HomePod Mini / iPhone connection issues

For quick reference (and in case the site becomes inaccessible):

It looks like I've managed to solve it. It's one of Apple's 'features' that has to be disabled:

iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

1.  Open the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi.

Tap the information button 

https://support.apple.com/library/content/dam/edam/applecare/images/en_US/il/ios13-info-icon.png1.

 next to [your mesh] network.

Tap to turn Private Address on or off. If your device joined the network without using a private address, a privacy warning will explain why. By turning off1. Private address, it immediately found and connected 🤷‍♂️

Well, I tried this, and it sorta-kinda worked. For about a minute. Then, crickets.

After a bit more experimentation, I found that my situation is even MORE bizarre — though I seem to be far from the only person having this issue...

...because while I can't seem to AirPlay Apple Music to my HomePod Mini, I can AirPlay just about EVERYTHING ELSE with no issues whatsoever.

Pandora, Spotify, Plex, Plexamp...all play perfectly. (And yes, before you ask, we have a paid family subscription to Apple Music via Apple One.)

Some Googling led me to the see that MANY people started having the same or similar issues with Apple Music after updating devices to iOS 15...and that's just about the time our problems surfaced.

UNBELIEVABLE to me that Apple's OS update to Apple's own devices interferes with playing Apple's OWN MUSIC SERVICE on those devices, yet here we are.

Anyone have any workarounds? Other ideas?

I'd go with your explanation...except mine is a situation of two people (each with an iPhone 11 and a current-gen iPad Air) and two HomePod Minis. For well over a year, everything worked seamlessly. Then one day — and no, nothing new was added or changed about the wifi network — one HomePod Mini started acting flaky. (The other HomePod Mini presents no problems getting or staying connected to any device we AirPlay to it.)

And I should also mention that both Homepods are bound (using router settings) to both frequency (5GHz) and nearest access point within our two-node mesh wifi setup. (Router setup has always consisted of two ASUS ZenWiFi AX.)

The flaky HomePod has been reset/restarted/re-added to Apple Home more times than I can count. Just now, we restarted everything, and rebooted the router. I was able to AirPlay Apple Music to the flaky HomePod successfully several times, using both iPhone and iPad...

...until I wasn't. Wouldn't play at all...or maybe just 1/2 a second of a song...and that's all.

Meanwhile, the iPad would AirPlay to it without issue.

So while I'd like to believe that my router is handling the HomePod differently somehow under certain situations, that doesn't seem to explain why an iPhone sitting on a table connects...then stops connecting...while the iPad sitting next to it on the same table connects without an issue.

I should also mention that when I try to AirPlay to the flaky HomePod unsuccessfully, my iPhone THINKS it's connected...the track I'm playing still appears to be playing, and the HomePod display on top lights up as it does when something is playing. And no, it's not a matter of low volume...no matter what I set the volume at, it THINKS it's playing, but no sound comes out.

I'm starting to think that HomePod mini is either haunted or defective, but Apple Support doesn't seem to offer any options for repair.

Frustrating.

Missy5937...

Thanks, but when I click the link you provided, I see the following support options (see attached screenshot).

Which one do you suggest I select in order to obtain support for my HomePod Mini issue?

Trying this now...I'll update with results!

Thanks!