How to connect two sets of AirPods to the same Mac

AirPods are one of the handiest and easy-to-use wireless headphones on the market right now. Being plugged into the Apple ecosystem can see you seamlessly moving between Apple products, all the while without losing connection audio-wise.

With the convenience of wireless technology at play, you may wonder if the time has finally come that you and a friend may listen to something on the same computer without having to use one AirPod or some kind of an audio splitter.

Thankfully, you can and the setup is quick and easy to do.

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How to connect two sets of AirPods to your Mac

The way you’ll end up connecting two sets of AirPods to your Mac at the same time comes down to creating a combined audio device that comprises both sets of AirPods. Doing so will require a couple of apps, but the setup is simple enough.

Step one: Pair the two sets of AirPods with your Mac

First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure that both sets of AirPods you want to use are paired with your Mac. First, visit your Bluetooth settings in System Settings to make sure that your Mac remembers both sets of AirPods.

If your desired AirPods are not present, you’ll need to pair them to your Mac.

1. To do so, simply open up your AirPods case.
2. Hold down the button on the back of your case until the indicator light on your AirPods case begins to flash white.
   • This means your AirPods are in paring mode, and should soon pop up in your Mac’s Bluetooth menu.
3. Once you see them, connect to them on your Mac.

Stay in System Settings and head over to Sound settings.

In the Sound menu, make sure that both AirPod sets are present in the list of Output devices. If one isn’t being recognized, you can simply remove one of the AirPods from its case to make it show up. With both sets of AirPods present in Sound settings, you can now create the combined audio device.

Step two: Create a combined audio device

Once you’ve ensured both sets of AirPods are present in Sound settings, you can go ahead and minimize your System Settings window, as you’ll need to return later.

1. Next, open the Finder.
2. Proceed to your Applications folder.
3. Go one layer deeper into the Utilities folder.
4. The app you’ll want to open is Audio MIDI Setup.

Once you’ve opened the app, you should see all of your audio devices present in the sidebar.

Creating the combined device is simple from here.

1. Click the + button in the bottom left corner of the app.
2. Select Create Multi-Output Device.
3. Rename your newly created device to your liking.
4. In the menu for your new device, tick the box under the Use column for both sets of AirPods you’ll be using.

Once that’s done, all you need to do is:

1. Return to your System Settings window.
2. Go back to Sound settings.
3. In the list of Output devices, you’ll simply need to click on your newly created device.

Audio will begin playing through both sets of AirPods.

FAQ

Q: Can you connect more than two sets of AirPods?

You can connect more than just two sets of AirPods at a time using this method. If you have the need to connect four sets of AirPods at once, you can create an audio device for those four sets. By creating as many audio devices as you need, you can even quickly toggle to devices that include different sets of AirPods.

Q: Can you connect two sets of AirPods Max to the same Mac?

Yes, this will work with a set of AirPods Max. Any combination of AirPods you want to have simultaneously connected will be able to be connected at the same time.

Q: Can you do this with any Bluetooth headphones?

Yes, you can use any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you wish with this method to listen through multiple audio devices at the same time. The connection process will differ slightly for non-AirPod devices, but the method will still work.