Apple Releases New HomePod 15 Beta Update Following Reports of Sudden Failures

Apple today released a new version of the HomePod 15 beta software that's designed to go along with the iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and macOS Monterey betas.

HomePod Happy Fix Feature
The new software comes as multiple ‌HomePod‌ owners running the original ‌HomePod‌ 15 beta have complained of sudden failures and heat issues that have rendered their HomePods non-functional.

‌HomePod‌ beta software is distributed on an invite-only basis to select users, so there is no update that can be downloaded by developers or the general public.

There are ways to get the ‌HomePod‌ software if you're not a part of Apple's testing group, but because it's designed for a small number of users on an invite-only basis, we do not recommend using any alternate method to obtain the update.

It is beta software and can be unreliable, as the multiple reports of hardware failures demonstrate. These issues have also affected those with the 14.6 release software, but there does not appear to be a new public version of the ‌HomePod‌ software at this time.

The release notes for the ‌HomePod‌ 15 update do not offer any information and do not indicate whether the failure issue has been addressed.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...

Top Rated Comments

nrose101 Avatar
59 months ago

That’s a large HomePod
Nah. It's the real HomePod. The small ones are a joke for audiophiles.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
59 months ago

What about people who had to pay out of warranty for another one because of it?
Working as intended. Regards.

-Tim
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
larrylaffer Avatar
59 months ago

What about people who had to pay out of warranty for another one because of it?
If 14.6 caused this, I would be demanding a refund.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcfly88 Avatar
59 months ago

For people that grew up on CDs and real stereos in their home the old Homepod can compare to a Booom Box from the 80s. These new ones sound like a cheap $20 speaker underwater and maybe compare to a pair of crapy pc speakers.
This has to be one of the most pretentious things I've ever read...

Whose expecting audiophile quality from a 3" speaker?? It's one speaker.. not a surround sound setup. Also, this is just a ridiculous comparison all around. You must have some golden ears.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nrose101 Avatar
59 months ago

The Amazon Echo Studio has good sound quality?. Interesting. I presumed that it would be similar to the rest of the echo line up.
Not at all! It's bigger than the original homepod and sounds amazing...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blowback Avatar
59 months ago

too late, I already learned a hard lesson I lost one of my OG HomePods, not installing a beta ever again :/

does anyone know if there is any way to fix the flashing volume lights problem? I have no warranty and Apple doesn't offer support for HomePods in my country.
Hmmmm...this one appears to have passed the first test!


For those using beta software on a HomePod, turn off auto update, disconnect from Apple TV, unpair stereo pairing, update each separately and check for any unusual activity such as the top getting hot.
Unless in the middle of an update, if the top is getting hot keep the HomePod unplugged.
Aren't you missing a step? 'Call local Shaman ........first' .


Apparently we get Lossless audio (but not spatial) in this beta, too.
Careful...you may, as others have, get the 'new' Lossless....no sound at all!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)