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How to Use HomePods As Computer Speakers for Your Mac

It’s actually really easy to use two HomePods (or two HomePod minis) as computer speakers for your Mac.

homepods on a desk Tucker Bowe

By Tucker Bowe

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Welcome to Product Support, a column devoted to helping you get the most out of the gadgets and software you already use.

In the past, it wasn’t easy to designate two HomePods or two HomePod minis as the default computer speakers for your Mac. Thankfully, Apple rolled out a macOS update (Big Sur 11.3) in 2021 that changed that. It’s not perfect — and we’ll explain why below — but it’s easier and better than ever to turn Apple’s smart speakers into computer speakers.

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You can use one HomePod or HomePod mini as a speaker for your Mac, but it’s obviously better if you have a stereo pair. (Reminder: to create a stereo pair you have to have two of the same model HomePod; you can’t stereo pair a first- and second-generation HomePod, or a HomePod with a HomePod mini.)

In order to designate a pair of HomePods as Mac speakers, the first thing you need to do is plug both in, go through the normal setup process, and then make sure that they are in the same “room.”

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How to Stereo Pair Your HomePods

homepods on a desk
Once your HomePods are in the same room, you can configure them in a stereo pair via the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
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homepods on a desk
You can then test to make sure the left and right HomePods are configured as the proper left- and right-channels. You can tell which is which by tapping on the HomePod icons. 
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Once your HomePods are properly setup and configured in the same “room” in the Home app, you can configure them in a stereo pair. Here’s how.

  1. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Select the “room” that both HomePods are configured in.
  3. Tap and hold one of the HomePod icons.
  4. Scroll down and tap the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen.
  5. Tap “Create Stereo Pair.”

From here, you can select which HomePod you want to be your left- or right channel. If you don’t see the option for the “Create Stereo Pair”, it likely means that your HomePods are not properly updated or they aren’t in the same “room.”

How to Use Two HomePods As Mac Speakers

homepods on a desk
Option 1: You can set your stereo paired HomePods as your default Mac speakers by clicking the sound icon in your Mac’s menu bar, and then selecting your HomePods.
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homepods on a desk
Option 2: The other way to select your HomePods as your default Mac speakers is by going through System Preferences and, under Output, selecting your stereo paired HomePods.
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After your two HomePods (or two HomePod minis) are stereo paired, it’s pretty easy to set them up so that they are your default Mac speakers. There are two ways of doing this:

Option #1:

  1. Select the sound icon located in your Mac’s menu bar.
  2. Scroll down and select your stereo paired HomePods.

Option #2:

  1. Open System Preferences on your Mac.
  2. Select “Sound” on the side panel.
  3. Under “Output & Input”, make sure that you have Output selected.
  4. Select your stereo paired HomePods.

Why You May Not Want to Use HomePods As Mac Speakers

homepod
Pictured: If you’re on a budget, it’s more affordable to use two HomePods minis as Mac speakers. Each speaker costs $99.
homepods on a desk
Pictured: For the best possible sound experience, you’re going to want to get two of Apple’s second-gen HomePods. Each costs $299. 
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Apple has made it a lot easier to use two HomePods as Mac speakers than in past years — before the macOS Big Sur 11.3 update, it was impossible to set them up in a stereo pair with your Mac — but it’s still not perfect. The biggest issue with using HomePods as Mac speakers is that they can frequently become disconnected with your Mac.

The HomePods connect to your Mac via AirPlay, but this connection can be easily disrupted if your Mac falls asleep or gets turned off, if you don’t play any audio for a period of time (your HomePods will fall asleep), or if you request a song or playlist on your HomePods via Siri.

Fixing this problem is super easy — you just select the HomePods via the sound icon on your Mac’s menu bar — but it can be annoying if you think your HomePods are going to play, but instead the audio comes out muffled from your MacBook instead.

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