diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts b/src/material-experimental/mdc-progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
index 13a4f4ace329..bb5109de6d93 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ describe('MDC-based MatProgressSpinner', () => {
           ProgressSpinnerWithStringValues,
           IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDom,
           IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDomWithNgIf,
+          SpinnerWithMode,
         ],
       }).compileComponents();
     }),
@@ -397,6 +398,14 @@ describe('MDC-based MatProgressSpinner', () => {
     expect(children.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
     expect(children.every(child => child.getAttribute('aria-hidden') === 'true')).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it('should be able to change the mode on a mat-spinner', () => {
+    const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SpinnerWithMode);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const progressElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('mat-spinner')).nativeElement;
+    expect(progressElement.getAttribute('mode')).toBe('determinate');
+  });
 });
 
 @Component({template: '<mat-progress-spinner></mat-progress-spinner>'})
@@ -470,3 +479,6 @@ class IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDomWithNgIf {
 
   diameter: number;
 }
+
+@Component({template: '<mat-spinner mode="determinate"></mat-spinner>'})
+class SpinnerWithMode {}
diff --git a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner-module.ts b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner-module.ts
index 50e2fddd90ef..ad512e4d384e 100644
--- a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner-module.ts
+++ b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner-module.ts
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 import {NgModule} from '@angular/core';
 import {CommonModule} from '@angular/common';
 import {MatCommonModule} from '@angular/material/core';
-import {MatProgressSpinner, MatSpinner} from './progress-spinner';
+import {MatProgressSpinner} from './progress-spinner';
 
 @NgModule({
   imports: [MatCommonModule, CommonModule],
-  exports: [MatProgressSpinner, MatSpinner, MatCommonModule],
-  declarations: [MatProgressSpinner, MatSpinner],
+  exports: [MatProgressSpinner, MatCommonModule],
+  declarations: [MatProgressSpinner],
 })
 export class MatProgressSpinnerModule {}
diff --git a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
index 55ad308468ae..db4d6c8d2f01 100644
--- a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.spec.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ describe('MatProgressSpinner', () => {
           ProgressSpinnerWithStringValues,
           IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDom,
           IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDomWithNgIf,
+          SpinnerWithMode,
         ],
       }).compileComponents();
     }),
@@ -540,6 +541,14 @@ describe('MatProgressSpinner', () => {
     expect(children.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
     expect(children.every(child => child.getAttribute('aria-hidden') === 'true')).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it('should be able to change the mode on a mat-spinner', () => {
+    const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(SpinnerWithMode);
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const progressElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('mat-spinner')).nativeElement;
+    expect(progressElement.getAttribute('mode')).toBe('determinate');
+  });
 });
 
 @Component({template: '<mat-progress-spinner></mat-progress-spinner>'})
@@ -616,3 +625,6 @@ class IndeterminateSpinnerInShadowDomWithNgIf {
 
   diameter: number;
 }
+
+@Component({template: '<mat-spinner mode="determinate"></mat-spinner>'})
+class SpinnerWithMode {}
diff --git a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
index 08367c7ac693..742da41469d6 100644
--- a/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
+++ b/src/material/progress-spinner/progress-spinner.ts
@@ -111,11 +111,12 @@ const INDETERMINATE_ANIMATION_TEMPLATE = `
  * `<mat-progress-spinner>` component.
  */
 @Component({
-  selector: 'mat-progress-spinner',
+  selector: 'mat-progress-spinner, mat-spinner',
   exportAs: 'matProgressSpinner',
   host: {
     'role': 'progressbar',
-    'class': 'mat-progress-spinner',
+    // `mat-spinner` is here for backward compatibility.
+    'class': 'mat-progress-spinner mat-spinner',
     // set tab index to -1 so screen readers will read the aria-label
     // Note: there is a known issue with JAWS that does not read progressbar aria labels on FireFox
     'tabindex': '-1',
@@ -229,6 +230,10 @@ export class MatProgressSpinner
     this._noopAnimations =
       animationMode === 'NoopAnimations' && !!defaults && !defaults._forceAnimations;
 
+    if (elementRef.nativeElement.nodeName.toLowerCase() === 'mat-spinner') {
+      this.mode = 'indeterminate';
+    }
+
     if (defaults) {
       if (defaults.color) {
         this.color = this.defaultColor = defaults.color;
@@ -356,56 +361,3 @@ export class MatProgressSpinner
     return this.diameter.toString().replace('.', '_');
   }
 }
-
-/**
- * `<mat-spinner>` component.
- *
- * This is a component definition to be used as a convenience reference to create an
- * indeterminate `<mat-progress-spinner>` instance.
- */
-@Component({
-  selector: 'mat-spinner',
-  host: {
-    'role': 'progressbar',
-    'mode': 'indeterminate',
-    'class': 'mat-spinner mat-progress-spinner',
-    '[class._mat-animation-noopable]': `_noopAnimations`,
-    '[style.width.px]': 'diameter',
-    '[style.height.px]': 'diameter',
-  },
-  inputs: ['color'],
-  templateUrl: 'progress-spinner.html',
-  styleUrls: ['progress-spinner.css'],
-  changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
-  encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
-})
-export class MatSpinner extends MatProgressSpinner {
-  constructor(
-    elementRef: ElementRef<HTMLElement>,
-    platform: Platform,
-    @Optional() @Inject(DOCUMENT) document: any,
-    @Optional() @Inject(ANIMATION_MODULE_TYPE) animationMode: string,
-    @Inject(MAT_PROGRESS_SPINNER_DEFAULT_OPTIONS)
-    defaults?: MatProgressSpinnerDefaultOptions,
-    /**
-     * @deprecated `changeDetectorRef`, `viewportRuler` and `ngZone`
-     * parameters to become required.
-     * @breaking-change 14.0.0
-     */
-    changeDetectorRef?: ChangeDetectorRef,
-    viewportRuler?: ViewportRuler,
-    ngZone?: NgZone,
-  ) {
-    super(
-      elementRef,
-      platform,
-      document,
-      animationMode,
-      defaults,
-      changeDetectorRef,
-      viewportRuler,
-      ngZone,
-    );
-    this.mode = 'indeterminate';
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/material/progress-spinner/public-api.ts b/src/material/progress-spinner/public-api.ts
index b67d2c313a1b..71ebfc725c82 100644
--- a/src/material/progress-spinner/public-api.ts
+++ b/src/material/progress-spinner/public-api.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,21 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
+import {MatProgressSpinner} from './progress-spinner';
+
 export * from './progress-spinner-module';
 export {
   MatProgressSpinner,
-  MatSpinner,
   MAT_PROGRESS_SPINNER_DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
   ProgressSpinnerMode,
   MatProgressSpinnerDefaultOptions,
   MAT_PROGRESS_SPINNER_DEFAULT_OPTIONS_FACTORY,
 } from './progress-spinner';
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Import `MatProgressSpinner` instead. Note that the
+ *    `mat-spinner` selector isn't deprecated.
+ * @breaking-change 8.0.0
+ */
+// tslint:disable-next-line:variable-name
+export const MatSpinner = MatProgressSpinner;
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/material/progress-spinner.md b/tools/public_api_guard/material/progress-spinner.md
index 91edb5c3c9fc..c2fefd4486d0 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/material/progress-spinner.md
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/material/progress-spinner.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export class MatProgressSpinner extends _MatProgressSpinnerBase implements OnIni
     get value(): number;
     set value(newValue: NumberInput);
     // (undocumented)
-    static ɵcmp: i0.ɵɵComponentDeclaration<MatProgressSpinner, "mat-progress-spinner", ["matProgressSpinner"], { "color": "color"; "diameter": "diameter"; "strokeWidth": "strokeWidth"; "mode": "mode"; "value": "value"; }, {}, never, never>;
+    static ɵcmp: i0.ɵɵComponentDeclaration<MatProgressSpinner, "mat-progress-spinner, mat-spinner", ["matProgressSpinner"], { "color": "color"; "diameter": "diameter"; "strokeWidth": "strokeWidth"; "mode": "mode"; "value": "value"; }, {}, never, never>;
     // (undocumented)
     static ɵfac: i0.ɵɵFactoryDeclaration<MatProgressSpinner, [null, null, { optional: true; }, { optional: true; }, null, null, null, null]>;
 }
@@ -71,18 +71,11 @@ export class MatProgressSpinnerModule {
     // (undocumented)
     static ɵinj: i0.ɵɵInjectorDeclaration<MatProgressSpinnerModule>;
     // (undocumented)
-    static ɵmod: i0.ɵɵNgModuleDeclaration<MatProgressSpinnerModule, [typeof i1.MatProgressSpinner, typeof i1.MatSpinner], [typeof i2.MatCommonModule, typeof i3.CommonModule], [typeof i1.MatProgressSpinner, typeof i1.MatSpinner, typeof i2.MatCommonModule]>;
+    static ɵmod: i0.ɵɵNgModuleDeclaration<MatProgressSpinnerModule, [typeof i1.MatProgressSpinner], [typeof i2.MatCommonModule, typeof i3.CommonModule], [typeof i1.MatProgressSpinner, typeof i2.MatCommonModule]>;
 }
 
-// @public
-export class MatSpinner extends MatProgressSpinner {
-    constructor(elementRef: ElementRef<HTMLElement>, platform: Platform, document: any, animationMode: string, defaults?: MatProgressSpinnerDefaultOptions,
-    changeDetectorRef?: ChangeDetectorRef, viewportRuler?: ViewportRuler, ngZone?: NgZone);
-    // (undocumented)
-    static ɵcmp: i0.ɵɵComponentDeclaration<MatSpinner, "mat-spinner", never, { "color": "color"; }, {}, never, never>;
-    // (undocumented)
-    static ɵfac: i0.ɵɵFactoryDeclaration<MatSpinner, [null, null, { optional: true; }, { optional: true; }, null, null, null, null]>;
-}
+// @public @deprecated (undocumented)
+export const MatSpinner: typeof MatProgressSpinner;
 
 // @public
 export type ProgressSpinnerMode = 'determinate' | 'indeterminate';