• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iPod

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

  • All
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Mac/MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • How-To’s
  • Reviews

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / AirPods / Which AirPods and Apple Devices Support Automatic Device Switching?

Which AirPods and Apple Devices Support Automatic Device Switching?

By Dan Helyer 4 comments Last updated June 25, 2020

Apple plans to introduce Automatic Device Switching to AirPods with the release of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur later this year. This means your AirPods will automatically switch to whatever device you’re using.

But which Apple products does Automatic Device Switching work with?

Contents

    • 0.1 Related:
  • 1 What is Automatic Device Switching?
  • 2 Which AirPods support Automatic Device Switching?
  • 3 Which Apple products support Automatic Device Switching
  • 4 How to use Automatic Device Switching with your AirPods
  • 5 More AirPods features on the way
    • 5.1 Related Posts:

Related:

  • Will my iPhone support iOS 14?
  • Will my iPad support iPadOS 14?
  • All the new AirPods features announced at WWDC 2020

What is Automatic Device Switching?

During WWDC 2020, Apple gave the example of listening to a podcast on your iPhone, then watching a video on your iPad, then joining a conference call on your Mac. With Automatic Device Switching, your AirPods automatically connect to each device as you start using it.

AirPods switching from iPhone to ipad
A notification appears when your AirPods switch to a new device.

This is an exciting continuity feature that will make it easier to use AirPods with other Apple devices. No more will you need to enter the Bluetooth settings to pair with your AirPods each time you switch devices.

Which AirPods support Automatic Device Switching?

When Apple releases Automatic Device Switching, you will be able to use it with any of these earphones.

  • AirPods (2nd generation)
  • AirPods Pro
  • Powerbeats
  • Powerbeats Pro
  • Beats Solo Pro

Unfortunately, this means the original AirPods don’t support Automatic Device Switching.

Which Apple products support Automatic Device Switching

As far as we know, Automatic Device Switching should work with any iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple Watch running iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, or watchOS 7.

Broadly speaking, that means Automatic Device Switching works with these devices.

  • iPhone 6S or later
  • iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (5th generation), or later
  • All iPad Pro models
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013), MacBook Air (Late 2013), iMac (2014), MacBook (2015), or later
  • Apple Watch Series 3 or later

This means Automatic Device Switching doesn’t work with Apple TV boxes. And you may need to upgrade your other devices if they don’t work with the new software releases.

How to use Automatic Device Switching with your AirPods

Apple ID settings on iPhone showing Payment & Shipping option
Review your iCloud account from the Apple ID Settings.

When Automatic Device Switching becomes available in the fall. All you need to do use it is update each of your devices to iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, or watchOS 7. Then make sure you sign in to the same iCloud account on each device.

After that, just continue using your device as normal. Your AirPods will switch between each device as you start using it without you needing to do anything.

If you start out listening to music on your iPhone but start watching a YouTube video on your Mac, your AirPods will switch across automatically.

More AirPods features on the way

Automatic Device Switching is only one of several new AirPods features Apple announced at WWDC 2020. To find out what else in store for your wireless earbuds, check out our overview of all the new AirPods features.

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.

Related Posts:

  • How-to customize and use Apple's Podcast app in iOS 13-11 and iPadOS
    How-to customize and use Apple's Podcast app in iOS…
  • AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
    AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
  • How to conference call using Group FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
    How to conference call using Group FaceTime on…
  • iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them - Troubleshooting Guide
    iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them -…
  • All the New Features in macOS Big Sur Announced at WWDC 2020
    All the New Features in macOS Big Sur Announced at WWDC 2020
  • Download All Episodes for Podcast in iTunes, How-To
    Download All Episodes for Podcast in iTunes, How-To
  • Why Is My FaceTime Not Working in iOS 12 or iOS 13 and iPadOS? How-To Fix It
    Why Is My FaceTime Not Working in iOS 12 or iOS 13…
  • How to Customize the New macOS Big Sur Control Center and Notification Center
    How to Customize the New macOS Big Sur Control…
  • New Podcasts App on macOS Catalina, here's what you should know
    New Podcasts App on macOS Catalina, here's what you…

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 4 Comments

  1. Mundo says

    October 16, 2020 at 12:15 AM

    Is Apple TV included in the mix?

    Reply
  2. Fram says

    July 2, 2020 at 10:39 AM

    Hi Dan, how did you know that AirPods switching functionality will not be available on original AirPods?

    I have the original AirPods and ios14 on my iphone and ipad, and it doesn’t work.

    Do you think it is due to this limitation?

    I have searched the internet, but they do not indicate it anywhere.

    I look forward to your news. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dan Helyer says

      July 3, 2020 at 6:02 AM

      Hey, unfortunately I think it might be a hardware limitation. Either that, or Apple is pretending it is. The device compatibility is listed in the footnotes (the smallprint) at the bottom of Apple’s iOS 14 preview page.

      Reply
      • Fran says

        July 3, 2020 at 11:22 PM

        Ok Dan, thanks for you reply. I saw it right now. Regards

        Reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Is XQuartz Working on the New M1 Macs?
  • How To Reboot And Restart The New iPad Air (2020)
  • The 25 Best Siri Commands to Use With Your Apple TV
  • Fix Microsoft Teams Error Code 300 on Mac
  • Fix MacBook Error 5101F With This Quick Guide
  • Fix: Can’t Add Email Attachments on Mac

Connect with us

Related Posts

  • iPhone AirPods Disconnecting Calls? Sound Issues? Tips
  • kernelmanagerd Process Using CPU and Draining…
  • How To Install The macOS Big Sur Beta
  • How to Stop Your Mac From Updating to macOS Big Sur
  • macOS Big Sur Slowing Down Your Mac? Here's What You Can Do
  • How To Use Dual SIM and eSIM on iPhone 11, XR, SE, & XS

Footer

ABOUT

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

DEVICES

  • iPhone
  • Mac & MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • iPad
  • AirPods
  • Apple TV
  • iPod Touch

GUIDES

  • iOS 13 & iPadOS
  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • FaceTime
  • iMessage
  • Siri
  • Books and iBooks
  • Game Center
  • AirPlay

CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • FeedBurner
  • YouTube

© Copyright 2010-2021 AppleToolBox · All Rights Reserved

This site and its content are in no way affiliated or endorsed by Apple, Inc. · Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited