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Does HomePod mini Require An iPhone?
HomePod mini is an Apple gadget – so do you need an iPhone to use it?
Wondering does HomePod mini require an iPhone? It’s not a silly question considering Apple make both the HomePod mini and the iPhone and given Apple’s walled garden ecosystem. However, thankfully, things are a bit more open with the HomePod mini – well, depending on what you want to do with it.
The HomePod mini is Apple’s wildly popular smart speaker. It’s the successor to the original HomePod, which didn’t sell well. The reason the original did not sell well has nothing to do with its quality. The original HomePod was widely considered the best sounding smart speaker ever made. However, the price of the original HomePod killed it. It retailed for anywhere from $299-349, which put it way above the price of a smart speaker like an Amazon Echo.
To rectify this, Apple introduced the HomePod mini in 2020, and in 2021 Apple discontinued the original HomePod. In 2021 Apple also introduced new color options for the HomePod mini. Now the HomePod mini comes in white, space grey, yellow, orange, and blue. But other than the color additions, the 2020 and 2021 HomePod minis are exactly the same.
Setting Up A HomePod mini Requires An iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
We’ll get to using a HomePod mini with an Android phone in a bit, but first, it’s important to note you will need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to set up a HomePod mini in the first place. If you do not have one of these you cannot set up a HomePod mini.
This means that an iPhone isn’t technically required to set up a HomePod mini but if you don’t have an iPhone you’ll need an iPad or iPod touch instead. As for what types of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches you will need:
- An iPhone 6s or later or an iPhone SE or later
- An iPad Air 2 or later
- An iPad mini 4 or later
- Any iPad Pro
- An iPod touch (7th gen) or later
It’s important to stress that you cannot officially set up a HomePod mini with any kind of Android device (and we don’t know of any unofficial way to do so either).
Using A HomePod mini With An iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Once the HomePod mini is set up, you technically don’t need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to use it. That’s because you can control the HomePod mini with your voice thanks to its built-in Siri voice assistant.
However, there are many advantages to using the HomePod mini with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. That’s because the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch gives you somewhat of a graphical UI to interact with the HomePod mini.
- Check out: What Is HomePod & iPhone Sound Recognition?
While there is no HomePod mini iOS app, you can interact with the HomePod mini via other apps on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Specifically, any app that allows you to AirPlay music can be used as a sort of graphical user interface for the HomePod mini.
AirPlay And HomePod mini
Because the HomePod mini supports AirPlay, you can control music playback to it using the default Music app on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or other AirPlay-supporting apps.
Simply begin playing a song in the Music app, and then select the AirPlay button to stream it to your hoped mini. As for Android devices…
Android and HomePod mini
If you are an all-Android household, the HomePod mini is not for you. You won’t even be able to set it up.
But let’s say you live in a household that uses iOS and Android devices and the HomePod mini is already set up. Could your Android phone use it then?
Only if your Android phone has an app that supports AirPlay. If it does, you can AirPlay the music from that app to the HomePod mini.
Does HomePod mini Require An iPhone?
No, though it helps. To set up a HomePod mini, you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Android devices cannot be used to set up a HomePod mini.
And be sure to take a look at Can HomePod mini Play Radio? Also, check out Is It Worth Buying An iPod Touch In 2021? And check out HomePod 2 & HomePod mini 2: Specs, Price, Release Date & More!
Update: the 2023 HomePod is here!