Welcome to Nic's Fix!

When HomePod first released, it seemed total destruction was required to get inside and there was no way to repair it.

Thanks to ouitmenick's guide, a clean, non-destructive way to get in was found! Still, many issues were thought to be irrepairable, and no one was offering repairs...I sought to change that.

Launched in 2022 as the world's first HomePod repair service, thousands have been sent in from all over for successful repairs, with countless more saved just from sharing our findings and methods!

You won't find anyone more obsessed with HomePods, than Nic's Fix!

"I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see.

But then one day,

I got in."

Animated image of Dizzie Rascal dancing with some speakers

Big Dirty Bass Problems

Does your HomePod rattle, crackle, or fart?

"Hey Siri!"
*pop*

Worried about that popping sound when you wake it up? Play my sound samples on your HomePod for comparison to see if you should be concerned!

What Can You Fix?

Everything! From software to hardware bricks, from no power to no bass or "Death Farts".

"What if you can't fix it?"

All HomePod repairs do not exceed $90, even if I can't repair a part and end up replacing it (not including cosmetic parts.) At any point you can choose not to have it fixed for no charge, and either donate it or cover return shipping.

Mesh cleaning and customization

I'll take a minute or so to give your pod a brief wipe down before return. More intense cleaning, or a replacement mesh starts at $20 with any repair.

Want to color your mesh? See the Mesh section for more info.





Live Repair, with a Warranty!

What sets my repairs apart is simple, do it live! Streamed on YouTube typically within 1-3 days of arrival, then shipped out the next business day!

Warranty covers my parts and workmanship for up to one year, with USA shipping covered for the first 6 months!

Watch my latest repair livestream below...

Visit my YouTube channel for videos showing how to diagnose and repair many of the issues covered here, or catch a live stream repair!

You're also invited to my discord server to get help, share your results, and anything else.

The Common Issues section covers all of the common repairs and parts needed.

Mail-In Repair Service

Want me to fix your HomePod, or maybe something else? Here's how!

1: For HomePods, check Repair Estimates to get an idea how much your issue will be to repair. There are sample audio clips for you to compare if needed. Check the FAQ if you have any questions!

2: Send me an email, briefly describing what you got and any other questions you may have. I can be slow to reply! If I don't get back to you after 3 business days, feel free to send another message as I may have missed you, and check your spam folder.

3: After I reply, you can ship to my UPS mailbox below. Please let me know your tracking number or include contact information inside! *You must include "Unit #341" in the address! Repairs will cost more if damage occurs during shipping, so pack it well!

Nic's Fix
12819 SE 38th St #341
Bellevue, WA 98006

My UPS mailbox is a real store front with employees that can sign for and keep your package secure until I can pick it up. Your tracking will show it as delivered before I have it! I'll let you know when I've gotten your gear.

4: I'll shoot you a message with a link to watch the repairs live on YouTube! Most are done and shipped back within 1-3 business days. If repairs are successful, payment can then be made by PayPal, CashApp, Zelle, Venmo or Apple Pay. If you opt to not have repairs done or it can't be fixed, there's no charge! You can donate, or cover return shipping.


Let me know how I did (or see what others think) on my TrustPilot!

Contact Me



If you live outside the US:

Repairs from all over the world are accepted, whether you want to send in your whole pod, or just the component that needs repair...though shipping may get expensive.

Click below to see a list of others who have reached out offering repairs. Feel free to contact me to be added! *I provide no promises or guarantees for others' work, only my own!*

I Guarantee It

Parts and labor are guaranteed for up to one year!1For the first 6 months, I'll cover USA shipping and repairs if my work fails. From 6-12 months I'll still cover repairs if you cover shipping. If I can't fix it, you don't pay! See footnote for details.


Packing and Shipping Pods

Pack your HomePod well enough that it doesn't shake around, to prevent more damage like this. If you care about cosmetics, avoid wrapping the cable around the pod as it can leave imprints, and wrap the AC plug to keep it from scratching things.

The original boxes work well when used properly and packed well inside another box, but good packing ALL around just a HomePod works just as well.


If you are shipping with the original box, with power cable installed; the trick is to coil the cable up, then stuff the cable into the box, then place the HomePod inside.

*Try to keep the any of the cable from popping out as you insert the HomePod, otherwise it will sit on the cable and can deform the mesh.

Once you have the lid on your original box, flip it upside-down and tape the lid onto the bottom to keep it all from coming loose in transit.

*If the lid comes loose, it gives too much room for your HomePod to move around, and allows the power cable to creep up the box and possibly deform your mesh.

You can remove and reconnect the power cable on your HomePod for simpler, safer packing if desired. To remove the power cable, first disconnect from power, then place the HomePod on a solid surface. Hold the HomePod down with one hand, then firmly grasp and pull or yank the power cable with your other hand. To reinstall the power cable, simply re-insert it the correct orientation, and push the connector into the HomePod until it makes a loud click.

Wrapping the cable under the pod

How to Pack Pod w/ Cable in Original Box

Packing Material

Pack it Well, All Around

Cable properly tucked under pod

Cable stays under pod; Correct

Cable not tucked under pod, sliding up mesh

Cable coming out; Inorrect

Pull the power cable hard to remove, push in hard until click to install

How to Disconnect & Reconnect Cable

Don't wrap the cable around the pod when shipping

Avoid Doing This





Common Issues

The following are the most common issues seen and known ways I (or others if credited) have found to diagnose and repair them. You can right-click and open each image in a new tab for a larger view.

If you aren't able to confirm diagnosis of an issue, you should thoroughly inspect for any physical damage. I strongly recommend you have a good spare homepod for testing it will save you a lot of guessing nailing down which hardware component has failed.

If you've found a new fix for an issue and it's not listed here, please contact me so it can be added with your name on it!



Symptoms: HomePod will power on, but ends up with flashing / blinking volume lights or boot loops. Won't factory reset with traditional methods.

Root Cause: Many are caused by failed software, or failed / interrupted software update. Some are hardware issues, usually on the logic board, but in rare cases it is caused by other faulty hardware, like physical damage to the display. It is typically not possible to tell if yours is h/w or s/w caused without connecting to it via USB.

Hardware Symptoms: If your Homepod exhibits any of the following, it is likely a hardware issue. Usually BGA failure for the NAND, or NAND itself, in which case reballing is necessary. Do not try reflowing / baking your logic board, that will probably just cause more damage. UART is necessary to determine exact hardware failure.

-Always boots into DFU mode when oriented normally
-Fails to restore via USB after multiple attempts
-Unbricks itself with no repair / restore attempts, or,
-Never boots to DFU or Recovery Mode at all (it can take a minute when you power it on, be patient!),


Software Repair: If you HomePod boots into Recovery Mode when oriented normally (NOT DFU Mode,) it is likely a software issue, but it doesn't hurt to try a restore anyways. Note that it can take a minute for it to boot into Recovery Mode. Boot loops and flickering volume buttons may also be restorable software issues.

Since Apple does not publish full restore .ipsws for these devices, you must make your own, using currently signed AppleTV and HomePod OTA firmwares, then restore over USB with idevicerestore. No special hardware is needed to get USB access and restore a software-bricked homepod. At minimum, you just need to remove the rubber base of the pod, and connect the necessary lines to a normal USB cable to plug in to your PC.

While you can solder directly to the pins on the pod, it's not recommended, the pads are fragile! You should make your own adapter with pogo pins. Tihmstar has already designed such an adapter here. You only need the passive USB connection to restore, UART is only needed for deeper debugging / troubleshooting.



The scripts / tools to accomplish this are FREE to use and linked below, do not pay anyone for them!

This would not be possible without tihmstar and David Ryskalczyk's work! All I did was provide some hardware and test their solution. Consider donating to them, especially if you've successfully restored your HomePod.
tihmstar's github || tihmstar's patreon

HomePod IPSW script || Prebuilt 18.0 IPSW || Restore Guide || Live Demo || tihmstar's 3d printable dongle || Premade USB Dongles Now On Sale!
Check back for updates as old versions become unsigned!



location of diode in homepod

DFU only = likely bad hardware

diode location on amp board

Recovery Mode = likely restorable

diode legend

USB Pinout


Symptoms: No power, no lights, and no response. Power draw at the outlet will typically be around 2-10 Watts. If left plugged in for some time, the side of the HomePod may feel slightly warmer.

Diagnosis: Diode is located on the amplifier board. Use a multimeter in continuity test mode to test if diode is shorted by placing one probe onto the larger pin of the diode, and the other probe on one of the two smaller pins of the diode. If meter shows it's shorted, move probe from first small pin to other small pin. If you still see a short, remove the diode and test with the diode off the board. If just the diode shows shorted and not the board, replace the diode.

If your diode tests OK, check for less-common no power issues.

Repair: Replace shorted diode or any diode with date code 1746k-1748k with a newer date and part number PDS560-13, PDS560-13Q, PDS760-13, or any other 60v 5a schottky barrier diode of similar specs to permanently repair Video guide available on YouTube.

Root Cause: Diodes manufactured between week 46 and week 48 of 2017 (date code 1746k-1748k) have apparent QA issues with incredibly high failure rates. No other date codes have been found to fail, despite a wider date range used. Apple used a large date range of diodes during manufacturing and there is no correlation to a diode's date code and a HomePod's serial number, so there is no way of telling what diode your homepod has without disassembly.

All first-generation HomePods, whether factory-new, factory "refurbished", or out of warranty replacements, will have the same chance of having this diode. Second generation HomePods have a bigger, newer diode and won't have this same failure.

location of diode in homepod

Diode Location Inside HomePod

diode location on amp board

Diode Location On Removed Amp Board

diode legend

Diode Date Code

Diode: PDS560-13. Can also use PDS760Q-13


Symptoms: Very loud popping, lack of bass, and / or a loud buzzing sound followed by a restart, AKA "Death Farts". See below for sound samples to compare. Not to be confused with software / wifi issues where music crackles and becomes delayed.

Diagnosis: 1: Remove the subwoofer and place it to the side, carefully reconnect everything and power on the HomePod.

2: With the HomePod powered on, not in standby but not playing anything, and subwoofer connected, measure the DC voltage with a multimeter from the subwoofer speaker terminals. You can probe with the pads under where the subwoofer cable goes into the subwoofer, see Figure 1 below.

TIP: Polarity does not matter when measuring DC offset, you are simply looking for how far from 0mV you are. The warmer these capacitors get when they have failed, the worse they filter DC voltage, so be sure to measure for at least a few seconds and watch for any significant growth in DC offset beyond tolerance.

The amp IC's input is rated for up to +/-18mV DC, which means up to +/-200mV DC can be seen at the subwoofer. More than this is what triggers the amp to "Death Fart", can cause damage to components, and should warrant replacing the DC filters, so we recommend a more aggressive 50mV maximum tolerance seen at the subwoofer.

Repair: There are four capacitors that filter this DC in the audio signal before it's amplified and sent to the speaker. They are located on the amplifier board, between the DAC and AMP chips. If you measured a significant amount of DC, you need to replace them with new capacitors of 10uF, size 1206, X7R, 5-10%, rated for 25v or better. I have been using GMK316AB7106KL-TR. I have a repair video replacing these capacitors on YouTube.

There is a big black resistor on the amp next to the subwoofer connector you should also inspect...on occasion I have found these to be damaged when there are Death Farts. It is a 10Ohm, 1Watt, 1% Tolerance, 200V rated, 1218 size resistor, and can be replaced with part number RCL121810R0FKEK. It's resistance can be measured while still installed on the board to confirm.

You will also want to inspect your subwoofer speaker for damage to the voice coil from too much DC, see the next Common Issue below for more detail on that.

Root Cause: MLCC capacitors naturally decay over time and lose their effectiveness at filtering DC voltage, and this is exacerbated the warmer they are. High quality capacitors used properly should last many years, but eventually all will still need reconditioned or replaced again. I can only speculate the ones used in HomePods have QA issues and / or the amp doesn't have a great design to account for primary filter failure.

The amplifier inside the HomePod turns itself off after ~10 minutes of inactivity. Any activity or percieved "Hey Siri" trigger will turn the amp back on. During the change in power, there may be a popping sound. This popping sound comes from DC voltage changes being heard in the speaker. It's fine and normal for a small temporary DC spike when the amp turns on or off, resulting in a pop. It's also hard to tell the difference between that and a pop that comes from a dangerous constant DC offset that is growing over time. It's usually OK to ignore any popping issues if that's all it does. Typically HomePods will Death Fart to indicate it's enough of a problem, at which point you can and should pursue repairs.

I have a livestream of a repair where it needed all new capacitors, resistor, and subwoofer here.

woofer test

Subwoofer Probe Points

multimeter connected to speaker

Testing for DC Offset

location of caps on amp

Capacitors Location On Amp Board

Capacitors (x4): 10uF, size 1206, X7R, 5-10%, rated for 25v or better

blown resistor on amp loading=

Blown Resistor on Amp Board

Resistor: 10Ohm, 1Watt, 1% Tolerance, 200V rated, size 1218


Symptoms: May include low, missing, or dirty sounding bass, clicking, or ticking sounds.

Diagnosis: Two easy tests to tell if your subwoofer speaker is bad;

1: Gently push the speaker straight in, not too much, and release a few times; This should feel perfectly smooth, and make no sound, otherwise your speaker is almost certainly dead.

2: Inspect the condition of the voice coil through the hole in the side of the subwoofer speaker basket; A vibrant, uniform copper color is a sign of a healthy voice coil!

If your subwoofer is damaged, it is likely from DC Offset, which should also be diagnosed per the Common Issue above.

Repair: I'm not aware of any off the shelf replacement speakers, you will likely need to source one from another broken homepod. Be sure you diagnose and repair any DC Offset before replacing your subwoofer.

Root Cause: Most often a result of too much DC Offset! Sometimes they can also just fail on their own eventually, but it is rare.

good subwoofer

Good Voice Coil

bad subwoofer voice coil

Burned Voice Coil

inspection port on woofer

Voice Coil Inspection Port on Woofer

gently pushing speaker to feel for damage

Do the Doof Test


Symptoms: No Bass whatsoever.

Diagnosis:On a few no bass amp repairs, I've found the same component shorted out, see photo below.

Repair: Check if you have the same shorted capacitor, and if so, replace it with 22uF, 0802, 25v (or greater), 10%, X5R capacitor. These are what I use.

Root Cause: Unknown.

amp ic on amp board

WHO WEARS SHORT SHORTS

Capacitor: 22uF, size 0802, 25v (or greater), 10%, X5R


Symptoms: No Bass whatsoever.

Diagnosis:On a few no bass amp repairs, I've found a few other components shorted out at the same time, see photo below.

Repair: Check if you have the same short, and if so, replace shorted 0.1uF size 1206 capacitor, and IC. The circled IC is a mosfet, part number DMG1029SVQ-7. See datasheet for mosfet specs. Replacement part numbers to come soon.

Root Cause: Unknown.

amp ic on amp board

I WEAR SHORT SHORTS

Capacitor: 0.1uF, size 1206

Mosfet: DMG1029SVQ-7


Symptoms: It's rare for the amp IC to be the source of any problems, unless it is obviously damaged, you should first diagnose for other issues described above.

Diagnosis: Amp IC is located on the bottom side of the amp board. The amp IC may or may not have obvious visual damage and there is no great way to diagnose without replacing it. HomePods will power on with the amp IC removed! Do not be fooled by the PIN1 identifier mark in the bottom left corner of the chip.

Repair: The OEM amp IC (part number 98-0431) is available on Aliexpress for a limited time. Part number IR4312M is available from multiple component sellers and is also a suitable alternative, but is being discontinued.

Root Cause: The amp IC can fail on it's own, or if it's subject to too much DC voltage as a result of failing capacitors. More info on that in the DC Offset Common Issue above!

amp ic on amp

Amp IC Location on Amp Board

blown amp chip

A Clearly Dead Amp IC

amp chip pin 1 identifier

Amp IC Pin 1 Identifier

OEM Part: 98-0431 (can also replace with IR4312M)


Symptoms: HomePod may or may not be working fine. You may hear rattling when you shake it, or have touch / display issues, even making it appear that the HomePod isn't powering on or only briefly powers on and bootloops.

Diagnosis: For rattling / dirty sounding bass, check that your subwoofer is not bent and properly sealed. Pull your logic board out and check for broken loose plastic. You can try to glue or plastic weld the broken parts back together, or replace the top basket entirely. Thoroughly inspect logic cable, display cable, and connectors for any damage.

Repair: Not recommended to ignore this otherwise the logic board can shift enough to push the display cable into the frame and cut into it, causing weird power / display / touch issues.

Root Cause: Usually this is from some of the frame holding the logic board breaking off as a result of drop damage. Ensure you pack your Pod properly whenever shipping it!

broken plastic

Broken Plastic From logic Board Frame

damaged display ribbon cable

Display Cable Cut From Board Shift


Damaged or improperly reinstalled ribbon cables can cause no sound, no power, boot loops, and more.

Damage: Thoroughly inspect the entire ribbon cable for any tears, cracks, or other damage. This cable is commonly damaged from rough handling when disconnecting the logic board, where the end of the cable connecting to the logic board will crack / tear. Another common mistake is accidentally damaging the ribbon cable while trying to pry the top basket off.

Improper Installation: The most common mistake made when reassembling your HomePod is an incorrect installation of the main ribbon cable. On the amplifier board connector, the locked position will actually look open, and unlocked actually looks closed! Verify you have properly locked the cable in by pressing the locking clip down, and that the white line on the cable is level with the top of the connector! Improper installation may lead to permanent damage resulting in no sound or power. I've even done this once myself and lost both the amp and logic board's sound, and have yet to figure out how to repair it.

torn ribbon cable

Torn Cable From Pulling on Logic Board

damaged ribbon cable

Damaged Cable from Prying Top Basket

crooked ribbon cable

Unlocked, Crooked Cable

correctly installed cable

Locked, Level Cable

incorrect cable install

Don't Do This!

correct cable install

Do This!


If you are attempting your own repairs and need help identifying a particular part that is damaged / lost, feel free to ask!

The most commonly lost part is pictured below. You NEED it for the HomePod to power on! It is a 0.1uF Size 0402 Capacitor.

missing capacitor

0.1uF Size 0402 Capacitor



Less-Common Issues

More issues I found or have been reported, just less common.


Symptoms: No power, no lights, and no response. Power draw at the outlet will be 0 Watts.

Diagnosis: Fuse is located on the underside of the power supply board. EU/UK power plugs also have a fuse in the power cable. Use multimeter in continuity mode to test if fuse was blown open.

Repair: If fuse is blown you should replace it with another "T3.15AH250V" fuse.

Root Cause: The fuse will blow as a result of a surge from the AC power source. A quality surge protector should help prevent this. Power strips alone provide no protection.

fuse location on power supply

Fuse Location On Power Supply

where to probe fuse

Probe Points While Installed


Symptoms: No power, no lights, and no response. Power draw at the outlet may be a few Watts. You may hear a quiet ticking / squealing sound from the logic board. Logic board may start to warm up.

Diagnosis: I have only seen two HomePods with No Power caused by this...in both cases, there was a shorted capacitor on the logic board. Both logic boards shorts were in different locations. You should be able to locate them with traditional short-finding methods like a thermal camera or applying flux or alcohol to the board and looking for smoke or bubbles.

Repair: Replace any shorted components! Since there are no schematics, the exact replacement components are unknown. You can harvest them from a bricked logic board, or ask me to check with a parts board! I have a brief repair video showing diagnosis and repair for one on YouTube.

Root Cause: Given that I've only seen this issue twice, both times from different shorts on the logic board, I'm guessing this is simply a case of capacitors just going bad. It happens.

location of bad cap

Bad Cap Location on One Logic Board

smoking flux when applied to short

Flux Smokes When Applied to Shorted Cap


Symptoms: No power, no lights, and no response. Power draw at the outlet may be a few Watts. SB Diode will NOT show shorted! TPS54560 will usually show obvious damage.

Diagnosis: Check for shorst pictured below.

Repair: Replace any shorted components! Avneesh is credited with helping me find the cause of this one during a Youtube Livestream. I do not know the part # / specs yet, I had to pull one off a parts board.

Root Cause: Unknown.

location of bad cap

Shorted!


Symptoms: I've seen damaged displays cause differing symptoms ranging from no power at all, to flickering or boot loops, to flickering volume buttons.

Diagnosis: Thoroughly inspect the display for any damage, especially around the LED PCB on the backside. It's common when a HomePod is dropped for the display to get smashed in and start separating as pictured below. Sometimes damage is visually undetectable and you will need to sanity check with known good parts.

Repair: Damage like this usually warrants replacing the whole display.

Root Cause: Usually from being dropped. They don't just break like this by themselves

display damaged

PCB for LEDs coming off

display pcb separating

...


Symptoms: Similar to the symptoms from a damaged display. A damaged mic board can also obviously cause issues with voice commands not working.

Diagnosis: Thoroughly inspect the mic board for any damage, especially around the chip pictured below.

Repair: Replace mic board. Unsure what part # the chip pictured below is...

Root Cause: Usually damage from not being careful with your tools while working on your pod.

good mic board

What the mic board should look like

damaged mic board missing chip

That one .gif of michael scott yelling "NO"

chip up close

Unidentified Chip


Symptoms: Powers on, but there's no sound from any of the speakers.

Diagnosis: If you did your own repairs and suddenly no longer have sound, suspect improper ribbon cable installation, accidental damage, or a short / debris on the amp. On one occasion I found the main amp controller had failed. The letters on the "STM32L051C8T7" chip were unevenly worn, note however this isn't always a reliable way to judge condition.

Repair: "STM32L051C8T7" is available from AliExpress, but we're currently unsure if it needs to be reprogrammed! It's available here. Currently on backorder from mouser and digikey.

Root Cause: Unknown. Pretty rare for the controller to die anyways.

stm chip on amp

Controller Location on Amp Board


Symptoms: Powers up and briefly stays on fine, but then makes a loud POP and restarts. Not the same as death farts...

Diagnosis: Inspect amp near cooling pad for damaged / missing resistor

Repair: Either resistor can be replaced with a 10k Ohm resistor (thank you Omanyd#1538) size SMD 0201 (thank you myxomatosis #1766).

Root Cause: Seems like another QA issue?

missing resistor

Where they at

missing resistor

MISSING





What's That Sound?

Below are some examples of different issues / sounds HomePods make. Play them ON the HomePod to accurately compare!



Death Farts (BAD)

Dirty Bass (BAD)

Severe Popping

Acceptable Popping (Turn Volume Up)

Clean, Replace, or Customize Mesh


Want to replace your mesh? Perhaps give it a little color! If you want me to do it for you, see estimates for cost.

How to Clean Mesh: A white towel or cloth, or cotton swabs, and alcohol are great at cleaning most stains. Do not scrub with too much force or you will separate the mesh layers. For more intense cleaning, remove the mesh and wash with OxyClean (tip from myxomatosis#1766)

How to Replace Mesh: I have a video guide on removing and reinstalling the mesh here!

Customization: Rit's DyeMore for Synthetics gives great resutls with deep, rich colors on the white mesh, top plastic cover, and power cable. The rubber base does not take color well. The All-Purpose Dye also does not work well and results in a muted, washed-out look!

1: Remove your top cover, mesh, and power cable from the homepod.

2: Find something to slip the mesh on, ideally another empty homepod shell. Put weights in it to keep it from floating in the dye bath. Find something to sit it on in a pot so it's not directly in contact with the pot, but still able to fully submerge.

3: Bring pot of water to ~200f, mix in dye, then put mesh into dye bath. Stir for 15-30 minutes depending on desired shade / depth, then pull out mesh, rinse, and allow to dry before reinstallation.

4: For the top cover, wash it with clean water and soap, then dry, then put some tape on the adhesive side to dunk it into your dye bath a few times. Rinse off with water and repeat until desired shade is achieved.

5: For the power cable, you can dunk the length of the cable into the dye bath excluding the plugs on each end. Rinse and repeat until desired shade is achieved. Allow a few days to dry before use!

sandstone mesh

Sandstorm by Darude

sandstone mesh

Purple and Navy Blue

sandstone mesh

Orangey

sandstone mesh

Green

sandstone mesh

Daffodil Done by celadonie.fr

sandstone mesh

Racing Red and Sapphire Blue

purple mesh

Purple

red blue mesh

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

Repair Estimates


Most repairs run $60-70, and only go up to $80-90 if a speaker or entire board needs to be replaced. Any increase in estimated repair cost will be cleared with you first. You can always opt for no repair for no charge, and either donate your HomePod or cover return shipping.



Shipping: Usually $10-$25 Each Way

You will need to find a way to get your HomePod to me! I recommend Pirateship.com for shipping since it is 100% free to use, and you get UPS and USPS much cheaper than retail. To get your HomePod back, you can provide your own return shipping, or, have me handle it for an extra $10-$25

Typical HomePod shipping dimensions, fully packed and boxed, are 12in x 10in x 8in @ 7lbs / 31cm x 26cm x 21cm @ 3.2kg

No Power: $60

The most common HomePod issue. Will diagnose and repair whatever is causing no power, and replace DC filters that cause death farts and other bass issues.

Technical info is in the no power section!

Death Farts, Loud Popping, and/or Bass Issues: $60-$90

Repair for symptoms including; Loud buzzing sound and restart (AKA "Death Farts"), fast clicking, loud "pop" sound, and/or other bass issues. S.b. diode that commonly fails causing no-power will also be replaced if it's dated around the known failure range.

You do not need to get your HomePod repaired if you just have an occasional quiet popping sound and no other issues. This is normal behavior for brand new, old, or repaired pods. Even the 2nd gen homepods pop.

See below for sample audio to compare. Play them ON your HomePod for an accurate comparison. If yours doesn't match any of these, please capture a recording and send to me before shipping in for repairs.

Technical info in the popping section!

Death Farts (BAD)

Dirty Bass (BAD)

Severe Popping

Acceptable Popping (Turn Volume Up)

Maintenance: $60

Will replace DC filter capacitors (common cause for death farts and no bass), and replace your s.b. diode if it's within known date range of failure (common cause for no power). Will get a light cleaning and my usual warranty. Do note that while all capacitors eventually decay and need replaced again, replacements should last at least 5-10 years.

Technical info in the popping section!

Flashing / Blinking Volume Lights and Boot Loops: $20 SW / $90 HW

If your issue is software only, you have the option of getting your device restored and operational again with no other repairs / modification, and no warranty, for $20. You can either send the whole homepod in, or just the logic board, price doesn't change.

If your issue is caused by hardware that needs to be repaired / replaced, and / or you also want maintenance done to your HomePod with a warranty, this runs $90 flat. Includes replacing diode that causes no power, and dc filters for death farts / bass issues!

Unfortunately there is usually no way to tell whether yours is hardware or software only without connecting to your pod via USB first. If you send your pod in for this repair, I'll check and let you decide whether you want to pursue hardware repairs or not first, unless you already wanted hardware maintenance.

The software to restore homepods is FREE. I sell adapters at my Shop (email me for purchase), or you can try building your own. You can attempt it yourself. More information in the blinking lights common issue section.

Color Customization: $40

Want me to color your white HomePod something else? Pick any color from Rit's "DyeMore for Synthetics" line and I'll get it done for you! Please add an extra 1-2 days for customization. $40 for just the mesh, or $50 if you also want the power cable and / or top also colored!

Photos and Do-it-Yourself info in the mesh section!

Just Board Repair: Contact Me

Want to take your own HomePod apart, but not sure about the board repair or restoring the software? Send in just the board and pay less on repairs! *Boards with prior repair attempts may be charged extra.

No Fix: No Charge! Trade It In

Don't want to keep or fix your HomePod? I am proudly a no-fix no-charge operation!

-If you sent one in and want it back, I'll reassemble it as-is and you just need to provide return shipping

-You can also trade in a broken homepod for a free repair on another one

Got Something That's Not HomePod?

While I specialize in HomePod repairs, I've also done other electronics repairs such as a USB-C Port replacement on the Valve Steam Deck, LG Ultrafine Monitors, stick-drift repair for the XBox Elite Series 2 controller, battery replacement for the Joov Portable Red Light Therapy device, gpu reflowing for a GMK NUC PC, battery replacement for a Surface Laptop and more! Contact me with what you have and we'll see if I can fix it. You can find my Youtube playlist of non-HomePod repairs here.



FAQ

For the questions asked more than once...



Q: "Do repairs void my warranty?"
A: No, not if you still have one. Under federal law, the merchant must prove that a defect was caused by the alteration in order to void a written warranty. Sources: FindLaw.com and FTC.gov Magnuson Moss.


Q: "Can you fix my HomePod?"
A: Please tell me what the issue is and I'll let you know, or check the Repair Estimates section.


Q: "Can you fix my HomePod MINI?"
A: No. I don't know how to fix most of their issues yet nor do I have the time.


Q: "Can you fix my 2nd Gen HomePod?"
A: It's advised to use your Warranty / AppleCare if you still have it. As of right now there are no known common issues with the 2nd Gen HomePod, but I am investigating one with no power. If this changes we may consider offering repair services!


Q: "What is your turnaround time?"
A: 1-3 business days depending on the queue. Most repairs are typically done the same day they arrive, and shipped out the next business day. Expect an extra day or so if you are getting customization done.


Q: "Do you guarantee / warranty your work?"
A: Yes! I offer a "6-12 Warranty". If my parts or workmanship fail within 12 months of repairs, I'll cover the repairs. If it's within the first 6 months I'll also cover shipping. Shipping coverage only applies to US customers! International customers must figure out their own shipping.


Q: "How long do repairs last?"
A: For most HomePod no-power repairs, this is caused by a failure in a bad batch of diodes, so a replacement diode outside the known bad batch is a permanent fix. All capacitors though will weaken over time and eventually need replacing, especially the ones used for DC filtering. There is no permanent fix for this, but replacements should last at least 5-10 years.


Q: "I sent you my homepod, the tracking number says it was delivered! Did you get my homepod?"
A: My UPS mailbox only tells me when I have packages, not who's packages. Please wait until I have a chance to pick up the day's packages before asking if I have yours.


Q: "Do you sell pods or parts?"
A: Yes! I have stuff for sale here. Note that there are homepod parts and services on eBay, but they are not associated with me, and are of unknown quality and standards. Use them at your own risk. Avoid used amplifier boards in particular unless the DC filters have recently been replaced.


Q: "Can I buy a broken HomePod online and have it shipped directly to you for repairs?"
A: Absolutely. First make sure it's repairable! If you're not sure, you can send me a link first. If you're purchasing on eBay, be sure to enter my shipping address during checkout to retain your buyer protection! Do not message eBay sellers asking them to change the shipping address after you checked out, this is against eBay policy and voids both buyer and seller protection!


Q: "Is it a good idea to buy a used HomePod?"
A: Not unless you can get a good deal on it. All first-gen HomePods were manufactured in late 2017 - early 2018. That puts the age of the ceramic DC fitlering capacitors (responsible for going bad and causing death farts / bass issues,) at at least 6 years. I am seeing a lot of original filters failing now, even if they tested fine just a few weeks / months ago. This is why I now replace these filters as part of every repair, if they are still original. I strongly advise everyone else repairing HomePods to do the same!


Q: "Will you buy or take my broken homepod?"
A: I might! When I have the budget available for it, I offer up to $60 and cover shipping if you want to let it go. Or, trade in your broken, unfixable HomePod for a free repair and return on a fixable one! You must provide both the broken unfixable, and broken fixable pods.


Q: "Is this your job?"
A: Nope. I do this in my "free" time.


Q: "How did you make this website?"
A: Used WayBack Machine (Internet Archive) to browse older versions of Apple's original HomePod website, then I merged what I liked from each version into what you see here, plus a lot of edits, bug fixes, and cleanup.


Q: "Do you fix things other than HomePods?"
A: Yes! If there is already a shop that specializes in your device I will recommend you to them. But if you can't find anywhere willing to take it on, shoot me an email and we'll see if I can fix it! There's a playlist of not-HomePod stuff I've worked on here! Examples: Xbox Elite series 2 controllers, Joov red light, Steam Deck (no power and shell swaps), repairing Z31 300ZX digital dashboard power supplies...


Q: "What do you use to fix HomePods?"
A: You don't have to buy the same brands, though I do highly recommend the ChipQuik flux!
-T5 and T6 Torx Screwdriver: iFixit kit, and ES15 Electric Driver
-Big Flathead Screwdriver
-Metal Spudger
-Plastic Spudger
-Jimmy
-Halberd Spudger (J-Hook)
-Soldering Iron
-Hot Air Rework Station
-Leaded Solder
-Low-Melt Solder
-ChipQuik NC191 Flux
-Project Mat (I used to use a red Weller mat, but I can no longer find the exact same one.)
-90% or greater Isopropyl Alcohol




Buy Me More Bass!

Click the speaker below to donate via PayPal! Or, send in your parts to help others, I'll send you a shipping label! You can also donate to my CashApp at $NicsFix. Anything helps towards the cost of tools, parts, and more broken homepods, to share new and higher quality repairs!

BTC: 334zQHs3aL3w5MfZrKAfXJYzAux7s9MRMs
ETH: 0xCa239E6A287eE302e1528788B89F506aEb41140f