Issues playing podcasts on HomePod with sleep timer and playback position

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Level 1

13 points

Issues playing podcasts on HomePod with sleep timer and playback position

iPhone 12 Pro (iOS 14.2)

HomePod mini (OS 14.2)

Playing Podcasts on the HomePod via the iPhone seems to be fundamentally broken:

Issue #1 - When you start a podcast on the iPhone, and then stream it to the HomePod, you lose the ability to set a Sleep Timer within the podcasts app (it’s greyed out). And if you set a sleep timer on the phone first, then stream to HomePod, the sleep timer is cancelled, and it never stops playback.

Issue #2 - When I start a podcast from the iPhone, stream to HomePod, it does not save my progress. E.g. stream to HomePod starting at 5:00, then switch back to iPhone after listening for a few minutes, and it will go back to the same point the phone left off (5:00).

Issue #3 - Even weirder, when I switch to HomePod via the podcasts app, sometimes the artwork even changes (to an old version). This is just to illustrate how broken it is, doesn’t really affect anything.

Can others confirm they see the same behavior in Issues #1 and #2?

I either have to ditch the HomePod or the Apple Podcasts app. Makes no sense since these are the native apps/products and should be seamless.

HomePod mini, 14

Posted on Nov 17, 2020 4:11 PM

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Answer 1

leothemack Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 19, 2020 3:39 PM in response to apo82

Thank you for confirming.

Indeed, it’s been this way ever since iOS 13, when they added the “handoff” feature. It’s because the HomePod is acting as its own entity, independent of the phone.

Also, can you try this?

Start a podcast on your phone (T=0).
Stream it to HomePod, then ask HomePod Siri to set a sleep timer for X minutes.
Wait for X minutes, until it stops. Then check your phone. Did it keep the place in the podcast from when it stopped on the HomePod (T+X), or does it put you back to where you started streaming to your HomePod (T=0)?

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Answer 2

leothemack Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 18, 2020 9:54 AM in response to leothemack

Update:

I found that the problem is that since iOS 13, the iPhone uses Handoff to the HomePod.

I was able to find a workaround.

Go to Home App > HomePod settings > Music & Podcasts > Default Account, and sign-out.

Now, when I stream from my iPhone to HomePod, it says “iPhone -> HomePod”, instead of just “HomePod”, and I am able to set a Sleep Timer in Podcasts. However, now my Apple Music account isn’t registered to the HomePod, I cannot ask HomePod Siri to play music on the HomePod, so this is just a temporary workaround.

I hope Apple will allow users to toggle on/off full Handoff to the HomePod in the future.

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Answer 3

apo82

Level 1

9 points

Nov 19, 2020 2:50 PM in response to leothemack

I can confirm issue #1.

It‘s annoying that the sleep timer is not working for the HomePod Mini.

When I set the sleep timer on the iPhone and stream music to the HomePod, the timer gets ignored by the HomePod Mini and music continues to play.

If music is played on the phone rather than being streamed to the HomePod, the timer works correctly and stops the playback as configured.

I hope they‘ll fix it soon.

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Answer 4

apo82

Level 1

9 points

Nov 20, 2020 4:45 AM in response to leothemack

Hi leothemack, I tried what you wanted to know: the podcast pauses where the HomePod goes to sleep (T+X).

So it keeps the progress correctly in the Podcasts app on the iPhone.

I use the HomePod Mini (14.2) and an iPhone SE2 (14.2).

leothemack wrote:

Indeed, it’s been this way ever since iOS 13, when they added the “handoff” feature. It’s because the HomePod is acting as its own entity, independent of the phone.

Well, that does not give hope for a bugfix or at least improvement...

It also means that any iPhone configured shortcut containing a sleep timer would not completely work.

Is there a way to set a HomePod controlled sleep time within the Shortcuts app on the iPhone?

What else might be a workaround other than telling Siri on the HomePod to set a sleep timer?

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Answer 5

leothemack Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 20, 2020 5:49 AM in response to apo82

The only workaround I am aware of, is by setting up your HomePod on a different iTunes/Apple ID. Then it streams directly from your phone to the HomePod and it gives you full access to controls on your phone.

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Issues playing podcasts on HomePod with sleep timer and playback position

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