How to Use a Pair of HomePod Minis As Computer Speakers

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

You’d think it’d be easy to set up two of Apple’s smart speakers, either two HomePod minis or two HomePods, and use them as dedicated computer speakers for your MacBook Pro or iMac. But it’s not. In fact, the Mac’s menu bar won’t allow you to select a stereo-paired set of HomePods as your default speakers.

You can designate a single HomePod or HomePod mini as your Mac’s speakers, but not a stereo pair. It’s a little bit baffling considering it’s actually really easy to designate two HomePods or two HomePod minis as the default TV speakers with an Apple TV; you can use a single HomePod or HomePod mini as the lone TV speaker for your Apple TV, too, but it just won’t deliver that superior stereo sound.

We’re hoping that Apple will roll out a macOS update in the near future that will allow you to designate two HomePods or two HomePod minis as your computer speakers. Until then, there is a kind-of hack or workaround that allows you to set up two HomePods or two HomePod minis as computer speakers. It’s messy and it actually only works with Apple’s own apps, such as Music and TV, which is why don’t really recommend it. But if you’re desperate, here’s what to do.

How to Use Two HomePod Minis As Computer Speakers

(Please note that the follow steps work with two HomePods or two HomePod minis)

1. Make sure your two HomePod minis are configured in a stereo pair — see here — and that they’re located in the same room as your Mac.

2. Open the Apple Music app on your Mac, select the AirPlay icon in the top-right corner, and select the stereo-paired HomePod minis as the default speakers. Be sure to deselect your computer’s speakers, too.

3. Minimize the Apple Music app (but don’t close it), open Finder and select the Applications folder on the far-left of the window. Open the Utilities folder and the select the Audio MIDI Setup app (looks like a piano).

4. In the new window that pops up, select the “+” icon in the lower-left corner. Select the Create Aggregate Device option from the dropdown menu. Then select the box that says AirPlay under “Use.”

5. Minimize — but don’t close — the Audio MIDI Setup app and open System Preferences, which you can find in the Finder app. Open the Sound folder and, under Output, select Aggregate Device.

6. Celebrate — you’ve got it.

Please note that after you’ve configured your two HomePods or HomePod minis as your Mac’s default computer speakers, there are a few complications.

The first thing to know: you can only adjust volume by tapping the “+” or “—” icons on the actual speakers, meaning you can’t adjust volume from your keyboard or Mac’s volume controls. It’s obnoxious but, hey, we said this was messy.

The other thing is you can never close the Apple Music app that you opened to originally configure the two HomePods as a computer speakers. If you do, you’ll undo the entire setup process and you’ll have to do it all over again.

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