Hello! I just installed HAOS on my new Raspberry Pi 5 16GB. I was able to add my HomePod Mini and Google Nest speakers to HA, but I can’t seem to add my HomePod Mini my preferred thread boarder router? I got to where it asks for the thread border router URL, but all I know is the local address for the HomePod, so I’m stuck! I read a few threads saying people used HomePods but not how. Also, I am having some trouble adding HK devices using HK setup code, I deleted some devices from HK (without resetting) but the HK setup codes fail. I’ve read over what I could find but I’m just not clear how to finish setting up my thread boarder router or why my HK setup codes aren’t working. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! 
Welcome to the community. There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’ll start with focus on the Thread stuff, since this topic is in the Thread category.
First, the “Add URL” option on the Thread settings cannot be used for HomePods, it is only for Border Routers running a software package from OpenThread. Home Assistant’s Thread control panel should show all detected networks, so as long as you see your HomePod(s) there, you are ready to proceed down one of two paths.
One, do nothing. There is no requirement to have a preferred Thread network in HA, as long as you have another app that can commission new devices. For iPhone users, the Apple Home app can commission new Matter-over-Thread and HomeKit-over-Thread devices, and then once they are on the (Thread) network you can move them over to HA control. The HA documentation has instructions for how to do this for each protocol.
Two, you can share the Thread credentials (“dataset”) with HA, which enables the network to be “preferred,” which in turn enables the HA companion app to commission new (Matter) devices. The HA documentation has a pretty good overview of sharing the credentials with HA to enable the companion app for commissioning. Note that to use a preferred network for HomeKit (over Thread) devices, you also need a bluetooth adapter (within range).
Your final question about “HK setup codes” is a little ambiguous — can you provide more details about what type of device you are adding and which procedure you are using to do it? (there is often more than one option). Which steps are working, and which are failing?
I dont know what thread boarder router is but there seems to be an integration an docs for this:
Have you read this at all, since it mentions an Addon and you havent mentioned it at all.
If you dont know what an addon is, read it up, but basically installing an Addon is like installing a VM (really dumbed down) that helps like an adapter between the integration and your home assistant.
Regarding Homekit:
There are 2 ways to add/integrate homekit which are completely different and confusing for beginners maybe.
1 - HomeKit Device - Home Assistant
This adds homekit devices directly to your homeassistant instead of home
Also see the remark in the first sentence:
tl;dr:
nr 1 adds homekit devices (via pairing code etc) to your home assistant, not bothering with your nr 2 adds (theoretically) every device from Home Assistant to your Apple Home.
Therefore: if you want to control your homekit devices AND control them in the home.app AND in Home assistant (which makes total sense) I recommend you to do step 1 and 2.
Thank you. I defintely made the mistake of confusing Device and Bridge at first, but I got to the point where the device shows up and I just have to hit configure and add the HK setup code. I should have mentioned that Open Boarder Router add-on is what is prompting me for the “REST API”. On the HA page about thread boarder routers, it says I can use a HomePod without API, but when I attempt to add thread devices theres always an error.
I’ve followed the directions and I just can’t get the devices added, so I was hoping if I have my HomePod Mini set at my preferred thread boarder router, through OTBR add-on, it would fix the issue. I tried resetting the thread devices and adding them to back to HK to delete them again to add them to HA, but as soon as I get to HK setup code it fails no matter what I do. I tried writing the HK setup code the way it says XXX-XX-XXX and just typing in the numbers. I think I may start from scratch since I’m installing a SSD on my Pi today, and I’m thinking something I did caused this issue. Plus I killed my microSD, so not sure I want to reboot from the back up I made last night.
Thank you, good to know that I don’t have to keep trying to add it as my preferred Thread network cause I was starting to want to pull my hair out. 
I was at the step where I click “add” for the thead device, and put in the HK setup code. Since then, I killed my microSD, and now I’m debating if I want to restore from backup or start over since I’m installing a RPi 512GB SSD. I don’t know if I have a bluetooth adapter, which means I probably don’t? I’m using a Pi 5 16gb ram, I got my HomePod Minis, and I have the HA SkyConnect but I want to use that for Zigbee. I started with some devices that are less crucial (incase they are not connected for awhile), including some Onvis products (a couple of the “5 Key Switches” and a “Smart Motion Sensor”, along with an Eve Aqua. I didn’t want to do all my devices until I knew what I was doing. Here is where things went wrong and it led to me kiling my SD.
Thank you for your help!
I started from scratch on a new microSd and got it working after I reset the devices with a freshly baked HAOS. I appreciate your help, I would have spent days trying to getting my HomePod Mini as my preferred thread network, so thank you for saving my hair from being pulled out. I did a hard reset my thread devices instead of deleting/resetting them from HK and the setup codes worked. This time HA setup was super quick and easy. Haven’t gotten to my HomeConnect dishwasher or anythign like that, but at least I got my basic devices up and running! Thank you!
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