MacOS Microsoft Teams and Media Keys

Issue

MacOS Media Keys such as ‘Play’ or ‘Pause’ causes Microsoft Teams to play the Microsoft Teams ‘Call.mp3’ sound if it was last used (E.g. recent teams call)

Cause

Microsoft Teams for MacOS and Windows has the ability to use Media Keys to play files, songs etc. The ‘play’ button will play the Microsoft Team media calling sound file.

This behaviour is unwanted and annoying when you’re listening to music, or use the Media keys often.

Steps to fix

For MacOS Users with Teams (Microsoft Teams Version 1.5.00.2570)
This fix will load the Microsoft Teams app and no longer associate the Media Keys with Teams Calls

  1. Open ‘Terminal.app’

  2. Input the following command into Terminal (It will create a new .json file called hooks.json)

    • touch ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/Teams/hooks.json echo "--disable-features=HardwareMediaKeyHandling" >> ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/Teams/hooks.json

  3. Close ‘Microsoft Teams.app’ then re-open Teams

Migration of Tech Blog from Ghost to Squarespace

I’ve migrated my published posts from my AWS hosted Ghost server in an effort to reduce my IT costs & footprint.

I originally set out to host the Ubuntu server in AWS and run and manage it whilst still running my personal art focused site through Squarespace. Whilst the endeavour was fun it is time to leave server management with someone who does it for a living and reduce my costs.

This Squarespace skin is probably not the best for technical and wording posts but it’ll have to suffice.

Resetting your Apple Homekit in iCloud. Homekit Pending Invitation Issue

This post is split into the instructions & process, thoughts on the issue then a backstory on the issue & symptoms.

Resetting your HomeKit data on your iPhone or iPad

Warning: Perform these steps on the device you're trying to invite to your 'Home'. If they have other 'Homes' set-up they will lose that data!

These steps will erase the existing Home settings including accessories, automations etc on the device and the iCloud account attached to the device. So if they have 'several homes' set-up in the Home.app, they'll lose it!

  1. On the iPhone/iPad, navigate to 'Settings > General > Date & Time' and Disable 'Set Time Automatically'

  2. Then change the Date to 1st of January 2021 (Or any date before February 2021)

  3. On the iPhone/iPad open this link from Apple: http://appldnld.apple.com/iOSProfiles/HomeKitReset.mobileconfig (Updated link April 2023)

  4. Navigate to 'Settings > Profile Downloaded' and select Install. Enter the passcode to install the Profile

  5. Restart the device

  6. Once the device is back on, navigate back to 'Settings > General > Date & Time' and Enable 'Set Time Automatically'

  7. Navigate to 'Settings > Home' and a button 'Reset Configuration' should appear.

  8. Select 'Reset Configuration' and it will remove your HomeKit data from the iOS Device & iCloud account. If an error is received, make sure the date & time is correct as per step #6.

  9. Finish by removing the profile. It is found in 'Settings > General > Profiles' select it delete it.

Some Food for Thought

Should I trust this profile? Never install random iOS/MacOS Profiles from the internet. This one is from Apple and is used by Apple to troubleshoot this issue. Proceed at your own risk!

Why do I have to change the time backwards? Because the Profile is valid only until February 2021. Until Apple releases a new profile, this will have to do.

Why do I have to change the time forwards? My guess is that the device is not able to make a secure SSL connection back to Apple's iCloud servers due to incorrect System Time. This is fixed by re-enabling 'Set Time Automatically'

Why doesn't Apple have this ability without the profile? Because resetting your HomeKit data, you would lose all your HomeKit info across all devices. For most people, they would not understand what they're getting into when performing this action. If you made it to this site, you've read the 'T&C's' and understand the risks involved.

Backstory

Over the last few days I've had the issue of Apple Homekit not being able to invite my partner to our 'Home' in Homekit via the 'Home.app'. I would send an invite to their AppleID (email and number) and they would accept it but it would be in a pending state and constantly load until it was force-closed and cancelled.

Symptoms

  • Able to accept the Home.app Invitation but it never accepts

  • Home Invitation is stuck on pending for the 'invitee'

The pre-cursor to all this was that I changed my AppleID email address and my partner changed their password all recently. This somehow caused a corruption of the homekit / store-home.app settings within our iCloud accounts.

Troubleshooting performed multiple times, using different array of steps but all did not work:

  • Logging in/out of iCloud on devices

  • Hard Resetting iDevices, Apple TV & Homepod

  • Removing old iCloud devices via 'Find My'

  • Turning off 'Home' sync via iCloud on all devices except one

  • Inviting the other person via their Phone # and Email Address

  • Checking local network / airplane mode etc.

After trawling the internet, I found that many others had the same issue and it was only really resolved by either creating a new AppleID and home then inviting the people or Resetting the Homekit data on the AppleIDs using a Profile. I have no intention of creating a new AppleID just for my Home.app so here is the process for resetting your HomeKit Data on your AppleID.

Thanks to this Reddit Thread & a blogpost by 'BuymyMonkey' for uncovering this. I wanted to better document this issue and have some additional thoughts.