problem of Apple Music not working on the HomePod.
Restart the HomePod
You can also restart your HomePod or HomePod mini. The easiest way to do it is to unplug the HomePod speaker from its power source, then plug it back in and try again.
Alternatively, you can use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Start by opening the Home app on your device that’s signed in with the Apple ID that you used to set up HomePod.
Tap or click HomePod. Scroll down, or tap or click the Settings icon and scroll down.
If you have two HomePod speakers set up as a pair, select Restart HomePod. If your HomePod is not set up as a pair, select Reset HomePod, then select Restart HomePod.
Factory reset the HomePod
According to an AppleCare agent, the last resort whenever HomePod is not working properly is to reset the device back to its factory settings. Here’s how to do it.
1. Remove your HomePod from the Home app
Open the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac that’s signed in with the Apple ID that you used to set up HomePod. Then, Tap or click HomePod.
Select the Settings icon or scroll down to HomePod settings. Select Reset HomePod.
Select Remove Accessory.
2. Factory reset HomePod
Once you’ve removed your HomePod from the Home app, unplug the HomePod (on the HomePlug mini, you’ll need to unplug the power adapter).
Wait for at least 10 seconds, then plug the HomePod back in. Wait for another 10 seconds, then touch your finger to the top of the HomePod and hold it there.
The white spinning light will turn red. Keep your finger down. Siri will say that your HomePod is about to reset. When you hear three beeps, you can lift your finger.
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