Apple first announced the Spatial Audio feature for AirPods Pro last summer, but only when the AirPods Max released Apple’s surround sound version did it enter its own version. If you own a pair of the company’s new over-the-ear headphones – or a pair of AirPods Pro – you might be wondering: what is the birth of Space Audio and how do you actually use it? I’m not surprised anymore.
The audio space essentially makes it look like the sound is coming from all directions and, in our testing, it’s pretty amazing.
To turn it on, put AirPods Max or AirPods Pro on and open it Bluetooth in Settings. Click on “I” next to the name of the headset or headphones in the device list. enable Spatial audio.
It’s incredibly easy to set up, but the biggest problem with Spatial Audio is that only certain iPhone and iPad models are compatible – see the full list below:
- iPhone 7 or later
- 6th generation iPad or later
- iPad Pro third generation or later
- iPad Air 4th generation or later
- iPad mini 5th generation or later
It would be a dream if Apple would add support for Apple TV so that you can fully immerse yourself in a bigger screen, but unfortunately.
After activating the audio space, now comes the challenge of finding content to watch that takes advantage of the feature. Not every streaming service supports it (ahem, Netflix), but services like Apple TV + and Disney + do. In the details of the show or movie you are interested in watching, look for Dolby Atmos, 5.1 channel or 7.1 channel surround sound. These formats are compatible with audio space and will make everything you watch incredible.