One of the quieter features of the $149 HomePod mini 2, which arrives on October 30, is that it can act as a speaker for a Mac. The catch is in the fine print: your Mac needs Wi-Fi 6E or later.
We checked the tech specs page for every Apple silicon Mac listed on Apple’s support site to build the list below. If you are new to the speaker, start with our HomePod mini 2 launch story.
What Apple says
In its HomePod mini 2 press release, Apple says the new speaker “can serve as a speaker for Mac, delivering expansive sound for everything from movies and gaming to FaceTime and video calls,” and that it “can serve as the default speaker for Mac.” The footnote adds: “This feature is supported on all Mac computers with Wi-Fi 6E or later and works with either a single HomePod or a stereo pair.”
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The HomePod mini page words it slightly differently: “Compatible with HomePod mini 2 and HomePod (2nd generation) with support on all Mac desktops and laptops with Wi-Fi 6E or later.” The same page says that with this setup, “the connection is more responsive and reliable than ever.”
Three takeaways from Apple’s wording:
- The requirement is the Mac’s Wi-Fi, not its chip. Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 qualifies. Wi-Fi 6 does not.
- HomePod (2nd generation) works too, not only HomePod mini 2.
- A stereo pair works. Apple says a stereo pair needs “two of the same model and generation of HomePod speakers, such as two HomePod mini 2 or two HomePod (2nd generation).”
Macs with Wi-Fi 7
These Macs list Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) on Apple’s tech specs pages, so they meet the “Wi-Fi 6E or later” requirement.
| Mac (Apple’s model name) | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| MacBook Air (13-inch, M5) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| MacBook Air (15-inch, M5) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro) | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Mac Studio (M5 Max or M5 Ultra) | Wi-Fi 7 |
Macs with Wi-Fi 6E
These Macs list Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) on Apple’s tech specs pages.
| Mac (Apple’s model name) | Chip | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) | M5 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Neo | A18 Pro | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Air (13-inch and 15-inch, M4, 2025) | M4 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Mac Studio (2025) | M4 Max or M3 Ultra | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4, 2024) | M4 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max, 2024) | M4 Pro or M4 Max | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2024) | M4 Pro or M4 Max | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Mac mini (2024) | M4 or M4 Pro | Wi-Fi 6E |
| iMac (24-inch, 2024) | M4 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Air (13-inch and 15-inch, M3, 2024) | M3 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023) | M3 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, Nov 2023) | M3 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) | M3 Pro or M3 Max | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) | M3 Pro or M3 Max | Wi-Fi 6E |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2023) | M2 Pro or M2 Max | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Mac mini (2023) | M2 or M2 Pro | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Mac Studio (2023) | M2 Max or M2 Ultra | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Mac Pro (2023) and Mac Pro (Rack, 2023) | M2 Ultra | Wi-Fi 6E |
Macs that do not qualify
These Apple silicon Macs list Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) on Apple’s tech specs pages, which falls short of the Wi-Fi 6E requirement.
| Mac (Apple’s model name) | Chip | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air (M1, 2020) | M1 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) | M1 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Mac mini (M1, 2020) | M1 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) | M1 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch, 2021) | M1 Pro or M1 Max | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Mac Studio (2022) | M1 Max or M1 Ultra | Wi-Fi 6 |
| MacBook Air (M2, 2022) | M2 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) | M2 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023) | M2 | Wi-Fi 6 |
The odd cases
The chip name alone will not tell you the answer. The M2 Mac mini from 2023 has Wi-Fi 6E and qualifies, but the M2 MacBook Air, in both its 13-inch and 15-inch versions, has Wi-Fi 6 and does not. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 is also out.
The cutoff for laptops is roughly the 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max, then every MacBook Air from M3 onward. On desktops, every Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro from 2023 on qualifies, and the iMac qualifies from the M3 model onward.
Intel Macs are not in our tables because we only included models whose specs we checked on Apple’s pages.
How to check your Mac
Apple says the easiest way to find your Mac’s model name is to choose About This Mac from the Apple menu. Match that name against the tables above, or open the model’s Tech Specs page on Apple’s support site and look for Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 under Wireless.
Before you buy
HomePod mini 2 costs $149 in pink, green, blue, white and midnight, with pre-orders open and availability from Friday, October 30. If your Mac is on the Wi-Fi 6 list, the speaker still works as a regular HomePod for music, Siri and smart home control. Apple’s Mac speaker feature is the part you would miss.
