HomePod leaves white rings on some wood surfaces, reviewers say [Updated x3]

As reported by the Wirecutter, Apple's new HomePod speakers can leave white rings on wood surfaces. As reported by the Wirecutter, Apple's new HomePod speakers can leave white rings on wood surfaces. Photo: Jon Chase, Wirecutter Photo: Jon Chase, Wirecutter Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close HomePod leaves white rings on some wood surfaces, reviewers say [Updated x3] 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

If you've got one of Apple's new HomePod smart speakers and you've placed it on a wood surface, you might want to have a look underneath it.

Several websites - including the New York Times' Wirecutter recommendation site - have reported that the HomePod can leave white rings on some wood surfaces.

Wirecutter reviewer Jon Chase said Apple confirmed the issue, and the company noted that "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface". Apple also recommended that "cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method" might get rid of the rings.

The Wirecutter found the rings when their review HomePod was placed on an oiled butcher-block counterop, and again on a wooden end table.

Hey, Siri: As HomePod sales start, Siri is Apple's biggest missed opportunity

The tech site Pocket-Lint also reported the rings, and was told by Apple that it is "'not unusual' for a speaker with a silicone base to leave a 'mild mark' when placed on certain oil or wax based wood finished surfaces".

It may also be worth noting that the HomePod's base is affixed with glue, based on a teardown by the repair website iFixit. Step 9 of the teardown shows soft glue pulling away as the base is lifted off the site. Could outgassing glue be the culprit?

Photo: IFixit Step 9 of the iFixit teardown shows there's a lot of soft glue...

If you're planning on putting the HomePod on a wood surface, it's a good idea to place something between its base and the wood. But The Verge recommends against using something soft, such as a cloth, because that may deaden the speaker's much-vaunted audio quality.

Update: Veteran tech enthusiast Ted Landau tweets that he had a similar experience with the Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker leaving marks on an oiled wood surface.

A very similar thing happened to me with an Echo Dot on oiled wood. I re-oiled the wood and put a cork coaster under the Dot. All is fine now. — Ted Landau (@tedlandau) February 14, 2018

Update 2.0: Apple has updated a support article for the HomePod that directly addresses the white ring problem.

It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer's recommended cleaning process. If you're concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.

Update 3.0 | 2.15.2018: The Sonos One speaker, which has small silicone feet, apparently also leaves marks on some wood surfaces. From Mike Prospero at Tom's Guide:

When I got home, I saw a large white ring, a telltale indication that the HomePod's silicone base had messed up the finish. But, as I was inspecting the damage, I noticed a series of smaller white marks near where the HomePod was sitting.

A closer inspection revealed that the Sonos One speaker, which also has small silicone feet, had made these marks on my cabinet. Looking around the top of the cabinet, I noticed a bunch of little white marks, all left from the Sonos Ones as I moved them around. So, they will damage your wood furniture, too.



Time to invest in companies that make coasters and trivets.

Dwight Silverman is the technology editor for the Houston Chronicle and the grillmaster for the TechBurger tech news site. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment.