What Can the HomePod mini 2 Do as a Matter and Thread Hub?

The Apple HomePod mini 2 goes on sale today for $149 in the US and €169 in the Netherlands, and it works as a compact Apple Home hub with Thread and Matter. It controls your HomeKit and Matter accessories when you are away, runs your automations and, according to the first hands-on tests, acts as a Thread 1.4 border router. On the downside, Siri AI is not coming to the EU for now, and without an iPhone the speaker is of little use. Below you can read what the HomePod mini 2 does as a hub, what changed since the first generation and who it suits.

What does the HomePod mini 2 do as a smart home hub?

Apple presents the HomePod mini 2 as a home hub and adds it to the Home app automatically during setup. From then on you control your HomeKit and Matter accessories when you are out of the house, for example the heating from the office or the lights from your holiday address. Your automations also run on the speaker, so they keep working when your iPhone is not at home. With your voice you can also control lights, thermostats, blinds, doors and a garage door.

Sound Recognition also listens for the alarm of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and sends a notification to your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Apple stresses that this does not replace a safety device, so treat it as an extra safety net. You can read the full announcement in our article on the HomePod mini 2 and the new Apple TV 4K.

Thread and Matter: what is new?

The hub role itself is not new, because the first HomePod mini also works as a home hub and supports Thread. What changes is the technology around it. The HomePod mini 2 has the S10 chip instead of the S5, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 instead of Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0, and it runs HomePod Software 27.2. According to the first hands-on tests, that makes it a Thread 1.4 border router and Matter controller. Note that Apple does not mention Thread explicitly on its Dutch product page, so the border router role rests on those first tests and the specifications.

Thread 1.4 is mainly useful because a new border router joins the Thread network you already have instead of creating its own. Those separate networks cause many of the flaky Matter-over-Thread devices, as we described in Apple Home with iOS 27. One of the first reviewers saw the HomePod mini 2 join an existing Thread network created by SmartThings automatically, and ran more than 40 smart home devices over it at home without bottlenecks.

Temperature and humidity sensor for your automations

The HomePod mini 2 has a built-in temperature and humidity sensor. The readings appear in the Home app and you can use them as a trigger for an automation, for example to switch a Matter plug with a fan or dehumidifier when the humidity rises. Apple says the sensor works best at 15 to 30 degrees Celsius (59 to 86 °F) and 30 to 70 percent relative humidity, that accuracy can drop when the speaker plays loud music for a long time, and that the sensors need a moment to calibrate after startup. For rooms where the speaker is not placed you still need separate sensors.

What do you need and what is missing?

For full functionality you need Apple devices, first of all an iPhone to set up the speaker and manage your home. The HomePod mini 2 has no battery, so it always has to stay plugged in. Siri AI is not available at launch and is not coming to the EU for now, so in Europe you keep the existing Siri. The speaker also has three microphones instead of four, and it costs $149, up from the $129 that the first generation sold for since June. If you want a hub without a speaker, look at the new Apple TV 4K, which also works as a home hub.

The HomePod mini 2 comes in white, midnight, blue, green or pink. Pre-orders opened on 13 October and it reaches stores today. If you already have an Apple TV as a hub, the speaker mainly adds an extra Thread border router and a speaker for a second room. If you are only now building your Apple Home, it is a compact way to bring Matter and Thread into the house.