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How to Use Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro & Max

How to Use Spatial Audio on AirPods Pro & Max

When Apple announced the launch of their pricey AirPods Max, they highlighted a new, unheard of feature: something they called “Spatial Audio”. Granted, “Spatial Audio” is a term made up by Apple to sell headphones, but it’s basically surround sound inside your headphones.

There are several steps and considerations to not only enable Spatial Audio, but also to make sure the content you’re watching can even provide the enhanced auditory experience. First, open Settings on your device, then tap on Bluetooth. Search for your headphones in the list of Bluetooth devices, then tap the “i” button next to the device name and toggle on Spatial Audio.

Beyond having the aforementioned headphones (or compatible AirPods Pro), you will need to be using a device that supports Spatial Audio, which are any of the following:

  • iPhone 7 or later

  • iPad 6th generation or later

  • iPad Pro 3rd generation or later

  • iPad Air 4th generation or later

  • iPad mini 5th generation or later

And then you need to make sure the source of your content is providing compatible audio! In your streaming provider, look up the notes or info on the title you want to watch and see if it supports Dolby Atmos, or 5.1-channel or 7.1-channel surround sound. After all that, you’re finally ready to watch something with noise coming into your head from all directions.