I didn’t find straight forward answer but will macOS Catalina will have ever native support for all HomePod mini features like HomeKit support and system speakers pairing? I know speakers pairing works in Apple Music but not with other system audio.
MacBook Pro, OS X 10.11
HomePod mini works for AirPlay as it always has done, but given the cutoff at iOS16.2 macOS 13.1 for new features (see Upgrade to the new Home architecture - Apple Support) and the fact that nothing has really changed in terms of the split between Apple Music and the native macOS sound control in Catalina I think it is a safe bet to assume that it isn't going to be revisited. You can of course hope for better options for speaker pairing, but the Home app is definitely broken if you upgrade to the new architecture, in Catalina*, Big Sur, Monterey*, and iOS 15* downwards.
tt2
* personally tested.
HomePod mini works for AirPlay as it always has done, but given the cutoff at iOS16.2 macOS 13.1 for new features (see Upgrade to the new Home architecture - Apple Support) and the fact that nothing has really changed in terms of the split between Apple Music and the native macOS sound control in Catalina I think it is a safe bet to assume that it isn't going to be revisited. You can of course hope for better options for speaker pairing, but the Home app is definitely broken if you upgrade to the new architecture, in Catalina*, Big Sur, Monterey*, and iOS 15* downwards.
tt2
* personally tested.
At this stage I think the answer is a clear no. The latest HomeKit update to the new home architecture supports iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1 Ventura upwards, so I don't think Apple are going to revisit Catalina.
tt2
I haven't found any minimum macOS requirments in HomePod mini technical specifications, can you share where you found info about Ventura? All of this so called new home architecture still seems to be ghost under construction… poping up and disappearing update
OK so did HomeKit really work normally before that new architecture update on Catalina? I am new to Catalina now and updated my HomePod mini and all iOSs to 16.2 before and couldn't compare.
In that Apple doc you have posted it is just mentioned how to update to the Home new architecture and it is possible with the newest macOS but there is no mentioned what are the minimum requirements for using that updated architecture
Yes, I used to be able to use the Home app on my late 2012 Mac mini that runs Catalina, and an iPhone 6s running iOS 15.whatever was last. Both now show how my home used to look before some recent additions using the new system, and show the home as unreachable. In Monterey there is actually a splash screen suggesting that I upgrade rather than the broken experience elsewhere. See https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/21/apple-pulls-new-home-architecture/ for some confirmation on requirements. Apple often aren't terribly explicit with those details.
tt2
Yeah they are masters of communication as I can see now but they have been warning for a long time it won't go with iPads as HomeKit hub anymore so they also should have done it with macOS incompatibilities… seems like it happened by accident
HomePod mini compatibility with macOS Catalina
