// 9TO5MAC — MOBILE & WEB

HomePod 27.2 hands-on: default wireless speaker for Mac, Sound Glow and more [Video]

Published: 10/27/2026, 02:50 PM

iOS 27.2 and its corresponding updates for the HomePod lineup bring several key new features to Apple’s smart speakers. The most exciting update? The ability to finally use your HomePod as the default sound output for your Mac. This means that the 2nd-generation HomePod and HomePod mini 2 can now function as low-latency wireless speakers for your Mac! Watch our hands-on video for an in-depth look at how the new wireless speaker functionality works, along with other new features like Sound Glow, Lock Controls, and home theater surround sound support. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more in-depth videos. Apple's budget MacBook, the cheapest way to experience macOS on the go. It’s long been possible to use a HomePod as a wireless speaker for the Mac, but doing so came with at least one big caveat: wireless latency. While it’s generally fine for movie playback, the latency is immediately noticeable when playing anything in real time. For example, playing instruments in Logic Pro, audio and FaceTime calls, etc. For these particular applications, HomePods have, up until now, been less than ideal speakers for the Mac. Apple has addressed this issue in the 27.2 update, significantly reducing latency when using a HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) as a wireless speaker for Mac desktops and laptops that support Wi-Fi 6E. This, unfortunately, excludes some early Apple Silicon machines, such as those powered by the M1 family of chips, but it’s good to see this feature made available. For the HomePod mini 2, Apple included a different Wi-Fi/Bluetooth architecture based on PCIe and revised audio routing to prioritize low-latency applications. It’s also worth noting that Apple’s Wi-Fi 6E requirement applies to the Mac hardware itself and doesn’t imply that a user needs a 6E-enabled router. Jeff Benjamin's favorite wireless earbuds; they just keep getting better. From that, we can gather that the update will allow the HomePod to work similarly to how it currently works with an Apple TV, when set as the default audio source. In other words, instead of relying on traditional AirPlay, it creates an ad hoc point-to-point connection between the Mac and the HomePod for minimal latency. This will make a HomePod a viable speaker-output destination for real-time audio applications. Apple is so confident of the low-latency connection that it defaults to playing sound effects via AirPlay when a compatible HomePod is selected as the output destination. Obviously, sound effects are the sort of thing that relies on low latency, since their sound has to correspond to what is happening in the environment at that exact time; otherwise, it would be disorienting. If I select my HomePod mini (1st generation), that option is not even available. Needless to say, this update instantly has me reconsidering my speaker needs for my Mac desktop setup. I recently got rid of my Yamaha HS3s because I’m looking for something with a little more umph. A pair of full-sized 2nd-generation HomePods in a stereo pair would definitely fit the bill, and look much better to boot.