What you need to know
- The HomePod mini now supports 18W power adapters.
- Support quietly came as part of the 14.3 update earlier this month.
Reported by The 8-Bit, the 14.3 update that came out for the HomePod mini earlier this month quietly included support for some 18W chargers. Before the update, the HomePod mini only supported Apple's new 20W power adapter.
Prior to the 14.3 update, users wanting to power their HomePod minis with an 18W adapter were met by an orange glowing light on the HomePod, which according to Apple, means that the HomePod mini is plugged into a power adapter that's not rated 20W (9V ~2.22A).
According to the update, an 18W power adapter with a specific power profile is required. It is unclear what third-party power adapters will meet this requirement, but Apple's own 18W adapter will, of course, work with the HomePod mini now.
There's a little caveat, though. Much like MagSafe, the HomePod mini will only accept power from 18W chargers with a specific power profile. There is no official word on what the power profile exactly is, which means you might have to struggle to find the 18W adapter that works. The one adapter that is sure to work is Apple's official 18W adapter that shipped in the box alongside the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Some users on Reddit have even managed to turn the HomePod mini into a portable speaker by hooking it up to some 18W power banks.
Since the HomePod mini now accepts power from an 18W adapter, users on Reddit have also been testing it out with 18W power banks and they seem to work. This suggests you may be able to carry your HomePod mini along on trips. While it will lack WiFi access, you might be able to connect your iPhone with it using AirPlay 2.
The update is a nice one as it will give everyone with Apple's 18W power adapter another product to use it with. This will also free up the 20W power adapter that it ships with for things like faster charging with MagSafe for those who have an iPhone 12.
