HomePod mini (1st generation): what it still does in Apple Home

The first HomePod mini went on sale in the UK in November 2020 at £99. Apple no longer sells it: the HomePod mini page on apple.com/uk now sells only HomePod mini 2. If you already own one, Apple’s home hub article still names HomePod mini as a hub.

What it can still do in Apple Home

• Home hub. Apple says that when you set up a HomePod mini it becomes a home hub automatically. That gives you remote access, shared control and automations.
• Thread. Apple’s specifications list “Thread networking technology”. Apple names HomePod mini as an example of a Thread-enabled home hub for Thread-enabled Matter accessories.
• Matter. Apple says you must set up a home hub to add Matter accessories to the Home app, and this is one.
• Sensor. Apple says HomePod mini has a temperature and humidity sensor, so you can ask for the temperature and humidity of the room it is in.
• AirPlay 2. It is an AirPlay 2 speaker, with multi-room audio.

AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are not the same thing. AirPlay 2 is how audio gets to the speaker. The hub role is what runs your accessories, and this speaker happens to do both. A third-party AirPlay 2 speaker does not.

What Apple does not list for it

• Siri AI. Apple’s Siri AI announcement for HomePod mini names HomePod mini 2. Apple does not list the first-generation model.
• The updated Home architecture. On 13 October 2026 Apple announced an updated Home architecture, which “requires all Apple devices that access the home to be using the latest software”. Apple does not say which existing hubs it supports, so it does not confirm this model either way.

Apple also ended support for the previous version of Apple Home on 10 February 2026. That change is separate from the October 2026 update.

Specifications

The S5 chip, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Thread and an Ultra Wideband chip.

What replaces it

HomePod mini 2, at £149. It keeps the Thread radio, the temperature and humidity sensor and the Ultra Wideband chip, moves to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6, and Apple says Siri AI comes to it via a future software update.

Buy the new one if you want Siri AI when Apple releases it for HomePod mini 2. If you want a bigger speaker, see HomePod (2nd generation).

Specifications