How to automatically switch airpods between devices

After updating to iOS 14 or MacOS 11 Big Sur you've likely experienced your AirPods randomly switching between your Apple devices. The new automatic switching feature is supposed to make your life easier, but for many -- including yours truly -- it's annoying. 

In theory, the new feature would be able to identify which Apple device you want to use your AirPods with in real-time. For example, if you're streaming music on your iPhone and you start playing a video on your iPad, the AirPods should switch to your iPad. But in reality, the feature is somewhat finicky. I know I've experienced issues with my iPhone taking over my AirPods connection when I unlock it while I'm listening to music on my iPad.

Thankfully, there's a way to turn the feature off. Just make sure you follow the steps outlined below on every Apple device that you use your AirPods with, or at a minimum, the devices you don't want your AirPods to automatically switch between. 

Turn auto-switching off on iPhone, iPad

With your AirPods connected to your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Tap the "i" icon next to the name of your AirPods.
4.Scroll down through the options until you find the option labeled Connect to this iPhone/iPad; tap it.
5.Select When Last Connected to This iPhone/iPad then back out of the Settings app. 

Turn auto-switching off on a Mac

Connect your AirPods to your Mac, then follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Select Bluetooth.
3. Click Options next to the name of your AirPods.
4.Click on the dropdown labeled Connect to This Mac.
5. Select When Last Connected to This Mac and then click Done and close System Preferences. 

With automatic switching turned off on all of your Apple devices, your AirPods will connect to the last device they were connected to when you put them on, just like they did before iOS 14. Then if you want to start using them with another one of your Apple devices, you can switch to them by selecting them in the AirPlay section of Control Center. 

For more AirPods tips, check out these general tricks for AirPods and AirPods Pro. We also have some tips specific to the AirPods Pro. As for the AirPods Max, make sure to check out our full review.

How would you like to switch AirPods between iPhone, iPad, and Mac? Or what if you’d like to switch AirPods from iPhone to Apple Watch or even Apple TV? If you have a pair of AirPods and multiple Apple devices, you can easily switch AirPods and AirPods Pro between any of your other Apple products, and the transition is seamless.

To be able to switch AirPods and AirPods Pro between your Apple devices, you will need to make sure each of your devices are using the same Apple ID and iCloud, as the AirPods use the iCloud ID to identify and sync which iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or iPod touch belongs to you. Thus we are assuming you are switching AirPods between your own devices, for example switching AirPods from your iPhone to iPad, or iPad to iPhone, or either of those to your Mac. This is not the same process as connecting AirPods to someone else’s iPhone or other devices.

How to Switch AirPods Between iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Have multiple iPhone, iPad, or iOS devices that you want to switch AirPods between? Here’s how you can do that:

1. Have the AirPods in your ears and out of their case, making sure they are sufficiently charged to be used
2. Open Control Center on the iPhone or iPad that you want to switch AirPods over to
3. Tap and hold on the Music controls

4. Tap the little AirPlay audio icon in the corner, it looks like a triangle with circles radiating out of it

5. Look under the “Headphones” section and tap on the AirPods that you wish to connect to and switch to the current device

6. Wait a moment and a checkmark will appear alongside the “AirPods” name, signifying they are switched to the current device and ready to be used

Now you can use AirPods on the current device, so play music or listen to podcasts as usual and enjoy.

This process is the same on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. If you use AirPods with a Mac then you can also switch AirPods from iPhone or iPad to a Mac, and vice versa as well.

How to Switch AirPods from iPhone / iPad to Mac

Assuming

1. Put the AirPods in your ears
2. On the Mac, pull down the Bluetooth menu bar item
3. Select “AirPods” from the list, then choose “Connect” to switch AirPods from iPhone to the Mac

All audio on the Mac now will transmit to the AirPods.

You can switch AirPods back from the Mac to the iPhone or iPad or another device at any time by repeating the steps above to access Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, then selecting the AirPods from the Music control panel.

How to Switch AirPods to Apple Watch

You can also switch AirPods audio output to Apple Watch from any other Apple device, here’s how:

1. Put AirPods in your ears
2. Unlock Apple Watch and go to the Home Screen, then swipe up to access Control Center
3. Tap on the “AirPlay” icon, it looks like a triangle with circles flying out of it
4. Select AirPods from the list of devices shown as available for AirPlay audio

Now you can play any music, podcasts, or audio from Apple Watch directly to AirPods or AirPods Pro.

Switching back from Apple Watch to something else, like back to iPhone or iPad, is just a matter of starting the process from the other device.

How to Switch AirPods to Apple TV

Want to connect AirPods to Apple TV to watch a show, video, movie, play a game, or anything else with the audio coming from Apple TV to AirPods? That’s easy too:

1. Place AirPods in ears
2. Turn on Apple TV then access the Home Screen
3. Hold on the Play / Pause button on the Apple TV remote
4. Select “AirPods” from the list of devices that show up

Again, switching AirPods from Apple TV to another device is then initiated from the other device you want to switch to, it’s all seamless.

Assuming all goes as expected, the transition and switching of AirPods between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV is simple and you won’t need to do anything else. You should not have to connect or pair AirPods or AirPods Pro again to any of the devices, it should be seamless, as long as the devices you are switching between share the same Apple ID.

To reiterate yet again, it is critically important that every device you are attempting to switch AirPods between is using your same Apple ID, that’s the only way to have this process be this simple and seamless. If you are trying to connect AirPods to someone else’s iPhone or iPad, or Mac, you use a different process which essentially re-pairs the AirPods to that different device.

You should not have to pair, setup, or re-sync anything, this process should be seamless as long as the devices are using the same Apple ID. Nonetheless if something goes totally haywire, which is unlikely, you may find yourself needing to reset AirPods and then it can also be helpful to know how to set up AirPods with iPhone or iPad, pair AirPods Pro, and use AirPods with Mac.

For what it’s worth, you can also use AirPods with Android devices but you will not get the same seamless transition or switching of AirPods between iPhone and Android as you do with other Apple devices.

Do you know of any other helpful tricks for switching AirPods between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPod touch, or other Apple devices? Let us know your experiences and thoughts in the comments.

How does AirPods automatic switching work?

Why are my AirPods not automatically switching?

Can AirPods connect to 2 devices at once?

What is the fastest way to switch AirPods between iPhone and Mac?