Unintended touchscreen issues in HomePod

Apple's HomePod smart speakers have been reported to suffer from "ghost touches," where the touchscreen activates without user input, causing problems like unexpected volume changes, playback interruptions, and accidental Siri activations. These issues have been discussed on platforms like Reddit and Apple's official forums.

User solutions and workarounds

Users have shared various methods to mitigate the problem, including adjusting settings in the Home app to reduce unintended touches. Some have resorted to more extreme measures, such as physically altering the speakers to disable the touchscreen. Two accessibility settings in the Home app allow users to adjust the hold time for touches and disable Siri activation via long presses, offering temporary relief without hardware changes.

Software update fails to fully resolve issue

A software update for HomePod, version 27, released on September 14, did not completely fix the issue. However, the upcoming iOS 27.2 update may provide a more comprehensive solution. A leaker named pdfu reported an option in the iOS 27.2 beta called "Lock Controls," which disables touch and hold interactions, as well as volume adjustments, potentially blocking the prolonged press that usually triggers Siri.

Visual feedback and feature details

The iOS 27.2 beta includes an animation where the HomePod screen shows a red circle that "shakes its head" to indicate rejected touch commands. The availability of the touch command locking feature across all HomePod models is uncertain. The update's release date has not been confirmed by Apple but is expected before the end of October.

Additional features in iOS 27.2

Apple's iOS 27.2 update will also introduce Siri AI in French and will be pre-installed on the HomePod mini 2, scheduled for release on October 30. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo, launching on October 23, will come with iOS 27.1, a version exclusive to that device.