Can AirPods be used “seamlessly” between Mac and iOS devices?

Question

Apple AirPods are supposed to work for iOS devices, Apple Watches and Macs. Apple states that the OS requirements are:

Requires iCloud account and macOS Sierra, iOS 10, or watchOS 3 (source).

I am a prospective buyer of AirPods. My question is what the experience is like, when using the same pair of AirPods to switch between an iOS device and a Mac.

• How is pairing/switching done?
• Can the experience be called “seamless”?
• Are there any caveats that should be known from a user-perspective?

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Note: This is not a buying recommendation question, the goal is to produce an objective description of the pairing/switching process between iOS/macOS devices.

Answer 1

They will have seamless switching as of iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur.

When your other devices are signed in with the same Apple ID as your iPhone, AirPods automatically switch between your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. For example, if you’re listening to another device with your AirPods but you want to listen to your iPhone instead, start playing music, a podcast, or other audio on your iPhone. Your AirPods switch to iPhone automatically. Your AirPods also switch to iPhone when you make or answer a call on iPhone.

More details here: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/switch-airpods-automatically-iph08b253c17/ios

Answer 2

I'm an AirPods user and so far I have not found them to switch seamlessly between my 2016 MacBook Pro and iPhone 7 Plus.

The switching is manual: select AirPods on the MacBook Pro, or connect Bluetooth on the iPhone. If a call comes through on the iPhone whilst on a Skype call on the MacBook Pro, you will have to pick up on the phone.

The "simultaneous" promise, so far, is marketing BS. Maybe it will work in a future software/firmware release.

Answer 3

iOS 13 Update: Quickly connect to AirPods in control center by force touching Bluetooth and selecting AirPods.

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“Seamless” switching

AirPods allow for "Seamless switching" because you can easily connect Device B without disconnecting the AirPods from Device A (unlike other Bluetooth headphones/speakers).

How to switch AirPods between devices signed into your Apple ID

• Airplay in apps that support it
• iPhone Control Center: Swipe up (or down from top right), force touch on the now playing widget in the top right (or wait for the airplay icon and click that)
• iPhone Bluetooth: Force Touch "Settings", select Bluetooth
• Mac Bluetooth in Menu Bar: System Preferences → Bluetooth → "Show Bluetooth in Menu Bar"
• Mac Sound in Menu Bar: System Preferences → Sound → "Show Volume in Menu Bar"
• Apple TV (inside apps that support it): Swipe down from top and select “Audio”
• Apple TV (alternative): Hold Play/Pause button (in “TV”/“menu” view)
• Apple TV Settings: Open Settings, remotes and devices, Bluetooth
• Apple Watch: Tap the AirPlay icon in the control center

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It’s clearly not a perfect process, but Apple has to balance simplicity with functionality and I don’t think they foresee users constantly switching devices.

Answer 4

Directly from the Apple AirPods product page:

Automatic setup. Seamless switching. AirPods connect automatically with all your Apple devices. They’re simultaneously connected to your iPhone and Apple Watch, and sound switches instantly between the devices. Want to listen to your Mac or iPad? Just choose AirPods on those devices.¹

1. Requires iCloud account and macOS Sierra, iOS 10, or watchOS 3.

AirPods have the same Bluetooth technology as your iPhone / Apple Watch. They connect automatically with your Mac as the iOS devices do. On your Mac you just change 'Speakers' to AirPods.

This is a big hunch: iPhone is paired with your Apple Watch / AirPods and communicates with your iCloud account to your Mac to 'trust' these devices.

Answer 5

It’s not as seamless as switching from an iOS device to an Apple Watch. AirPods have to be manually switched from iOS to Mac. You can do this from the Bluetooth menu on the Mac. I also develop an app called ToothFairy that makes this easier. It lets you quickly switch your Mac to the AirPods by clicking an icon in the menu bar or by pressing a hotkey. It makes the process more seamless by showing you whether the AirPods are corrected and by automatically retrying if connecting fails the first time.

Answer 6

I think you'll probably find that your devices need to have Bluetooth 4 in order for the AirPods to work seamlessly. That would be the same list of devices as can fully support Continuity -- broadly speaking, anything that was first released in mid 2011 or later.