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Apple to Bring HomePod Mini 2 Features to Older HomePods With 27.2 Software

Apple will bring selected HomePod Mini 2 features to older HomePods via HomePod 27.2 software.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-22 05:15

Apple announced the HomePod Mini 2 last week with a four-speaker home theater configuration when paired with the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, support for up to two speakers as the default audio output for compatible Macs, a dynamic RGB light display and a feature that locks the speaker’s touch control panel.

Under HomePod 27.2, the first-generation HomePod will get Lock Controls, which disables the touch panel. The first-generation HomePod Mini will receive Lock Controls and the Sound Glow RGB light display. The second-generation HomePod will receive Lock Controls, Sound Glow, Mac audio output and the four-speaker array when paired with the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.

The first-generation HomePod is excluded from Sound Glow because its LED light display is incompatible, and it is excluded from the advanced Mac and Apple TV 4K audio features because of older networking and audio processing capabilities. The first-generation HomePod Mini’s older processing also keeps it from receiving persistent audio streams from Apple TV 4K and Mac, though users can still stream music from a Mac to the speaker via AirPlay.

The HomePod Mini 2 will be the only HomePod to receive Siri AI, thanks to its upgraded S10 processor, the same chip used in the Apple Watch Series 10, 11, SE 3 and Ultra 3. Apple says compatible HomePods can serve as the default audio output for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. Previously, users could use a HomePod with a Mac only by streaming audio via AirPlay, and third-party apps or media platforms can experience noticeable audio and video delays over AirPlay.

The older second-generation HomePod supports an older Wi-Fi protocol, but its S7 processor and U1 ultra-wideband chip can handle time synchronization, bandwidth and audio processing for persistent audio streams, according to the report. The update also means owners of the 2023 HomePod can use the speaker as part of a four-speaker setup with the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, a capability introduced with the HomePod Mini 2.

ZDNet reported that Apple’s unified operating system, high-performing processors and more expensive hardware support longer software updates and computing headroom, and shift margins toward upfront sales rather than data collection. Those factors can extend the life of existing speakers and keep defunct products and other e-waste out of landfills.