HomePod mini Not Connecting To iPhone? (Let’s Fix It Fast)

Picture this: You’re about to blast your favorite playlist at full volume, ask Siri an interesting question, or dim the lights, but the magic is simply not happening.
Instead, is your HomePod mini not connecting to iPhone’s Siri? Don’t worry as this is very straightforward to fix!
This fault could emerge due to an issue with the
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- iPhone OS version, or
- Local connection status
This guide will not only help you identify the issue but also provide helpful instructions aligned with expert-recommended solutions to restore your HomePod mini’s connectivity.
HomePod Mini Not Connecting to iPhone – Fixed in 7 Steps!
Tip: To start the automatic setup of the HomePod mini, ensure your iPhone is online and start next to the HomePod while the device is unlocked.
1. Enable Wi-Fi & Bluetooth on the iPhone

Enabling the Wi-Fi feature and Bluetooth on your iPhone is an essential preparation for the setup of your HomePod mini.
Not having either of these features active on your iPhone will prevent the recognition process and cancel the pairing.
Turning on Wi-Fi on iPhone:
Go to “Settings” → “Wi-Fi,” tap the activation slider, and ensure you’ve established a connection to your local router network.
Turning on Bluetooth on iPhone:
Head to the “Settings” → “Bluetooth” and tap the activation slider at the top of the page.
Alternatively, you can use the iPhone’s quick access menu to control these features and turn on the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth respectively.
2. Use an Identical Wi-Fi On Both Devices

The first step to recognizing the HomePod mini through an iPhone is ensuring that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Similar to other locally-hosted connections, the devices must also be on the same Wi-Fi frequency in case you have a dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz router.
2.1 How to Change/Check Wi-Fi On HomePod mini?
Checking and potentially changing the Wi-Fi connection of your HomePod mini is only possible through the “Home” app.
If the device does not have an existing profile through a manual setup, it means that it is currently not connected to a network.
Consequently, the automatic setup prompt that should appear on your iPhone must be complete only after the iPhone is connected to your home Wi-Fi or a captive portal Wi-Fi network.
2.2 How to Change/Check Wi-Fi On an iPhone?
To verify the iPhone is on a Wi-Fi network, head to the “Settings” → “Wi-Fi” and scroll the network list.
Look for Wi-Fi that has the “Connected” label, which indicates that your iPhone is currently connected.

Additionally, activating the Wi-Fi and mobile data at the same time will cause your iPhone to enter the priority mode.
The mode bounces your iPhone between Wi-Fi and mobile data, based on which connection has better coverage and speed.
Alert: Before proceeding, ensure the “Mobile Data” feature of your iPhone is set to “Off.”
3. Manually Assign the HomePod mini
In some cases, the setup screen of your HomePod mini may not appear automatically whilst your iPhone is within range.
If that’s the case, you can initiate a manual setup through the “Home” application on your iPhone.

Follow these steps to set the HomePod mini manually:
- Open the “Home” app on your iPhone.
- Tap the “+” symbol at the top section.
- Select the “Add Accessory” function.
- Tap “More Options” and scroll down.
- Select the “HomePod” option below.
- Tap “Set Up” and follow the prompts.
Hence, following these steps will force your iPhone to search for nearby wireless devices of the selected type.
Remember that the “HomePod” tile stands for both the regular HomePod and the HomePod mini, meaning that the search will be successful regardless of the model you have.
4. Hard Reset the HomePod Mini
The hard reset is particularly effective if your HomePod mini cannot connect to iPhone.
Unlike battery-operated devices, you can discharge the HomePod by unplugging it from the power.

- To hard reset the HomePod mini, unplug the power cable of the device from the power and hold the “Volume +” button for 10–15 seconds.
Once the HomePod’s power has been drained after approximately 60 seconds, reconnect the power cord and wait for the device to start.
Unlock your iPhone and check if the automatic setup prompt will appear.
5. Update the iPhone’s OS Version
Another essential requirement for establishing a connection with the HomePod is for your iPhone to be at the most current OS version.
If not, both the automatic and manual setup could be disrupted or even fail to start.

You can check for newer OS versions on your iPhone like so:
- Open the “Settings” app and navigate to “General.”
- Tap “Software Update” and wait for the page to load.
- Press the “Update Now” button or “Update Tonight.”
If a newer version is available for your iPhone by the time of checking, you can start the update immediately, otherwise you would have to schedule it overnight.
You could also activate the “Automatic Updates” function at the top of the page, so your iPhone can update by itself.
6. Check the Apple ID & iCloud Status
Using a different Apple ID for your iPhone and the “Home” app could result in a setup failure of the HomePod mini and not being logged in could also disrupt the process.
That’s why the next step is to ensure you’re logged in to your iCloud account through the iPhone used for setup and clear out any account errors.

- On your iPhone, go to “Settings” and tap your profile icon.
- If prompted, sign in to your account using Apple ID & pass.
- Check for pending account errors that must be resolved.
Don’t forget that the iCloud account you use on your iPhone will be registered in the HomePod mini’s profile within the “Home” app.
Signing in to a different iCloud on your iPhone will disrupt the HomePod’s connection to the Siri assistant of your device.
7. Reset HomePod mini to Default Settings
Perhaps, a misconfiguration of the assistant’s system settings has resulted in the HomePod mini not connecting to the iPhone problem.

You can restore the regular HomePod or HomePod mini in one of two ways:
- Through an iPhone: If the HomePod is registered within the “Home” app and has a profile, you can start the reset there.
- Through a Mac or PC: Use the “Finder” window to reset the HomePod on a Mac or download the latest version of the iTunes store to reset on a Windows/Linux PC.
7.1 How to Reset HomePod Mini Through an iPhone?
- Open the “Home” app on your iPhone device.
- Tap the Home Pad mini’s banner in the tab.
- Click the “Settings” button to open the menu.
- Now, tap “Reset HomePad” from the section.
- Follow the instructions to reset the HomePod.
7.2 How to Reset HomePod Mini Through a Mac?

- Plug the HomePad with the USB-C to your Macbook or Mac.
- Open the Finder window and click “HomePod” from the side.
- Click the “Restore HomePod…” option within the configuration.
- Follow the necessary instructions to finalize the unit’s recovery.
7.3 How to Reset HomePod mini Through a PC?
- On your PC, download and install the most recent iTunes app.
- Sign in to your iCloud account used for the HomePod setup.
- Plug the HomePod with the supplied USB-C cable to your PC.
- Select the HomePod mini once it appears in the devices menu.
- Click “Restore HomePod…” and follow the on-screen prompts.
Note: The HomePod mini will power off and reboot after the factory reset starts!

Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.