Apple

Sometimes I Get Angry At Apple

Why do they continue to miss the obvious?

Photo by author. My albatross — I mean HomePod

After the most recent IOS update, my original HomePod lost its Music account again. That’s happened often and it requires going into its settings to fix it. Those settings are buried — and I do mean buried! — deep in Home.

Screenshot by author

“Home” is the app that controls all the so-called “smart” things in my house. Most of them aren’t very smart at all, and either is the Home app. To reset the Music account, I need to call up Home, long press on the HomePod control icon, click on a nearly invisible gear icon at the bottom of that screen, and then click on Primary User under “Music and Podcasts”.

Shouldn’t a device with as many functions as a PomePod have its own app? And shouldn’t it be able to keep its account settings through an upgrade or a power failure?

I might say “Hey Siri, couch light off”. I just did this and my HomePod said “I’m having some trouble with your account settings. Take a look in the Home app in your iPhone.”

Thanks, Siri, but the Home app doesn’t see anything wrong. It can turn that light on or off if I click on…