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Apple TV loses connection to HomePods and HomeKit when switching users

YourDamnCroissants

YourDamnCroissants

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 28, 2019
28
10
Boston, MA
I recently moved, and afterwards, noticed an issue with my Apple TV 4K and the stereo-paired OG HomePods that I use as its default audio output. My wife and I are both admins of our HomeKit home and are both logged into accounts on the Apple TV. When we use control center to switch users, the sound output from the HomePods will immediately stop working for 30-60 seconds. Then, a prompt will display saying the Apple TV couldn't connect to the HopePods (Try Again / Cancel). Immediately, the HomePods start working again, once this prompt displays.

When the sound output is broken, I also noticed that the HomeKit tab in Control Center also disappears, and if I go into Settings > HomeKit, the Apple TV will display a loading icon instead of saying which room it's in. It's as if the Apple TV temporarily loses its membership in the Home, leaving it unable to communicate with any HomeKit devices, including the HomePods. The issue always self-corrects after ~30 seconds, at which time the sound resumes working, the HomeKit section of Settings remembers which room it's in, and the HomeKit tab in Control Center returns.

I've already tried factory resetting the Apple TV and both HomePods, and deleting the HomeKit home and recreating it from scratch. And now, after the tvOS 17.5 and HomePod Software 17.5 updates yesterday, the issue still persists.

Anyone see a similar issue?
 
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have you rebooted your home network?

Did anything about your network change when you moved?
 
I was wondering if anyone found a fix. This started happening to me after doing a reset of the Apple TV last week. We have 3 accounts on the Apple TV, but this only happens when switching to one account. Switching to that one, brings up the spinning wheel and the disconnect from the homepods. When switching to the other account, the switch is instant and no loss of audio happens. It's making me look at getting a soundbar to replace the homepods as the homepods don't always reconnect and it forces me to restart things.
 
I had the same problem. It started suddenly after doing nothing, I mean, it wasn’t after an update for the operating system or something, not, it was like suddenly and I didn’t mess with any settings or anything. It was annoying as hell. Now, after doing exactly nothing, it seems that fixed itself, again without any system update. It’s the weirdest bug that I’ve ever seen, usually bugs appear after software updates or because you changed some setting somewhere, I did nothing and it came and then it went away. Super weird.
 
You give me hope that mine will fix itself in time. I have 2 Apple TVs with the same accounts and it is still happening, but only on one of them. It's too bizarre. As it seems not many people have this issue, I don't have much hope in the next TV OS version fixing it.
 
I have the same problem, except when switching from HomePods to Beats earbuds. When I disconnect the ear buds, the Apple TV takes forever to synchronize with iCloud and doesn’t know what room it’s in.
 
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