Static and crackling sound on HomePod Mini

I had some time this weekend to verify if the sync issue was related to paired HomePods. It appears to not be related. After playing to an unpaired set of homePods (Gen 2 and Mini), the issue recurs. The only way to fix it is to stop/start/replay/skip.

This effectively means that Apple Music can no longer be used, which is pretty serious for one who's been a paid subscriber for years.

Saturday Oct 13 UPDATE:

About every 5 min the crackling sound showed up in different speakers around the house from 12:15pm -3:30pm. Mostly, it was in the Homepod 2, so I unlinked them and it continues in different pairs of mini's around the house! Interestingly, they all stayed in sync today, just the static/crackling sounds. This all sucks. All speakers and apple products are updated, but it still happens. Restarting all speakers didn't help either.

I have 9 HomePods throughout my house, having 2 stereo pairs of original units, and 2 stereo pairs of minis, and a single mini in a bathroom. All of my minis have had this horrible issue until the last software update. I’m not saying it’s fixed, only so far, so good. I was planning on buying 4 minis as Christmas gifts for nieces and nephews, but that isn’t gonna happen until this discussion thread goes dormant because the issue is fixed for all. Have a good day wonderful people!

You can check the state of the software of your HomePod Minis through the iOS Home App. If they are behind in software you can initiate a software update through the same app as well. Hope this help!

Statics, crackling, single Homepods disconnecting randomly, sometimes last chunk of audio is stuck in a permanent loop (0.25 sec)…

this is really annoying.

in my setup i have 5 Homepod Mini and 1 Belkin Soundform Connect.

music is played via iphone 13. all on newest firmware.

Network is AVM Fritz Mesh. Newest hard-/firmware.

In addition to the Airplay/Homepod problems the Iphone regularely disconnects from Wifi.

AVM knows the problem but passes it on to Apple. - no solution for several Updates even major OS updates).

so i guess its time to switch back to good old FM Transmitter/Receiver for seamless multiroom audio. - welcome to the future (2024)

Same happens to my 3 Homepod Minis.

Not all of them have crackling at the same time, but each one for itself. It sounds like a record with a scratchy needle.

There are also short interruptions when listening to Apple Music or Spotify.

I've tried all possible scenarios for the WiFi. Regardless of whether it's frequency bands or anything else.

Running 18.0.1

I updated all HomePods of all versions to OS 18.1.

I have been playing for about 2 days now and notice no static; the music stays synchronized across stereo pairs and non-paired HomePods. There also appears to be less latency when a) starting to play music when HomePod needs to exit sleep. Another improvement is that volume control doesn't show latency, so it's easy to increase/decrease volume for multiple HomePods.

Unless the problem recurs, I'm assuming that my issues are fixed with HomePod OS 18.1.

I’m sure as soon as I post this the issues will return, but since updating to 18.1 I haven’t had any more trouble. AirPlay is still wonky at times (randomly switches which speaker I’m controlling), but the crackling and sync issues have not been happening over the last couple of weeks.

I have multiple HomePods and HomePod Minis at my home with extended Wi-Fi network. I have been experiencing this a far more than previously although this has been part of my 'Apple'-experience prior to OS18. I really hop that this get fixed since this does not reflect the brand at all. I there are any technical questions from Apples side on this please contact. I can also confirm that this happens with MacBook Pro M2 with 15.1. as well. This seems to be more related to the Wi-Fi and its ability to sync across different products. All of my HomePods/Minis are OS18.1.

I can confirm exactly what you have stated and thought it was my UI network except my HomePod is using 5ghz without issue but becomes super static and cracking after a few minutes of play then quits playing and has a huge delay in getting the wide to play again. This has been happening from 17.6

I was thinking about when this issue started and remembered why I quit using my AirPods. The crackling and distortion started there but I thought it was a hardware failure as one of the pods sounds like it has a blown speaker. In any event AirPods, HomePods, the linking component is airplay and Apple Music.

Also have these issues.  Since about July, 2024 - prior to to current software updates.  I had expected one of the releases since, to fix this issue.

One of the original HomePods (bought 2 to stereo pair 5 years ago).  Tried restarts, resets, different WIFI settings - many times.  Issue remains.   I have taken the speaker into Apple...they just looked at it, literally.. and read this article.  It was like they already knew this was an issue. (but told me they had not had anyone come in with the issue/ speaker.  I was given an option to replace it, with a minor discount - still costing me $400 plus AUD...AND the latest version only, that is NOT compatible with with the other HomePod that still works as you cannot stereo pair a Gen 1 with a Gen 2!   

So they then handed me some paperwork to go onto the ACCC website, and log a "complaint" with the Australian govt body, on fair trading..  If this ended up being a positive outcome...it would ask Apple to replace with another GEN 1...so I can then Stereo Pair - but again...at a COST to myself, of a few hundred dollars.   

So I have cancelled my Apple Music subscription, as this issue is obviously widespread…and Apple have not done anything about it.  And after 20 years of Apple ….I am noticing a distinct lack of care.. all around, and it feels the “golden age” is now over, as its now all about the $$$ profit.

Did Santa’s magic fix this problem? Well, for me here, just before the festive period (and at the Apple iOS update) miracles began to happen. It stopped! And has remained so; although I fear that by admitting it, it will be jinxed. But I can honestly say that absolutely no static whatsoever has taken place here since that time; so much so that they all have been finally doing what they are supposed to do all through the festivities and all with visitor and guests positive feedback (no pun intended).

“Siri ask <assured third party app> to play <an assured radio station>”… even though it is supposed to, never ever has this command been activated! “There is a problem with…” or “I’m sorry, I can’t do that from here, you’ll need to do it via an Apple device” (paraphrased)

HOWEVER… synchronicity between pods and also between stereo paired pods remains abysmal. Whilst it does seem to self correct occasionally, more often than not, intervention via a brief pause is often required for normal service to resume. There is no particular timeline, it is completely random, but when it happens, it really happens. The worst is of course with stereo paired pods. This fault is not always during use, but mostly. So all is not out of the woods just yet, but so far at least, a positive start to the new year is holding out ; let’s hope the final hurdle will be soon too.

[Edited by Moderator]

Just before the Christmas break, I reset ALL speakers and other gadgets in my WIFI. Trial and error for an entire week, of trying different attempts to fix - did not solve the issues, changed WIFI settings etc... and then the last software release arrived, so also installed that. I have been away for a week. Played music for a few hours each day since getting back for a week, and I was really happy to see that the issues I had appeared to be "fixed". Until yesterday, when only after a few minutes of playing sound over HomePods, the issue came back to the same HomePod Gen 1. So no, it is not fixed.

Given the responses from Apple Support, and the Genius Bar....after 20 years of APPLE, I think I'm done, as its all now feeling very "Windows".......Software bugs seem to becoming far more common, and the lack of interest from Apple - with "buy a new one full price" ask being the FIX - Forget it.

Ended up returning both gen 2 HomePods. For a “premium” product it was not worth the hassle and headache to constantly chase bugs and troubleshoot. It was definitely the right decision to return. If nothing else I hope it’s a demonstration of my frustration via dollars in revenue lost.