I love my wife, but I won’t share my AirPods with her anymore, thanks to this iPhone trick

When my wife and I travel, we usually download shows to watch on our flight, but we always have to split a set of AirPods. This means that while one of our ears is enjoying the show, the other is forced to put up with 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 yourself in music, movies or a TED talk without disturbing those around you.

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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 listening to music or a podcast.
3. Open your Control Center by swiping down from the upper right corner of your screen.
4. Go to your audio controls page: this is 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 may need to press the button on the back of your AirPods case to enter pairing mode.
7. Faucet Share audio when your device detects other AirPods or Beats headphones.

Each pair of headphones can change their own volume via the headphone controls, or you can change the volume of 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 the people around you.

How to watch a movie or show with separate headphones

Pairing another headset with your device to watch a movie or TV series is similar. Here’s how.

1. Open Apple TV, Netflix, YouTube, or another streaming app with your headphones.
2. Start playing a movie or show.
3. Open your Control Center by swiping down from the upper right corner of your screen.
4. Go to your audio controls page: this is 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 may need to press the button on the back of your AirPods case to enter pairing mode.
7. Faucet Share audio when your device detects other AirPods or Beats headphones.

Now you and another person can watch a video together without disturbing the people around you or splitting a pair of AirPods.

For more iOS news, here my opinion on iOS 26how to activate the call and text screening in the operating system and all new ringtones on your iPhone. You can also view our iOS 26 Cheat Sheet.

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