With iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1, Apple added the capability to share an iPhone or iPad's audio between two sets of wireless headphones. The supported headphones include AirPods and select Beats headphones, which are powered by Apple's W1 or H1 chipset. Read our guide to find out how you can share audio on your iPhone or iPad.
The benefit of audio sharing is that you can easily pair two pair of headphones and enjoy a movie, or listen to music together during a long journey. Like most things Apple, this feature requires the company's own headphones and does not work with headphones from other brands.
Share Audio with AirPods on iPhone or iPad
Before you proceed, make note of the requirements for Share Audio to work on your device. Following iOS devices support audio sharing:
- iPhone 8 Plus and later
- iPad mini 5th generation and later
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later
- iPad Pro 11-inch
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad 5th generation or later
- iPad Air 3rd generation or later
- iPod touch 7th generation or later
As for the headphones, you should either have two pair of AirPods (does not matter which model), or compatible Beats headphones. Following Beats headphones support audio sharing on iOS:
- Powerbeats Pro
- Beats Solo 3 Wireless
- Beats x
- Beats Studio 3 Wireless
- Powerbeats 3 Wireless
- Solo Pro
Once you are sure that your devices meet the requirements, it's time to get started.
- Open control center, long press on the Music control and tap the AirPlay icon.
- You will see the below menu with various audio outputs, including the headphones already connected to your iOS device. Tap on Share Audio.
- You will now see a step-by-step guide which will ask you to open the AirPods and tap on the Share Audio button, after which you will have to press and hold the button on the case to complete the connection process.
- Once the connection is established, you will see two pair of headphones in the menu.
To disconnect, tap the name of the other pair of headphones.
Love your AirPods? Check out our list of helpful guides:
- How to Use AirPods as Hearing Aids, Works with Powerbeats Pro too
- Rename AirPods to Something Else on iPhone, iPad [Name Change Tutorial]
- How to Access AirPods Pro Hidden Settings Menu
- You Can Check AirPods Battery Life from Apple Watch, Here’s How
- Improve AirPods Pro Audio Quality and Get More Bass and Clarity
- How to connect AirPods Pro to MacBook Pro and Other Macs
About the author: Imran Hussain has been covering tech since 2008. His passion in technology started from beta testing Windows Longhorn and other Microsoft services and apps, and later expanded to smartphones and other platforms. He currently covers mobile tech, and still prefers beta releases over stable software updates. When not writing, buying or discussing tech, Imran enjoys gaming, movies, news and spending time with his family.
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