How to quickly change audio devices on the iphone
Andrew Walker
Published Mar 29, 2026
Harry Guinness is a photography expert and writer with nearly a decade of experience. His work has been published in newspapers like The New York Times and on a variety of other websites, from Lifehacker to Popular Science and Medium’s OneZero. Read more.
There are few things more annoying in life than making a phone call from your iPhone, and then realizing that it’s actually connected to your Bluetooth speaker—which don’t have a microphone. Shouting “Can you hear me now?” at the phone is never a good look.
Thankfully, on iOS, you can use Control Center to quickly change the device to which your iPhone is connected.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the Control Center. If there are other devices you can connect to, like a Bluetooth speaker or AirPlay system, you’ll see two little audio waves in the top right of the music controls. If you’re connected to one of these external devices, those waves will be blue. If there are external devices in range, but you’re not connected to them, the waves will be white. If there are no external devices in range, the waves won’t appear.
Tap the audio waves to bring up a menu with a list of all the nearby external devices to which you can connect, and then tap the device you want to use. If you don’t see the audio waves, make sure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the external devices to which you want to connect are all turned on.
Now, just tap anywhere on the screen to go back to the Control Center. And that’s it, now you’re less likely to accidentally blare music through the speaker in your bedroom when your partner is asleep!
When you need to send audio from your iPhone or iPad to a different device, you can pop open the Control Center and tap the AirPlay icon near the audio controls to get a list of options. With iOS 11, that button is still there; it’s just an extra press away. So no, you don’t have to go all the way to Settings > Bluetooth to switch the audio output.
How to switch Bluetooth or AirPlay speakers and headphones using audio controls in iOS 11’s Control Center
Control Center in iOS 11 includes some stock controls you can’t change and a collection of buttons you can add, remove, and reorder. One of the stock modules is a set of audio controls, but its basic view is quite. basic. Until you expand it.
- Swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen to launch Control Center.
- Press firmly (iPhone) or long press (iPad) in the audio playback section of Control Center. It will display whatever you’re playing on your iPhone at the moment. If you just tap it, it’ll just open the app associated with what’s playing.
- Tap the AirPlay button on the top right of the new window. It looks like a triangle with rings around it.
Tap the device to which you’d like to AirPlay audio.
The expanded view also has the volume slider, playback scrubber, and a thumbnail of your content that you can tap to launch the audio app.
Easy-peasy or not?
Obviously, it would be nice if Apple decided to make that audio-out button available as its own button in Control Center. It would also be great as an optional button, since anyone who doesn’t mind the extra force-tap could simply turn the dedicated button off.
Keep in mind that many audio-playing apps have an AirPlay button right inside the app, too.
Any questions about audio playback controls in iOS 11? Let us know!
Harry Guinness is a photography expert and writer with nearly a decade of experience. His work has been published in newspapers like The New York Times and on a variety of other websites, from Lifehacker to Popular Science and Medium’s OneZero. Read more.
There are few things more annoying in life than making a phone call from your iPhone, and then realizing that it’s actually connected to your Bluetooth speaker—which don’t have a microphone. Shouting “Can you hear me now?” at the phone is never a good look.
Thankfully, on iOS, you can use Control Center to quickly change the device to which your iPhone is connected.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the Control Center. If there are other devices you can connect to, like a Bluetooth speaker or AirPlay system, you’ll see two little audio waves in the top right of the music controls. If you’re connected to one of these external devices, those waves will be blue. If there are external devices in range, but you’re not connected to them, the waves will be white. If there are no external devices in range, the waves won’t appear.
Tap the audio waves to bring up a menu with a list of all the nearby external devices to which you can connect, and then tap the device you want to use. If you don’t see the audio waves, make sure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the external devices to which you want to connect are all turned on.
Now, just tap anywhere on the screen to go back to the Control Center. And that’s it, now you’re less likely to accidentally blare music through the speaker in your bedroom when your partner is asleep!
* This post is part of iPhone Life‘s Tip of the Day newsletter. Sign Up. *
You can pair multiple Bluetooth devices to your iPhone or iPad and easily switch between them from the Control Center. We’ll go over where in the Control Center you can switch which Bluetooth device is currently playing your sound. This is handy if you need to switch from a speaker to headphones and in other similar instances. Here’s how to switch Bluetooth devices in the Control Center.
How to Switch Bluetooth Devices in the Control Center
For this tip, we’re assuming you already have multiple devices paired to your iPhone or iPad and that both devices, as well as Bluetooth, are turned on. We’ll simply be switching which device is currently connected. Here’s how:
- Open the Control Center.
On the iPhone X and later, this is a swipe down from the top right of the screen.
On the iPhone 8 and older iPhones, it’s a swipe up from the bottom of your screen.
Your sound should immediately transfer from the previous Bluetooth device to the one you just selected.
When you make or receive a call on your iPhone, you’re forced to use the built-in ear receiver at the top of the phone to hear anything—unless you’re already connected to a Bluetooth device. If you don’t have Bluetooth in your car, or prefer to just use the speaker instead, having to manually switch to speaker mode can get annoying real fast.
Thankfully, your iPhone will let you change this default setting so that the speaker is automatically activated on all incoming and outgoing phone and FaceTime audio calls. The only problem is, it’s a little hard to find in the Settings if you don’t know where to look.
Open the Settings app, then go to General and then Accessibility.
- Don’t Miss: Use Accessibility Shortcuts with Your Home Button
Scroll down and select Call Audio Routing, which should be set to “Automatic” by default. Simply change this setting to “Speaker” and you’re all set. You can also choose “Bluetooth Headset,” but in my experience, when my headset is turned on and connected to my iPhone, it’ll already route it to my headset.
Now just exit your Settings app and test it out. Whenever you make an outgoing call, the speaker icon will automatically be toggled on, and you’ll be able to talk without your ear pressed against the phone.
This will work for both regular phone calls and FaceTime audio calls, but will not work for audio calls in Facebook Messenger.
I find this most useful whenever I’m working at home alone, or driving in my Bluetooth-less vehicle. Otherwise, I tend set it back to automatic so I’m not one of those weird guys who wants everyone to hear everything the other person is saying.
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You can switch from listening to one device with your AirPods to listening to another.
Switch automatically
AirPods are connected to your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. Sound switches between them automatically.
To switch between devices automatically 1 with your AirPods (2nd generation), AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max:
- Make sure that you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, a Mac with the latest version of macOS, or an Apple TV with the latest version of tvOS
- Sign in with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication
If you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on your devices, your AirPods will automatically switch from listening to music on your iPad to answering a phone call on your iPhone, for example.
In some situations with macOS Big Sur or later, you’ll see a notification about your AirPods on the screen of your Mac. Click Connect to confirm that you want your AirPods to switch to your Mac or stay with your Mac.
Switch manually
If necessary, follow these steps to choose a different device to play audio or to switch the audio to different headphones or speakers.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Open Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
- Touch and hold the audio card in the upper-right corner of Control Center to control audio.
- Tap , then choose the device that you want from the list. 2
On your Mac
Click the volume control in the menu bar and choose your AirPods 3 or speakers under Output. If you’re using macOS Big Sur or later, sound controls are in Control Center.
On your Apple TV
- Make sure that you’re signed in to iCloud on your Apple TV.
- With your AirPods in your ears, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.
- Choose your AirPods.
- Choose Connect. On your Apple TV, your AirPods should now appear in My Devices.
Turn off automatic switching
If you don’t want your AirPods to switch automatically, you can turn off automatic switching on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.
On your iPhone or iPad
- With your AirPods in your ears and connected to your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
- Tap the More Info button next to your AirPods in the list of devices.
- Tap Connect to This iPhone [or iPad].
- Tap When Last Connected to This iPhone [or iPad].
- To turn on this feature again, tap Automatically.
On your Mac
- With your AirPods in your ears and connected to your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth.
- Click the Options button next to your AirPods in the list of devices.
- From the Connect to This Mac menu, choose When Last Connected to This Mac.
- To turn this feature on again, choose Automatically.
On your Apple TV
- With your AirPods in your ears and connected to your Apple TV, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.
- Turn off Suggest Nearby AirPods.
1. Sound should not switch from one device to another automatically if you’re in a conversation, like a phone call, a FaceTime call, or a video conference.
2. AirPods appear only when they’re nearby and ready to use.
3. If you don’t see the volume control in the menu bar, learn how to add it.
iOS 11 brought a customizable Control Center and also moved AirPlay options around.
While the new Control Center is a lot better and more customizable than in previous iOS versions, the AirPlay experience took a step back. That’s because it’s now less obvious how you can send audio or video content to an AirPlay-compatible device, like your Apple TV set-top box or a Sonos wireless speaker.
Most people access the list of AirPlay output options by bringing up Control Center.
From there, they would firmly press the Now Playing card with 3D Touch (or tap and hold on devices without 3D Touch) to expand it and reveal playback controls, including the AirPlay output button in the top-right corner.
Tapping that button reveals the list of AirPlay destinations, with one final tap to select a desired AirPlay device to use as an output. It’s a multi-step affair—four steps, to be precise—for such a seemingly simple task as changing your AirPlay device.
How to quickly toggle AirPlay output on iOS 11
Thankfully, there’s a hidden shortcut in Control Center that saves you from having to fumble with 3D Touch, expanded playback controls and all that jazz.
1) Bring up iOS 11’s Control Center on your iOS 11 device:
- iPhone X—Swipe down from the top-right edge of the screen.
- iPhone and iPod touch—Swipe up from the bottom edge of any screen.
- iPad—Swipe up from the bottom edge of the display or double-click the Home button.
2) Tap the icon in the upper-right corner of the Now Playing card.
To go straight to AirPlay from Control Center, hit the icon that looks like half a Wi-Fi logo.
Your AirPlay audio menu immediately pops up into view, allowing you to change the AirPlay playback device with a single tap. This useful tip means you no longer have to expand the Now Playing controls if all you want is go straight to AirPlay from Control Center.
If you’re in an app that provides its own AirPlay menu, like the Music app, use that to change your AirPlay destination even faster than going with Control Center’s Now Playing card.
The Music app provides its own shortcut to the AirPlay menu.
I love my AirPods and typically switch them between my iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV multiple times per day. Anything that helps me enable my AirPods from the AirPlay menu with as few taps as possible gets a thumbs-up in my book.
This also works with video. If you start playing a video embedded on a webpage via your iPhone and want to continue watching on your television, hit that icon on Control Center’s Now Playing card and select your Apple TV from the list.
Do yourself a favor and memorize this handy shortcut to jump straight to AirPlay from your Control Center without having to manually expand the Now Playing card.
How do you like this cool trick?
Let us know in the comments!
Need help? Ask iDB!
If you like this how-to, pass it along to your support folks and leave a comment below.
by Christine Smith • 2022-05-19 21:46:19 • Proven solutions
As you walk, watching music videos is not recommended since you may have an accident due to divided attention. If you convert video to audio iPhone can play, you are much safer since your eyes stick to the road. Additionally, extracting audio from video saves space in your iPhone since the former occupies lesser storage. In this article, you will discover the three best ways to change video to audio iPhone supports. Wondershare UniConverter is the best option when extracting with your Windows or Mac computer while Media.io performs best online. If you must use an iPhone video to audio converter, go for the free app, Media Converter.
Part 1. How to Convert Video to Audio for iPhone on Windows/Mac
Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) is the perfect iPhone video to the audio converter from Wondershare. It correctly extracts audio files from multiple video formats. It supports hundreds of videos and audio formats, which makes this process extremely simple. For instance, if the video in your computer is in AVI, MP4 or MKV, you have to select the audio format to change to and proceed. In this case, you must transform video to audio iPhone can play. Therefore, you will consider iPhone’s audio format, MP3.
This video to audio converter is an all-purpose application that does multiple things aside from converting video to audio. The following features offer more insight.
Wondershare UniConverter – Best iPhone Video Converter Mac/Windows (Catalina Included)
- Edit iPhone videos with trimming, cropping, rotating, adding subtitles, and more others.
- Customize iPhone videos by changing resolution, bit rate, encoder, frame rate, etc.
- Convert iPhone videos to 1000+ formats with high-quality output.
- Burn iPhone videos to DVD or Blu-ray disc with free DVD menu templates.
- Optimized presets for almost all devices, like iPhone, iPad, Huawei phone, etc.
- 30X faster conversion speed than common converters with unique APEXTRANS technology.
- Transfer videos from computer to iPhone, iPad, and other devices directly and vice versa.
- Versatile toolbox: Add video metadata, GIF maker, video compressor, and screen recorder.
- Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista, macOS 11 Big Sur, 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6.
With the following formula, you will learn how to convert video to audio iPhone can play using Wondershare UniConverter.
Step 1 Upload the Video to Wondershare UniConverter.
After acquiring Wondershare UniConverter and installing it in your Windows or Mac, access the Video Converter tab to be able to upload the video. Go to the function situated on the top-left corner and choose the video of choice. Click on Open and proceed.
Step 2 Select the Audio Format.
iPhone works best with MP3 as the audio format. To select it, go to the function Output Format: and click on the drop-down arrow. Alternatively, you can click the drop-down arrow at Target on the right of the video. Select the Audio option and choose MP3 . On the left, you can select the resolution.
Step 3 Convert Video to Audio for iPhone.
Complete the process to convert video to audio iPhone by clicking on the Convert if you are changing one video, or Start All if the process involves several videos.
If you want to upload iPhone videos to Instagram. just move to Convert Videos to Instagram Easily >> to learn more.
Part 2. How to Convert Video to Audio for iPhone Online
Media.io is the best online platform to convert video to audio iPhone plays. It is excellent at converting MP4 and other popular video formats to MP3 videos for your iPhone, whether using Mac or Windows to access it. Therefore, you should be confident in this tool since it supports hundreds of video and audio formats.
Additionally, it allows you to upload two videos for conversion at once, provided that they do not exceed 100MB. Such batch conversion is time-saving. The process of transforming video to audio iPhone plays is easy. It only requires uploading of the videos, which takes zero seconds, selecting the output format, converting and downloading, which also happens quickly. Considering that Media.io functions online, you are not required to download any application, not unless you wish to use the desktop version. It only needs a stable and reliable internet connection.
These Media.io steps will guide how to convert video to audio file iPhone can play.
Step 1: Media.io works online, upload the videos you wish to convert. You may select from those saved in your Mac or Windows.
Step 2: MP3 is the best audio format for iPhone so, choose MP3 as the output format.
Step 3: Change video to audio iPhone plays by clicking on the CONVERT function.
Step 4: As soon as the conversion is complete, save the converter video and new audio to your computer by clicking on DOWNLOAD .
Part 3. How to Convert Video to Audio on iPhone with Free App
When you want to extract an audio file from a video file on your iPhone, Media Converter is the software to use. This convert video to audio iPhone app is free and readily available in the App Store. It is capable of extracting almost any audio from video files. It supports audio files like MP3, M4R, M4A, FLAC, AIFF, AC3, and WAV, among others. The video formats supported include MP4, VOB, AVI, MOV, FLV, ASF, and 3PG. Media Converter makes the process of how to change a video to audio on the iPhone extremely easy and fast due to its simple interface.
This convert video to audio iPhone app does more than audio extraction. It hosts a built-in universal video player that plays any audio and video format. Additionally, it does video compression to ensure you acquire the right video size, and other editing functions like video cropping. It can also convert audio formats to others. Therefore, Media Converter is dependable on iPhones and iPads when you do not have a computer to convert or extract audio files from videos. Media Converter is also reliable because it can work in various languages. Such include English, German, French, and Korean, among others.
Fun is not limited to videos since you can enjoy audios as well, especially when moving up and down. If you have an interesting video, convert to audio using any of the above tools. Wondershare UniConverter and Online Converter are the best ways to change video to audio iPhone supports.
Apple’s AirPods are convenient because you can easily switch which Apple device is connected to your AirPods with just a few taps. But unless you’re using Shortcuts to make the connection, you aren’t using the fastest method possible.
For the uninitiated, Shortcuts is a powerful iPhone app that allows you to create strings of actions, appropriately called shortcuts, to accomplish many tasks, big and small. You can use shortcuts to calculate a tip, send birthday wishes automatically, and even remove water from your iPhone’s speaker. For our AirPods shortcut, we’re going to create a very simple workflow that tells your iPhone to connect to them.
Now, if you only use your AirPods with your iPhone and nothing else, you won’t need a shortcut since they should connect right away whenever you go to use them. The problem occurs whenever your AirPods are already connected to another device, such as a MacBook, Windows PC, iPad, Android tablet, etc. To get them working on your iPhone, you have to connect them manually, which is slow.
To give you a sneak peek at how much faster this shortcut is, here are some of the built-in ways you can connect your AirPods after having them connected to another device:
It takes at least two actions to connect your AirPods using one of those, but by using the shortcut, it’ll only be one action, no matter which method you choose:
- Say “hey Siri, AirPods”
- Tap the shortcut on your home screen
- Double or triple-tap the back of your iPhone (iOS 14 only)
Create Your AirPods Shortcut
Open the “My Shortcuts” tab in Shortcuts, tap the plus (+) icon in the top right, then search for and select the “Set Playback Destination” action. Next, tap the default “iPhone” option, then choose your AirPods from the list of devices. If you don’t see your AirPods, you need to make sure they’re detectable. So open up your AirPods case or put them in your ears, and they should appear in the list automatically.
Once your AirPods are selected, tap “Next” in the top right to name your shortcut. You can call it whatever you like, such as “AirPods” or just “Pods,” but we’re going with “FetchPods,” based on the original inspiration for this shortcut. When you’ve chosen your name, just tap “Done.”
Option 1: Use Siri to Connect Your AirPods
Now, you could tap on the shortcut you created, either from the “My Shortcuts” tab or from your Shortcuts widget, but those are the slowest ways to do it. And since the whole point is to be fast, Siri is the first thing that comes to mind. So, use “Hey Siri,” or hold down the Side or Home button if you use Siri with one, then say the name of your shortcut. In my case, that’s “FetchPods.”
Your iPhone will attempt to connect to your AirPods, all without needing to head to Control Center or Bluetooth settings.
Option 2: Use a Home Screen Shortcut to Connect Your AirPods
If you’d rather tap a single button on your home screen to activate the shortcut, you can. Go back into “My Shortcuts” in Shortcuts, tap the ellipsis (•••) icon on your AirPods shortcut, then tap the ellipsis (•••) again to enter the workflow’s options. Next, tap “Add to Home Screen,” then “Add,” followed by “Done” two times. The shortcut’s icon will now be on your home screen, and you can just tap it to connect your ‘Pods.
Option 3: Tap Your iPhone’s Back to Connect Your AirPods
Back Tap is a feature new to iOS 14. It allows you to assign a function or command to a double-tap or a triple-tap on the back of your iPhone. For example, you could choose to have the app switcher activate with a double-tap, and take a screenshot with a triple-tap. Or, you could have one of those connect your AirPods for you using your shortcut. Talk about convenience.
To start, make sure you’re running iOS 14, then head over to Settings –> Accessibility –> Touch. Scroll to the bottom, then select “Back Tap.” Choose either “Double Tap” or “Triple Tap” (depending on which you’d like to use), then scroll down and select your new shortcut under the Shortcuts section.
Now, you’re ready to tap your way to AirPods! Just double or triple-tap on the back of your iPhone, and your AirPods should connect shortly. Just check out the comparison below between the Back Tap method (left) and my previous method of choice, the AirPlay menu in Control Center (right).
This May Not Be Necessary Soon
Now, iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur could make your custom shortcut a thing of the past. The new updates are supposed to ship with automatic pairing, which will auto-connect your AirPods as you switch between devices. If you’re watching YouTube with your AirPods on your Mac, then start up a Podcast on your iPhone, your AirPods will change to your iPhone all on their own.
We haven’t seen the new feature in action yet, so it may not be something everyone will dig. Plus, if you’re switching from a non-Apple device, like a Windows laptop or Android phone, it may not do you any good. So the shortcut you’ve just made might be your best option for a while.
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If you ever use an iPhone to connect to a speaker system, car stereo, headphones, or microphone, or stereo via Bluetooth, you may have been in a situation where you have an active phone call on the iPhone but want to change from the Bluetooth audio source, be it speakers or headphones.
It’s easy to switch the iPhone from Bluetooth audio and continue the call uninterrupted, without losing the call, without losing any audio, without turning off Bluetooth, without disconnecting the Bluetooth device, and without having to hang up or call back. Done properly there will be no interruption as you disconnect from Bluetooth and switch back to the iPhone.
To be clear; this does not turn off Bluetooth, nor does it disconnect the Bluetooth device. Bluetooth is left enabled, it just switches the iPhone from the Bluetooth connection and Bluetooth audio to the iPhone handset itself. For example, if your iPhone is hooked up to a car stereo but you want to take the call private and off of the car stereo, you would do this. Or if the iPhone is hooked up to a Bluetooth stereo and you want to bring the phone call to the handset. Those are the types of scenario where you’d use this trick, as it doesn’t turn off Bluetooth and it does not interrupt an iPhone call.
How to Change iPhone Call Audio Source from Bluetooth to iPhone or Speaker
We’re assuming the iPhone has been synced to a Bluetooth audio device (speakers, car stereo, etc). Aside from that you will need to be on an active phone call to accomplish this – whether while dialing, or on a live call does not matter.
- While on an active phone call, wake the iPhone screen and be at the call screen
- Tap on the “Audio” button, which shows a speaker icon alongside a Bluetooth icon
- iPhone – switches the audio source (input and output) to the iPhone ear speaker and standard microphone, as you would use if you’re holding the iPhone to your head to speak, or if you have a physical headset connected to the iPhone
- Speaker – switches the audio source to speaker phone, projecting the audio output from the iPhone speakers
That’s it, nice and simple. This will seamlessly transition the iPhone audio output and input from whatever the Bluetooth connection is to the iPhone handset itself.
As you may have noticed the “Audio” button takes the place of the “Speaker” button when the iPhone is on a phone call and is synced to a Bluetooth audio device or speaker system.
Done properly the audio change will have no interruption in the audio or the call, and from the other parties perspective it should be largely unnoticeable other than perhaps a change in volume or sound quality depending on the variations between the Bluetooth audio and the iPhone built-in audio or speaker.
Do you have another way of doing this? Do you have any other useful tricks regarding Bluetooth audio and iOS or iPhone? Let us know in the comments!
Wondering how to access AirPlay audio controls in iOS 15, iOS 14, iOS 13, iOS 12, and iOS 11 on an iPhone or iPad? You might not be alone, as accessing the AirPlay controls for audio streaming is tucked away behind another panel in the iOS Control Center, making it very easy to overlook.
If you’re looking for the AirPlay audio streaming controls in Control Center for iOS 14 on iPhone or iPad, we’ll show you how to find them.
How to Access AirPlay Audio Settings on iPhone or iPad to Stream to AirPlay Device
Note that any AirPlay receiver or speaker must be on the same wi-fi network as the iPhone or iPad, this is necessary so the devices can find one another and stream audio.
- Start playing music from your audio library, Spotify, or another audio service
- Access Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, from modern iPhone and iPad devices that means swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen to access Control Center
Locate the Music control panel and now tap and hold on that (or firm press if you have 3D Touch) to expand it
Now tap the AirPlay button, it looks like a pyramid with concentric circle waves flying out of it
Select an AirPlay audio output source from the AirPlay audio device list that is visible (tapping multiple AirPlay output options will play to all of them)
This is where you’ll find audio output sources like AirPods, HomePods, AirPlay speakers, Apple TV, and other AirPlay compatible audio output sources.
Once a selection is chosen, the audio output should now stream wirelessly from the iPhone to the AirPlay speaker. You can select multiple devices here to stream AirPlay audio to multiple speakers or AirPlay receivers.
Why the AirPlay audio option is tucked behind the Music Control Panel isn’t entirely clear, but it can feel hidden to many users who are unfamiliar with long taps and 3D Touches to possibly reveal additional options in iOS. How it is currently with iOS 15, iOS 14, iOS 13, iOS 12, and iOS 11 was not always the case however and so the interface might change again, as earlier versions of iOS Control Center had a more obvious dedicated AirPlay button in earlier iOS versions that were not tucked behind the Music control panel.
AirPlay Speaker Not Showing Up in iOS Control Center?
Depending on what the AirPlay Audio output device, and perhaps what version of iOS you have installed on the iPhone or iPad, you might immediately see the AirPlay speaker available, or you might not. It’s possible to encounter an apparently buggy experience and find the AirPlay speaker never shows up at all in Control Center – nonetheless that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t use the speaker.
For example in my testing I can successfully output AirPlay audio from an iPhone X to some AirPlay speakers, but they often don’t show up in the AirPlay interface of Control Center of iOS. A way to consistently replicate this quirky experience was to visit a persons home with a Sonos One speaker system setup to use with their unique users iOS device, where my iPhone is able to successfully stream audio output to the Sonos speaker despite the Sonos Speaker never actually showing up in the AirPlay interface of iOS Control Center. Instead, the iPhone is able to stream sound to the Sonos speaker through third party apps like the Spotify app (and again, this is not the iPhone that is setup to use the Sonos so this is not going through the Sonos app), where Spotify finds the speaker in the Spotify device list, despite AirPlay not. Whether or not this is intentional, actually a bug, or a feature with iOS, AirPlay, Sonos, some quirk of this particular configuration, a failure of myself and my own usage, or something else is not clear. Nonetheless it’s not unusual for an iPhone or iPad owner to visit another location with a Sonos or other AirPlay speaker, and a similar situation may be experienced if so.
Here you can see the AirPlay Control Center settings do not find the Sonos Speaker at all, yet despite that the iPhone is streaming audio to the Sonos speaker over AirPlay to the Sonos speaker titled ‘Family Room’:
Thus if you are attempting to use AirPlay audio streaming for something like a Sonos speaker, try using an app like Spotify to select the Sonos speaker system from as the audio output, and in that situation you can skip the iOS Control Center approach to AirPlay entirely. This is a bit odd but it could be a bug that exists, but it’s worth mentioning since this configuration is fairly common. Of course if your iPhone or iPad is setup directly to use the Sonos, then using the Sonos app is the solution instead.
If you have any particular experiences using AirPlay audio and streaming to an AirPlay device from an iPhone or iPad, share with us in the comments below!
Some Bluetooth headphones can switch automatically between paired devices. The trouble is that Apple has severely limited this function to switching between your iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Some non-Apple AirPods allow you to switch between several different devices, and some will only allow you to pair with one device at a time.
Are the AirPods Exclusive to Apple?
Apple came up with the AirPods to avoid adding even more unique technology that would force people to buy Apple products. Therefore, they equipped the AirPods with Bluetooth connectivity and nothing more. In other words, no technology or software is blocking you from using the Apple AirPods with other Bluetooth-compatible devices.
You can use them with other devices, and there are now AirPods clones. That means you do not have to buy the Apple version, though they are universally called wireless headphones rather than AirPods.
How to Automatically Switch the Airpods Between Devices
To clarify, “automatically” in this case means not having to go through the trouble of pairing up your device every time. The simplest answer is to pair up all of your devices with your AirPods, and then turn them all off. Switch on just one of them, and it should come up and start playing on your Airpods.
The Last Linked Device
The Apple AirPods will automatically link to their last device. Let’s say that you were listening to your Smart TV with your earphones previous night, and you switched everything off. When you wake up in the morning, you can turn everything back on again, and the earbuds will connect to your TV as soon as you turn it on.
The Apple iPhone and Apple Watch
You can pair up your AirPods and AirPods 2 to your Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad, and they will all work fine. However, the AirPods will only automatically switch between your Apple Watch and iPhone.
You can switch them all on in turn, and only your iPhone and Apple Watch will wrestle with the AirPods. It might be because the iPhone and the Apple Watch are personal items, and the others are not. After all, it may be a little jarring if your kid is listening to SpongeBob on the Smartphone, and then the Apple TV hijacks the connection and replaces it with the soundtrack to a Fast and Furious movie that is currently running on the screen.
Pairing with Non-Apple Devices
Your newer Apple device may have a different pairing method, but the most common pairing method uses the setup button located behind the charger. Put your AirPods in your charger case and leave the lid open. Push and hold the Setup button until the LED light starts to blink. Now, take the device you wish to pair the earbuds with and connect through Bluetooth as you would pair any other device.
Remember that you are connecting via Bluetooth and that it’s best to test the connection after pairing. You can check by playing a song through your newly paired device. You can connect your AirPods with non-Apple devices this way, as well. However, some advanced features, such as auto-disconnect, might not work.
Do I Need an iCloud Account?
In short, having iCloud may make things easier, but you don’t need it to make the auto-switching feature work. Plus, there is a good chance that you’ll pair your AirPods with many non-Apple devices. It is only your Apple products that will benefit from the easy-pairing functions that come with an Apple iCloud account.
Conclusion – Which Will Win the Fight?
If you’ve paired your AirPods with many devices, then what happens if you switch on several of them? Which will play on your AirPods? The most common answer is that the nearest device or the one with the strongest signal. However, your iPhone and Apple Watch will always win over other devices. If you are using only your Smartphone and Watch, then your Watch will win.
Do you know an easier way to auto-switch AirPods? Do some knock-off sets allow auto-switching across the board? Let us know in the comments.
Pairing a device requires a pairing mode and compatible technology
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What to Know
- Place your iPhone and Bluetooth devices near each other and make sure both are in discovery mode.
- Tap Settings >Bluetooth, ensure that the Bluetooth toggle switch is on/green, then tap a device to pair it.
- To disconnect a Bluetooth device when you’re done using it, turn off the device or turn off Bluetooth on the iPhone.
This article explains how to connect your iPhone to Bluetooth devices. Regardless of what kind of device you pair to your iPhone, the steps are basically the same.
Preparing to Connect Bluetooth to iPhone
Place your iPhone and Bluetooth device near each other. Bluetooth’s range is a few dozen feet, so devices that are too far apart can’t connect. The technology’s theoretical limit is 33 feet, but the closer the two devices are, the better.
As a security precaution, both devices must be in a “discovery” mode, although the name for that mode varies by manufacturer and the procedure for activating it isn’t uniform. Consult your device’s user manual for specific instructions. By requiring both devices to operate in this mode to effect a pairing, you can be confident that strangers on the subway can’t secretly pair with your iPhone or AirPods.
Activate Pairing Mode on the iPhone
Tap Settings > Bluetooth and ensure that the toggle switch is green. If it is, you’ll see a list of all the devices presently paired to your phone, whether they’re active or not. Any devices placed into pairing mode will appear at the bottom of the list. Just tap it to pair it.
Some devices, like Bluetooth keyboards, may present a passcode you must enter on the device to ensure that you’ve paired the right device to the right iPhone.
These steps also apply to the iPod touch and iPad.
Disconnect Bluetooth Devices From an iPhone
It’s a good idea to disconnect a Bluetooth device from your iPhone when you’re done using it so you don’t run down the battery on either device. Either turn off the device or turn off Bluetooth on your iPhone. In iOS 7 or higher, use Control Center as a shortcut to turn Bluetooth on and off.
While Bluetooth doesn’t drain as much battery as Wi-Fi, keeping it turned off when not in use is one of the ways that you can extend the battery life of your iPhone.
If you need to keep Bluetooth on but just disconnect from a specific device:
Go to the Bluetooth menu in Settings.
Find the device you want to disconnect and tap the i icon next to it.
On the next screen, tap Disconnect.
Permanently Remove a Bluetooth Device From iPhone
If you’re not going to need to connect to a given Bluetooth device ever again, remove it from the Bluetooth menu altogether.
Tap Settings > Bluetooth.
Tap the i icon next to the device you want to remove, then tap Forget This Device.
In the pop-up menu, tap Forget Device.
If the device you’re trying to permanently disconnect from is an Apple Watch, the process is slightly different. Learn all about it in How to Unpair Apple Watch and iPhone.
Why Use Bluetooth?
You may not be able to connect accessories to the iPhone using a USB port, but tons of useful devices work with the iPhone thanks to Bluetooth. While most people think of Bluetooth as the way that wireless headsets or speakers get connected to phones, it’s much more than that. Bluetooth is a general-purpose technology used with headsets, keyboards, car stereos, and more.
Full iPhone Bluetooth Support Specifications
The types of Bluetooth accessories that work with the iPhone and iPod touch depends on what Bluetooth profiles are supported by iOS and the device. Profiles are specifications that both devices must both support to communicate with each other. The following Bluetooth profiles are supported by iOS:
- Advanced Audio Distribution Profile: A2DP, also known as Stereo Bluetooth, lets iOS devices send wireless audio to compatible headphones and speakers. It is supported by all iOS devices except the original iPhone.
- Audio/Video Remote Control Profile 1.4: Use AVRCP to control compatible AV equipment like TVs, receivers, and stereos. All iOS devices except the original iPhone support this profile.
- Hands-Free Profile: HFP 1.6 helps iOS devices to work with hands-free car kits and headsets. All iPhones support this.
- Human Interface Device Profile: Supports HID devices like mice, keyboards, and joysticks. Neither the original iPhone nor the iPhone 3G supports this profile.
- Message Access Profile: Mostly used for hands-free functionality in cars, MAP helps devices send messages to each other. All iPhones except the original, 3G, and 3GS support it.
- Personal Area Network: Allows connection between multiple devices using wireless networks. PAN works on all iOS devices except the original iPhone.
- Phone Book Access Profile: Use PBAP to display information from the device’s address book, a feature often used with hands-free car kits. Works on all iPhones.
- Serial Port Profile: SPP supports braille terminals on devices running iOS 4 and up.
Having problems connecting your AirPods to your iOS device or Mac? We’ve got the tips to help you solve it.
Complete guide on how to add audiobooks to iPhone.
Being highly portable and audible, audiobooks are more and more popular. To listen to audiobooks more conveniently, you may prefer to put audiobooks on a mobile device like an iPhone. If that’s the case, follow this guide to learn how to add audiobooks to iPhone in all possible ways.
Method 1. How to Transfer Audiobooks to iPhone Without Syncing
Do you have questions like the ones shown below?
“How do I transfer an audiobook from my computer to my iPhone?”
“How to add audiobooks to iPhone without iTunes?”
If you do, you can’t miss the iPhone transfer software – EaseUS MobiMover. This iOS data transfer tool works well to transfer files between an iPhone/iPad/iPod and a computer or between two iDevices. Except for audiobooks, it also allows you to transfer photos, videos, music, contacts, PDFs, and more.
When you transfer an audiobook to your iPhone from a computer with EaseUS MobiMover, you don’t need to install iTunes and the audio files (.m4a, .m4b, .m4p, .m4r. ) will be added to your device without syncing.
To transfer audiobooks to iPhone:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and tap “Trust” on the iPhone screen to continue. Run EaseUS MobiMover > click “Audio” > choose “Audiobooks”.
Step 2. Now, enter the data management screen. MobiMover enables you to transfer audiobooks between iPhone and computer, or between two iOS devices. Here, choose “Add Contents” to add audiobooks from computer to iPhone.
Step 3: Follow the guide, go to your computer to find the audiobooks files. After selection, click the “Open” button. Then, MobiMover will start to transfer immediately. When the process finishes, open the “Books” app on your iPhone to check the synced items.
Since it also supports the file transfer between two iDevices, you can also add audiobooks to your iPhone from another iPhone or iPad. If you want to listen to the audiobook faster, you can learn how to change audio speed to speed up the audiobook and then transfer it to your iPhone.
Method 2. How to Add Audiobooks to iPhone for Free
Have you ever wanted to download audiobooks from websites to your iPhone? There are quite a lot of audiobooks available on the Internet. When you find the ones you like, you can use an audio downloader to save them to your iPhone. And that’s what EaseUS MobiMover can do for you.
In addition to being an iOS transfer tool to help you transfer audiobooks to iPhone from a computer, it also serves the function of a video & audio downloader that enables you to download videos, music, and audiobooks to your computer or iPhone/iPad from websites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, etc.
All you need is to:
- Go to the “Video Download” feature in EaseUS MobiMover.
- Copy the URL of the online audiobook to the address bar and select your iPhone as the target device.
- Click “Download” to start adding the audiobook to your iPhone.
You can refer to the guide on how to download music from SoundCloud for more details.
Method 3. How to Put Audiobooks on iPhone from iTunes
If you’ve purchased and downloaded audiobooks from iTunes, then it will be easy for you to transfer audiobooks to your iPhone, which is to use iTunes. Since iTunes is no longer available since macOS Catalina, you can only use this tip on a Windows PC or a Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier.
To copy audiobooks to iPhone from iTunes:
Step 1. Make sure you have installed the latest version of iTunes and connect your iPhone to a computer with a USB cable.
Step 2. Run iTunes and click the device icon in the window.
Step 3. Choose “Audiobooks”, check the “Sync Audiobooks” option and then select the items you’d like to transfer.
Step 4. Click on the “Apply” button to start transferring audiobooks to your iPhone.
As you may know, when you sync audiobooks to your iPhone using iTunes, the existing media files like movies, TV shows, books, and more will all be replaced by the newly added items. Given that, be careful when you apply this method.
Method 4. How to Add Audiobooks to iPhone via Finder
If you are looking to transfer audiobooks to your iPhone from a Mac running macOS Catalina, Finder will help. As mentioned, iTunes has been discontinued since macOS Catalina. Since then, Finder does data syncing and device backups.
To sync audiobooks to iPhone:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Step 2. Open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar.
Step 3. Select “Audiobooks” among the options.
Step 4. Select “Sync audiobooks onto [your iPhone name]” and choose the sync all audiobooks or the selected ones.
Step 5. Click “Apply” to start adding audiobooks to your iPhone.
Bonus Tip: How to Add Audiobooks to iTunes
For you who own audiobook CDs, you may want to import audiobooks from the CD to iTunes. Afterward, you can listen to an audiobook from iTunes or transfer these items to an iPhone.
To add audiobooks to iTunes and organize the items well, follow the detailed guide on how to import and organize audiobooks on computer.
The Bottom Line
Whether you want to transfer audiobooks to iPhone without syncing or add audiobooks to iPhone from iTunes, now you know how to do it from the steps above. Select one of the methods above to put audiobooks on your iPhone with a few simple clicks.
4.5 out of 5 stars, based on 10 votes
What’s also important is that our own analyses, as well as numerous customer reviews of EaseUS MobiMover, show that this software is reliable, user-friendly, and an efficient option for managing your data between devices.
EaseUs MobiMover solves this problem as it allows you to transfer data from an iPhone to a Mac, Mac to an iPhone, or from one iPhone to another iPhone fast.
EaseUS MobiMover is a program that allows you to share files between your iOS device and your PC in an easy manner. This is very useful, since both operative systems are not compatible.
EaseUS MobiMover for Mac and PC is a powerful tool for transferring data from your Apple mobile device to your computer, managing the variety of files that you create, and moving those huge videos quickly.
Related Articles – ALSO ON EaseUS SOFTWARE
One of the most basic things you should know when using any type of streaming player or TV is how to change the volume. With a Roku device you have a few ways of doing this, one more convenient than the other.
While it may seem like a simple question, there are a lot of options to manage the volume on your Roku device or Roku TV. If you’ve ever had a dog eat a remote, or if you’re just having trouble figuring out how to adjust the volume on this newish device, this article’s for you!
Here’s what you should know.
Use the Remote
We’ll start with the basics. The Roku remote. For the readers who are used to older style remotes, the Roku remote may seem so simple you may have some difficulty with it.
Using the physical remote is the easiest way to manipulate the volume on your Roku device.
- Press the Volume Up button to increase the volume.
- Press the Volume Down button to decrease the volume.
- Optional – Press the Mute button to mute or unmute the TV.
Note that physical Roku remotes are not always interchangeable. For example, a TCL Roku TV remote may not work for a Roku stick inserted in an LG or a Samsung smart TV.
It’s always best to use the remote that came with your Roku device. But, if you’re using a Roku stick on a non-Roku smart TV, you should also be able to use the TV’s remote control to change the volume.
Use the Roku Mobile App
The Roku Mobile App is a free app available on both Google Play and the Apple store for Android and iOS device users. This app allows you to turn your smartphone into a virtual remote for your Roku streaming stick or Roku smart TV.
The app can help you browse channels, install or remove channels, and pretty much access any feature on your Roku account. However, it can also be turned into a remote, by accessing the remote interface.
Its features will be more limited than what you see on a physical Roku remote, but the basic controls are still available.
- Install the Roku Mobile App from Google Play or the App Store.
- Go to your Home Screen on your phone.
- Select Apps.
- Find and tap the Roku Mobile App icon.
- Tap the joystick icon in the middle of the bottom menu bar.
- Use the speaker icons at the bottom to adjust the volume.
- Tap on the headphones icon in the bottom right corner to switch to private listening mode.
The icon on the far left in our screenshot is the ‘Mute’ button while the one in the center is the volume down. To the far right, you’ll find the volume up button.
How to Change Roku Speech Volume
There’s more to Roku volume settings than the volume of the audio you hear when you’re streaming something. Roku also has a narrator feature. This is enabled by default and talks to you while you’re navigating the menu.
Here’s how you can change the volume of the Roku Speech function.
- Go to your Roku Home Screen.
- Select the Settings menu, usually located on the left side of the Home Screen.
- Go to the Accessibility menu.
- Select the Volume option.
- Set it to low, medium, or high.
Turn off Audio Guide
It’s also possible to completely shut off this feature, even it annoys you even at a low volume. To do so, simply press the Star button on your Roku remote four times consecutively.
To turn it back off you do the same thing. However, it’s still possible to accidentally turn it back on. You can disable the Star key macro shortcut from the menu.
- Go to your Roku Home Screen.
- Select the Settings menu, usually located on the left side of the Home Screen.
- Go to the Accessibility menu.
- Select the Shortcut option.
- Select the Disable option.
Now your Roku Audio Guide shouldn’t be able come back on even if you press the Star button four times in a row.
Audio Guide vs. Movie Volume
There’s one thing that you should know before making any adjustments to the audio settings. The Audio Guide is a separate entity from your movie or TV show audio. That’s why it has three different audio levels in the menu.
These set levels bypass any system-wide volume settings you may make with the exception of muting the device. Other than that, setting the Audio Guide to low and browsing the menu while watching a video with the TV or A/V system cranked up to medium settings will mean that the Audio Guide will be heard at a lower volume.
The exact opposite will apply when using the high volume setting, while the medium Audio Guide volume level should make it match the default volume of the show you’re watching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t the Roku App connecting to my TV?
The Roku app only works via the internet. This means that if the device your app is on isn’t connected to the same internet source as your Roku, it will fail to connect. Try reconnecting your device to the internet (to the same wifi as the Roku) and see if the device appears.
What can I do if the volume isn’t working on my Roku device?
If the volume isn’t working on your Roku device it’s best to check your connections first. Tracing the HDMI cables or optical port if your Roku device has one ensure the outlets are plugged in securely. It may be a good idea to unplug and reconnect everything in early troubleshooting.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eNext, go to the Audio Settings just as we did above and HDMI to PCM-Stereo. If your Roku device is connected to surround sound, go to Audio then Audio Mode, and select HDMI to PCM-Stereo.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDepending on your setup, those using an optical port need to select the option for HDMI and S/PDIF to Dolby D. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eLastly, be sure to check that you’re using the right remote for sound. If you’re using an external speaker, the Roku remote will only control the volume for the Roku device.
Roku Is Easier than Ever to Use
With the ability to use your TV remote, Roku remote, or the Roku Mobile app to change volume levels, fast-forward, pause, mute, and browse channels, Roku devices, and streaming players are quickly becoming the easiest devices to use even by less tech-savvy folk.
Let us know if you’ve encountered any issues with either of these methods. Also, tell us what you think about the many incompatibility issues between Roku remotes and different Roku devices and smart TVs. Should this be addressed by manufacturers or not?
