Picture this: you’re on a plane with your family. Both of your kids want to watch the same movie on an iPhone so each has one AirPod in, and one naked ear. They’re doing it wrong.
Thanks to Apple’s Audio Sharing feature, two people can listen with AirPods or Beats wireless headphones to whatever is playing on the same iPhone or iPad. You’ll be able to talk to your partner without eavesdroppers, and your kids won’t need to engage in the unsanitary act of sharing earbuds.
For this feature to work, you need a compatible Apple device with iOS 14 or newer and supported wireless headphones. That means an iPhone 8 or later, or an iPad fifth generation or later, plus AirPods.
Here’s how to connect two headphones to one Apple device.
Two AirPods connected to one iPhone
Sofia Pitt | CNBC
- Connect your AirPods or Beats to your iOS device and begin playing the content you’re hoping to share.
- Tap the AirPlay button in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad, on the Lock Screen, or in the app that you’re using to watch content or stream music.
- Tap Share Audio.
- If you’re sharing with someone who has AirPods or AirPods Pro, have them keep their AirPods inside the case and open the lid while in close proximity to your Apple device. If the person you’re sharing with has AirPods Max, these don’t need to be inside the case. If you’re sharing with a Beats user, put those Beats in sharing more and hold them close to your device.
- You should see your friend or family member’s headphones appear on your screen.
- Tap Share Audio again.
That’s it! To stop sharing content, simply tap the checkmark next to the headphones you want to disconnect.
Side note: If Audio sharing isn’t working it may be because your device or headphones aren’t compatible. Here’s what you need:
- iPhone 8 and later
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) and later
- iPad Pro 11-inch
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Air (3rd generation) and later
- iPad mini (5th generation) and later
- iPad (5th generation) and later
- iPod touch (7th generation)
Compatible headphones include:
- AirPods Max
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods (1st generation) and later
- Powerbeats
- Solo Pro
- Powerbeats Pro
- Powerbeats3 Wireless
- Beats Solo3 Wireless
- Beats Studio3 Wireless
- BeatsX
- Beats Flex
- Beats Fit Pro
