One of the under-the-radar announcements to come from Apple’s annual WWDC keynote was the revelation that you can now use the Apple HomePod mini as a speaker for the Apple TV 4K.
Given that this was a feature once only available on the now discontinued HomePod, it’s big news for those thinking of using their HomePod mini – or even two of them – in place of a more expensive soundbar in a home theater setup.
Doing so will also give you the benefit of controlling your TV using Siri-powered voice commands, so there’s convenience to be gained from repurposing a HomePod mini this way, too.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps needed to connect your Apple HomePod mini to your Apple TV – through either your iOS device or Apple TV itself.
Before you start
Before you start, you’ll need to check that both your Apple TV and iOS device are updated to at least tvOS 14.2 and iOS 14.2, respectively, in order to ensure compatibility with your HomePod mini.
Both devices involved in pairing will need to be on the same 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, too.
Connecting HomePod mini to Apple TV using iOS
On your iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to make sure that your Apple TV is assigned to the same room as HomePod in the Home app.
In the Home app on your device, touch and hold Apple TV. From here, scroll down, then tap the Settings button. In Settings, tap Default Audio Output, then the room with your HomePod.
This will route all sound, including navigation clicks, from your Apple TV to your HomePod.
Connecting HomePod mini using Apple TV
To connect your HomePod mini to your Apple TV using the Apple TV itself, open Settings on your Apple TV.
From here, go to Video and Audio, then Default Audio Output, before selecting your HomePod mini.
Connecting multiple HomePod minis
You can also create a stereo pair with two HomePod mini speakers for a more immersive sound stage. To create a stereo pair, as before, both HomePod speakers need to be assigned to the same room.
In the Home app on your iOS or iPadOS device, touch and hold one of your HomePod minis. Scroll down, then tap the Settings button. Here, tap Create Stereo Pair and follow the onscreen instructions to pair your HomePod mini speakers.
In the same Settings, you can also tap Audio Settings to switch between left and right channel assignments, while tapping Ungroup Accessories will unlink a stereo pair.
Useful tips
For the best sound, Apple recommends placing your HomePod mini within 25 centimetres (10 inches) of a wall and as close to the centre of your TV as possible. If you use a HomePod stereo pair, place the speakers on either side of the TV. For optimal surround sound, the HomePod mini speakers should be about 1.2 metres (4 feet) apart from each other.
It’s also worth noting that Apple TV 4K doesn’t support home theatre sound (Dolby Atmos 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound) on HomePod mini, unlike its now-discontinued sibling.
Unfortunately, you can’t stereo pair an Apple HomePod mini with the original Apple HomePod, either.
