How to Turn Off Auto Switch on iPhone and iPad
Apple introduced AirPods automatic switching with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. It lets your AirPods detect what device is playing audio and automatically connects them to that device for a seamless experience. To turn off AirPods automatic switching, follow these steps: With that setting changed, now your AirPods will only automatically switch to that device if it was the last one with which they connected. If the AirPods most recently linked to a different device, they wouldn’t automatically switch to the one whose settings you changed.
Why Turn Off AirPods Automatic Switching?
In theory, auto-switching is a helpful feature, so why would you want to turn it off? Well, what if you’re using more than one device at a time? In that case, your AirPods may switch devices back and forth randomly, making it hard to listen to either one. It happens in my house all the time. If I’m listening to a podcast on my iPhone while I cook dinner and my partner is watching TV on the iPad, my AirPods sometimes play my podcast and sometimes her TV show, which is annoying for both of us! By changing this setting, you can avoid that.
How To Turn Off AirPods Auto Switch on a Mac
Macs running macOS Big Sur 11.0 also support AirPods automatic switching, so you may want to change your Mac’s settings, too. Here’s how:
