HomePod mini play pause lag when paired with Mac mini

I took delivery of the new Mac mini M1 along with a HomePod mini and I've set it up as the audio output for my Mac mini, it works fine with music streaming, but when it comes to videos like watching YouTube, Vimeo or BBC iPlayer there is at least a 2 second delay when I start or stop play.

This is not a lip sync issue, When I hit play play back starts after 2 to 3 seconds and same with Pause, it carries on playing for the next couple of seconds before it pauses the video.

So far I've tried 3 different browsers, Safari, Chrome and Microsoft edge - no change

Contacted apple support and as per their advice restored Mac OS - no change

I've performed reset on HomePod mini - no change

Any suggestions or thoughts on how to resolve this problem will be greatly appreciated.

Posted on Nov 20, 2020 9:00 AM

Similar questions

50 replies

Dec 4, 2020 2:42 PM in response to tekie

Same here with the HomePods. Just purchased to add to the MacBook Air 1 and seeing the same issue. It does not happen when I play through the iPhone. I was tempted to return but hoping Apple comes out with an update for Mac OS Big Sur (and/or other operating systems this might affect) to resolve.

On a side note, I also hope they allow you to use two HomePods for stereo set up with the Mac. Yes, there is a work around but it's annoying.

Dec 16, 2020 3:43 PM in response to tekie

I'm having the same problem with the same hardware (Mac mini M1 and HomePod mini). Getting lag when streaming videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) 2 to 3 seconds. Even at times the HomePod mini loses its connection and the Mac mini speakers kick in (btw, those speakers sound horrible). I hope Apple addresses this annoying problem.

jrqvb8

Level 1

4 points

Dec 30, 2020 3:35 PM in response to tekie

I'm a bit relieved to come across this thread.

I'm having a similar issue with my Homepod mini paired with my 4th gen Apple TV (HD) and my 2018 15" Macbook Pro. Sometimes it lags, sometimes it completely cuts out for a few moments, sometimes it just randomly disconnects, sometimes it doesn't respond. It's terribly annoying, and really regretting my decision to add to my apple ecosystem with this.

I'm not super knowledgable about firmware updates and other techie things - so (for anyone to answer), would I be better off returning the mini, or wait for a supposed update coming? This issue is making the homepod mini essentially unusable for my setup, but I am kind of determined to keep things apple.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Happy holidays, yall!

jalous

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2020 1:36 PM in response to tekie

I have the issue as well with my MacBook pro

sacha169

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2020 2:22 PM in response to tekie

I have the exact same issue from MacBook Pro 2020 13" to HomePod Mini. Would love to know what the cause of this because I know airplay 2 is better than this.

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HomePod mini play pause lag when paired with Mac mini