Apple’s HomePod Mini 2 is marketed as being able to serve as a Mac’s default speaker over a persistent AirPlay connection. But according to The Verge and MacRumors, the feature is failing for some owners, prompting returns.
The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy could not get the persistent Mac-speaker option to appear on a Mac mini M4 running macOS 27.2. Her HomePod Mini 2s connected only as ordinary AirPlay speakers, with audio artifacts, drop-outs, and the connection switching back after restarts or Siri activation. She described the feature as ‘feels unfinished’.
MacRumors forum members report similar problems. Some never see the persistent-connection option; others lose it after sleep, restart, or even a notification sound. At least two forum members are returning their speakers. One said Apple Store staff told them others had the same problem, and Apple Support’s senior team had no fix, calling it ‘maybe just an early teething bug’.
A Reddit user found that switching from a 6GHz to a 5GHz network restored the persistent connection, but Apple has not confirmed a cause. The feature, introduced in HomePod Software 27.2 and requiring macOS 27.2 and Wi-Fi 6E, also works with the second-generation HomePod and paired HomePod Mini 2s.
Apple has not publicly acknowledged the failures or issued a fix. The promised Siri AI upgrade for the Mini 2 is still due ‘later’ in a software update.