HomePod Mini: Problem with touch sensor lets him play from ghost hand

In the middle of the night, music starts or a podcast is on: This problem reports more and more owners of Apple’s HomePod Mini, among other things On Reddit and in the official Apple support forum. The reports have been piling up for over a year. The reason is obviously hardware problems with the integrated touch sensor on the top of the devices with which the small smart peaker can be controlled-in addition to start/stop, siri requests or reset, you can also adjust the volume via plus and minus keys.

Ghost music and reset loop

The error expresses itself in two ways. First, the HomePod Mini suddenly starts – as mentioned at a sleeping time – which can be extremely annoying depending on the volume set. Second, the device believes that it is in reset mode and remains permanently in this. Both problems like to occur in a row: The user hopes to solve the “ghost music” problem with a reset, but no longer comes out of it.

You can take stem attempts or Cleaning alcohol Use to clean the surface (not the tissue!), But that seems to be very sensible attempts to rescue. There are long threads on Reddit in which users describe the problem with simply resolving it by simply Cable of the touch sensor inside solve. However, you don’t just have to dismantle the HomePod Mini (with Special tool), but glue the floor again. And in the future the control will work solely via an connected device such as an iPhone, an iPad or a Mac.

Repair is not worth it

With an affected device in the Mac & I editorial team, the reset loop occurred after trying to restart the affected HomePod Mini via the home app. Other users report that the reset attempt can also be triggered arbitrarily in the middle of the night. After all: against A reset loop can helpto leave the palm on the device while The red reset light lights up. Then the device is actually reset and can be reconsidered with an iPhone. However, both mistakes, i.e. ghost music and involuntary move into reset mode, can then reappear.

The problem also occurs when the HomePod Mini is hardly used – what exactly it triggers is still unclear. Something may decompose in the device. Common units are common that they are already older, the defective model in the Mac & I editorial team came from 2021. The warranty that Apple has to give for 24 months according to EU law has often expired. You can try at Apple Care or a visit to the Genius Bar in the Apple Store Pounding on goodwill, but there is no free exchange program nor has to help Apple. A repair of the HomePod Mini – which in practice is equivalent to an exchange of the device – is Due to the high price for “other damage” of 89 euros (without AppleCare+device insurance) hardly worthwhile. Because: the Retail sales price Depending on the color, 90 euros for new goods.