With the latest version of iOS on supported iPhones, Apple brings a lot of new features. One such feature is pairing and connecting multiple wireless earphones at the same time over Bluetooth. This can be helpful when you and your friend both want to watch a movie or a video together on the same phone using your personal earphones. Earlier, we have seen this feature in Samsung Galaxy devices, and now Apple has also launched its own method of music sharing between multiple wireless earphones. This new feature is called as Audio sharing feature. The multi-connection of wireless earphones is not limited to iPhones only, you can also share music using your iPad or iPod, running on the latest software.

The best part is that the two connected earphones can have their own set of volumes and they aren’t synced with each other. Below we have discussed how to connect multiple wireless earphones to your iPhones, iPads and iPods.

Hardware and Software Requirements

As the feature requires some hardware chip inside the earphones, as well as the support from software, is also necessary, you need to make sure that your device is running on the latest version of iOS. The feature was launched with iOS 15 in October 2021. The wireless earphones that can be connected for multiple sharing should have an H1 or W1 chip inside them. The supported Apple devices that can connect to multiple wireless earphones are listed below.

1. iPhone 8 or later
2. iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) or later
3. iPad Pro 11-inch
4. iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
5. iPad Air (3rd generation)
6. iPad mini (5th generation)
7. iPad (5th generation) or later
8. iPod touch (7th generation)

How To Pair Second Earphones to your iPhone

With the help of Apple’s new audio sharing feature, you will be able to connect two earphones simultaneously to a single iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and you can seamlessly share the audio to both devices without any lag or stutter.

In order to connect the second pair of your Airpods, you need to connect the first AirPods before and then the second one, so to connect the first AirPods you will have to open the case right next to your iPhone. Make sure the Bluetooth of your iPhone is turned on, and a pop up should appear on the screen of your iPhone. Once you have successfully connected the AirPods, you can proceed to connect the second pair of AirPods to your iPhone.

To connect the second pair, simply open the case of the second pair of AirPods and it should again pop up to your iPhone and it will show a message saying these AirPods are not yours, but you can connect to them. On this screen, you need to tap on the Connect button.

Once you have pressed the connect button, you need to tap the physical pairing button which is located at the back of the case of the Airpods. After which your second Airpods should be connected to your iPhone. You will be able to see the battery status on the screen, tap on Done and you are done with connecting.

How To Play Audio on Two Sets of Airpods

As you have successfully connected two sets of Airpods to your iPhone, you can control the audio output and the volume controls through the Airplay menu. The now playing widget in the control centre can also be used for the same, the music app, and the now playing widget on the lock screen can also be used to control the audio output of the AirPods.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to use the Airplay menu in the control centre. To start with, first, you need to open the control centre by swiping either from the right of the screen or from the bottom depending on the phone model. For iPhone X and above you can swipe from the top right corner, while iPhone 8 and below users need to swipe from the bottom of the screen.

Once you are inside the control centre, tap on the now Playing widget to open and expand it.

Now, both the Airpdos are active as the audio output for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Whichever music you will play will be played through both the connected Airpods.

Further, you will also be able to control the audio for both devices independently or together. In order to control the audio of these Airpods, you can use the slider located at the bottom of the widget to change the volume for both the Airpods together. To change the volume of individual Airpods, then you can use the sider below each connected Airpods listing.

Share Audio with a Friend using an iPhone

Alternatively, you can also share your music with other friends without the hassle of connecting two AirPods to a single iPhone. Instead, you can also connect your iPhone to your friend’s iPhone and then share the audio with your friend. That way your friend will be able to listen to the audio you shared on his own Airpods, while you will be listening to your own Airpods.

However, this feature only works with iOS and iPadOS running with Bluetooth 5.0 and above. This means that you will have to use iPhone 8 and higher or iPad Pro 2nd generation, iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5th generation.

Make sure that both of the iPhones are running on iOS 13 or later and then all you have to do is just put the iPhone on top of the other iPhone and it should bring a pop up on your iPhone asking if you want to share the audio from your iPhone with your friend’s Airpods.

Finally, tap on the Share Audio option, once your friend also confirms the same on his iPhone, the audio sharing will start to work on its own.

Now, you will be able to see both the Airpods in the Airplay menu, and you will also be able to control the volume of each Airpods along with the playback settings as well.

How To Share Audio from Apple TV 4K to Two AirPods

If you own an Apple TV 4K at your home, then you can also share the audio of your Apple TV to multiple pairs of Airpods. That way you can watch anything on the TV with your friends using your personal Airpods. To start with, first, you will need to press and hold the Home button on the Siri Remote that will open the control centre on your Apple TV.

Now, before selecting the Audio Controls, you need to swipe down to headphones, and then select the Airpods you want to pair up with. Select the Share Audio option, then you can follow the on-screen instructions to pair the second pair of headphones.

To Conclude

So this was an extensive tutorial on how you can use multiple Airpods to listen to music with your friends or watch a movie with your friends together on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. You can also use your Airpods to connect to your Apple TV 4K and then watch them with your Airpods.