Some Apple HomePod users are reporting that their smart speaker can no longer find songs on Apple Music, following the recent HomePod 14.5 update. The update was released in late April with "bug fixes", and was swiftly followed by another with “bug fixes and performance improvement".
According to 9to5Mac, the problem occurs when attempting to play songs or artists using the 'Hey Siri' command, with multiple users taking to Twitter to voice their concerns.
Ok anyone else with a HomePod and Apple Music — can you get it to play anything at the moment? No matter what I ask for today I just get “I couldn’t find xxx on Apple Music” the only query that works is “play some music” which plays stuff from my iTunes library 😂 pic.twitter.com/CW1Nyh23s4May 5, 2021
@AppleSupport HomePod no longer finds anything on Apple Music, all I get is “I didn’t find XXXX on Apple Music” for anything I ask for.May 5, 2021
According to What Hi-Fi?, some users have been able to resume normal Apple Music playback by factory resetting their HomePod. If that doesn't work, you could try using AirPlay to cast songs from your iPhone to the smart speaker, though it's not a true fix for the problem.
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Bye bye, HomePod
Having first gone on sale at the start of 2018, the Apple HomePod smart speaker was recently discontinued, with Apple turning all of its attention to the smaller (and cheaper) HomePod Mini instead.
In a statement, Apple said that "HomePod Mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod Mini."
The news came as something of a surprise; after all, Apple had just given the HomePod an audio boost with Dolby Atmos support, as well as the ability to double up as an intercom system like the HomePod mini. Plus, both the HomePod and HomePod mini now support voice control for Deezer, so the upgrades are still coming.
While Apple has confirmed that the original HomePod will continue to receive software updates, we don't know how long that will last. And, once current stocks are depleted, you won't be able to buy a new HomePod anyway.
It's not clear whether Apple is planning to release a new flagship smart speaker to sit alongside the HomePod mini, but since Apple discontinued the HomePod, we’ve seen a number of patents suggesting a new HomePod is on the cards.
The so-called Apple HomePod 2 may even come with a display, if rumors are to be believed, like the Amazon Echo Show 10 and Google Nest Hub.
