On a voyage through the sky with a comrade, nestled snugly in your ear canals are the AirPods, engrossed in an episode of “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix when suddenly, your trusty iPhone breathes its last. The temptation to borrow a single AirPod from your companion, eager to partake in the downloaded episode of “The Alcolyte” on their iPad, is strong. However, a superior notion arises: linking your AirPods to their device as well.
The act of sharing audio has evolved from the days of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, entwined in wired earbuds. When using Apple devices and Apple AirPods, connecting two sets of AirPods to one device is now achievable, offering enhanced, wireless, dual-bud audio. The process is simple. Here’s how:
Step 1: Begin by connecting the first pair of AirPods to your device. In case of any pairing issues, assistance is available.
Step 2: Access the connected devices list by opening your device’s Control Center and selecting the AirPlay icon.
Step 3: For the second pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro, with them nestled in their case, open the lid and bring the case closer to the desired phone (for AirPods Max, simply move the headphones near).
Step 4: When they appear, choose “Share Audio.”
Step 5: Upon their appearance on the list, select “Share Audio” once more and opt for the second pair of AirPods. Both sets will now be active.
Step 6: Please note that the audio quality of the second pair may not match the first, and the head-tracking feature of Spatial Audio is disabled in both sets when connected simultaneously.
With two pairs of AirPods connected to one device, volume and playback control can be managed in various ways, including via swipe gestures on each set’s stems and individual volume sliders in the Control Center. Additionally, controlling both AirPods’ volume collectively is possible through the main volume slider.
Devices supporting audio sharing include iPhones and iPads running iOS 13 or later, with compatibility extending to models such as iPhone 8 and later, various iPad Pro versions, iPad Air, iPod touch, and more.
A diverse range of Apple-owned headphones, including AirPods, AirPods Pro, Beats Fit Pro, and others, support the audio sharing feature.
Audio sharing isn’t exclusive to iPhones and iPads, as connecting two pairs of AirPods (or other compatible headphones) to a Mac is also feasible. By creating a Multi-Output Device in the Audio MIDI Setup of your Mac, both sets of AirPods can be linked.
Further expanding the possibilities, two pairs of compatible Apple headphones can be connected to an Apple TV 4K. However, Apple TV HD is not supported for this feature. Through the Siri remote’s Control Center, users can pair their headphones and enable Shared Audio for an immersive, dual-listening experience.
