27th October 2025
How to Safely Repair the 1st Generation Apple HomePod
The 1st generation Apple HomePod is an impressive bit of engineering, there is a reason why the 1st generation is still a favourable option over the 2nd generation HomePod.
However, if you ever need to take one apart, you’ll quickly realise how tricky it can be. Apple didn’t make this speaker with repairs in mind. In fact, for the longest of time, they have basically been considered impossible to repair without permanently breaking the HomePod.
This only caused a community to form with the goal to be able to repair all the very common and tricky issues present in the 1st generation. Over time, we have experimented and developed our own way to do this and believe it or not, you don’t need a full workshop to get into a HomePod, just a few specific tools that make the job manageable.
Things You'll Need
1. T6 Screwdriver
Every screw in the HomePod is a T6 Torx, and there are 49 in total. You’ll use this tool throughout the entire process. We use a Wera T6, Wera as a brand is a reliable and robust brand that can last a long time.
2. Thin Metal Prying Blade
Useful for separating glued sections like the touchpad and top board without causing damage. For this we use the iFixit Jimmy tool. This is a very handy tool for all sorts of repairs.
3. Pry bar
Needed to work through the strong adhesive holding the top dome in place. This is a very important tool as removing the top dome can be difficult. The pry bar we use is solid and metal, similar to a pry bar you would use when working on a car.
4. Hot Air Rework Station
For any board-level repairs, particularly on the audio board. This is used to supply hot enough air to melt the solder holding components on the board.
5. Soldering iron, solder and flux
For soldering down components during the repair. The soldering iron we use is a Thermaltronic TMT 9000s and we solder using SAC305.
6. Isopropyl Alcohol
For cleaning up the board once the soldering work is done.
Steps To Fix Your HomePod
1. Removing the Touch Pad and Touch Board
The first step is to heat the top of the HomePod which helps with the adhesive that sticks it down. Once warm, you can carefully cut away the adhesive and lift it out. Beneath it sits the touch board, which is also glued down. Apply the same technique here, a little heat and careful prying until it comes free.
2. Taking Off the Top Dome
This part is by far the toughest. This part is stuck into place with very strong adhesive, and it can take quite a bit of work to remove it. This is why the pry bar is great help. Using this tool we can, bit by bit, start pying the dome up and out. Patience helps here, as if you rush it, you’ll risk cracking the housing. Once the dome finally separates, the rest of the teardown is much easier.
4. Removing the internal screws
Inside the HomePod, you’ll find another 30 T6 screws, bringing the total count to 49.
3. Repairing the Amplifier Board
Now we have removed the final 14 screws holding the amplifier board in place, we can diagnose and repair 99% of the issues we see on these HomePods. This is where we use the remaining tools, hot air rework station to remove faulty components soldered to the board, soldering iron and flux to apply fresh new solder on the pads that once housed the faulty components and finally isopropyl alcohol to clean up the excess flux on the areas we’ve worked on.
Reassembly is simply the reverse of the teardown. Making sure all ribbon cables are correctly seated and that each screw goes back into it’s original position. The HomePod has a fabric mesh outer. This is the trickiest part of the reassembly, keeping it taut and straight with kinks or loose areas.
The first generation of the HomePod is certainly a challenge to repair if it’s your first time, whilst it looks simple on the outside, it does require time, patience and a steady hand.