When my wife and I travel, we usually download some shows to watch on our flight, but we always have to split a set of AirPods. That means while one of our ears is enjoying the show, the other is forced to endure the crying baby behind us on the plane. But thanks to Apple’s Audio Sharing feature, we can enjoy a show together while using our own sets of AirPods, AirPods Pro or other headphones.
Apple introduced Audio Sharing with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 in 2024. It allows two pairs of compatible AirPods or Beats headphones to pair with a single iPhone or iPad. So you and another person can immerse yourselves in music, movies or a TED Talk without disturbing those around you.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Here’s how to share audio with another set of AirPods or Beats headphones.
How to enjoy music and podcasts together
1. Open Music, Podcasts, Spotify or any similar app with your AirPods in your ears and connected to your iPhone or iPad.
2. Start playing music or a Podcast.
3. Open your Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen.
4. Go to your audio controls page — it’s your second Control Center page by default.
5. Tap the silhouette of two people on the right side of your screen.
You can share your audio with another pair of headphones by tapping this symbol.
6. Bring the other pair of AirPods in their case or Beats headphones near your device. You might need to press the button on the back of your AirPods case to go into Pairing Mode.
7. Tap Share Audio when your device detects the other AirPods or Beats headphones.
Each pair of headphones can change their own volume via headphone controls, or you can change the volume for each pair via the connected device. But you’ll be able to enjoy a podcast or other music together without splitting a pair of AirPods or disturbing people around you.
How to watch a movie or show with separate headphones
Pairing another set of headphones to your device to watch a film or TV series is similar. Here’s how.
1. Open Apple TV, Netflix, YouTube or another streaming app with your headphones on.
2. Start playing a film or show.
3. Open your Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen.
4. Go to your audio controls page — it’s your second Control Center page by default.
5. Tap the silhouette of two people on the right side of your screen.
6. Bring the other pair of AirPods in their case or Beats headphones near your device. You might need to press the button on the back of your AirPods case to go into Pairing Mode.
7. Tap Share Audio when your device detects the other AirPods or Beats headphones.
Now you and another person can watch a video together without disturbing the people around you and without splitting a pair of AirPods.
For more iOS news, here’s my review of iOS 26, how to enable call and text screening in the OS and all the new ringtones on your iPhone. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
Watch this: This Is What Happened When I Switched From iPhone to Android
Read the full article here