What Is Spatial Audio?
Spatial Audio utilizes complex computational audio algorithms to add a more dynamic range to your music and videos. While using Spatial Audio, your content will always sound like you have the best seat in the house, whether it be a concert for your favorite artist or the next Hollywood blockbuster in IMAX.
You can even level up your Spatial Audio experience with head tracking and personalized audio profiles tailored specifically to your ears. This tutorial shows you how to enable Spatial Audio on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Which Earbuds Support Spatial Audio?
You can take advantage of Spatial Audio by connecting any of the following headphones to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. You must be running iOS/iPadOS 15.1 to enjoy Spatial Audio on your iPhone or iPad with earbuds. If you wish to use Spatial Audio on Apple TV, you need an Apple TV 4K running tvOS 15 or later. Finally, if you plan on toggling Spatial Audio from your Mac, you must be running macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later.
The following headphone models support both Spatial Audio and dynamic Spatial Audio with head tracking:
- AirPods (3rd generation)
- AirPods Pro (1st & 2nd generation)
- AirPods Max
- Beats Fit Pro
How to Test Run Spatial Audio Before Enabling It
While Spatial Audio offers a whole new take on sound for day-to-day media playback, it is not for everybody. You may want to assess the difference between stereo and Spatial Audio before you adjust the settings on your AirPods or Beats headphones by taking Spatial Audio for a test drive.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Open the lid on your AirPods or Beats case with both of your AirPods/buds inside, and hold the case close to your iOS device. You will see your headphones appear above the listed items in the Settings app. Tap on your headphones.
- Scroll down a bit until you see the header labeled “Spatial Audio,” then tap the “See & Hear How It Works” option.
- Place your AirPods or Beats in/over your ears. On the next screen, toggle between Stereo Audio and Spatial Audio by tapping the specific buttons.
- Tap the “Done” button when you are finished testing Spatial Audio
Tip: to guarantee a smooth listening experience, make sure you clean your AirPods properly before use.
How to Enable Spatial Audio
The process to activate Spatial Audio varies based on which device you are using. Thankfully, once you know where the software controls are hiding, enabling Spatial Audio is quite straightforward.
Understanding Spatial Audio Options
Fixed Spatial Audio offers a greater dynamic range for audio, while Head Tracked Spatial Audio shifts sound from one earbud to the other for an enveloping auditory soundscape. Head-tracking data is used to illustrate the impression that sound is coming from your device instead of your earbuds. Each Spatial Audio toggle will enable:
Fixed: turns on Spatial Audio without enabling head tracking.
Head Tracked: turns on Spatial Audio and head tracking.
Enable Spatial Audio on iPhone and iPad
- Place your AirPods or Beats in/over your ears, then connect them to your iPhone or iPad. Your AirPods should connect automatically. If your AirPods or Beats are not connecting to your device, you may want to consider updating the firmware using your Mac or iPhone.
- Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the display to reveal Control Center.
- Tap and hold on to the volume slider with one finger. The slider will expand to reveal a set of controls for your AirPods or Beats.
- Tap on the Spatial Audio icon highlighted below. The icon will animate to reveal toggles for both Fixed Spatial Audio and Head Tracked Spatial Audio. You can switch between them while playing music to hear the difference. To disable spatial audio, tap the toggle that reads “Off.”
Learn how to customize your Mac’s sound settings to improve your audio experience further.
Enable Spatial Audio on Mac
- Put your AirPods or Beats inside/over your ears to connect them to your Mac. You should see an icon in the Menu Bar depicting your headphones. Click on the icon to toggle audio options.
- Underneath the header titled Spatial Audio, select “Fixed” or “Head Tracked,” depending on which audio profile you would like to enable. To turn off Spatial Audio, simply click the item labeled “Off.”
Note: Spatial Audio with head tracking is only available on Mac computers with Apple Silicon running macOS Monterey 12.3 or later.
