HomePod About to Return HomePod Mini

[jmoore5196]

I've been an Apple fanboy since the mid 1990s, and I recently bought a HomePod Mini for my luddite girlfriend. After going through three resets, I still cannot get it to play music from her iPad Pro.

Her iOS is updated and current; the HomePod Mini is functional and will play from a nonexistent Apple Music account. I just cannot get it to pair with anything ... not my iPhone, not her iPad, nothing. I can see the HomePod Mini in the Home app on my Macs and iOS devices. Since I bought it to relieve her of the necessity of listening to her few audio files via the iPad speakers, I'm mystified about what else is required.

I'm on the verge of returning the device, and I'm sure Apple won't miss the revenue. Apple Support's only guidance was to sign my girlfriend up for Apple Music. Anyone have any thoughts before I start boxing it up? This is the first Apple product in which I've been disappointed, hence this thread.

 

[iStorm]

You said the word "pair"... What exactly do you mean by that? Maybe that's your problem. You don't pair to the HomePod like you do with a Bluetooth speaker. You AirPlay to it instead.

In the Music app, tap the AirPlay icon and select the HomePod. You can also do the same in YouTube or any other app that supports AirPlay.

Alternatively, open the Control Center, long press the media controls, tap 'Control Other Speakers & TVs', and select the HomePod. It'll open Apple Music with the HomePod being the playback device.