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How to Connect Two AirPods to One MacBook [Quick Guide]

Jefri Yonata
Jefri Yonata
Jefri Yonata
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Jefri Yonata is a Contributor at Headphonesty with a focus on headphones and IEMs. Since 2011, he has explored a broad spectrum of headphones, from entry-level to enthusiast-grade. His meticulous approach to sound has been shaped by his experiences with music, movies, and games, leading him to seek optimal headphones...
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Using two sets of AirPods with one Mac
Using two sets of AirPods with one Mac

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A complete guide to connecting two sets of AirPods to one MacBook and how to fix connection issues.

Sharing audio with two pairs of AirPods on one Mac lets you watch movies or listen to the same tunes with a loved one without disturbing others.

However, unlike iPhones, the Share Audio feature isn’t exactly available on Macs. This presents a frustrating disconnect in Apple’s usually seamless ecosystem.

Yet, there’s a workaround. By utilizing the Audio MIDI Setup, a pre-installed application on MacBooks, you can efficiently connect two AirPods to one Mac and overcome this limitation. Read on to find out how!

In This Article
In This Article

How to Connect Two AirPods to One MacBook

Despite taking a few extra steps compared to Share Audio on iOS, connecting two sets of AirPods to MacBook is quite simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do so:

For this method, you need to have both sets of AirPods connected to your MacBook. Read our guide on how to connect AirPods to MacBook to learn how to do this.
  1. With both sets of AirPods connected to the Mac, launch the Utilities folder by pressing Shift + Command + F. You can also go to Finder > click Applications > search for Utilities.

    Open Utilities
    Open Utilities
  2. Search for Audio MIDI Setup and click on it.

    Search for Audio MIDI Setup and click on it.
    Search for Audio MIDI Setup and click on it.
  3. Click on the plus (+) icon at the bottom left corner of the window, then select Create Multi-Output Device option.

    Select Create Multi-Output Device option.
    Select Create Multi-Output Device option.
  4. Select both sets of your AirPods on the right side of the window.
    We highly recommend ticking the ‘drift correction‘ column next to your AirPods. This will ensure the audio on both sets of AirPods will be in sync. You can also set the Sample Rate for the outputs. The higher the sample rate, the higher the sound quality.

    Select both sets of your AirPods.
    Select both sets of your AirPods.
  5. Click on the Apple menu > System Settings > Sound.

    Select Sound.
    Select Sound.
  6. Select Multi-Output Device to set up as the audio output device.

    Select Multi-Output Device you set up as the audio output device
    Select Multi-Output Device you set up as the audio output device
  7. Both of your AirPods should now play sound simultaneously.

Now that you’ve got both sets of AirPods playing audio from your MacBook, let’s discuss how the volume control works in this scenario.

How to Control Volume When Sharing AirPods Audio on Mac

Unfortunately, you don’t get separate volume control for each set of AirPods since they are considered one output device. This means that adjusting the volume slider on your MacBook will affect the volume of both AirPods.

Despite being an Apple-built feature, this is slightly less convenient than the Share Audio feature on iOS. When you use two sets of AirPods with an iPhone or iPad, you get separate volume sliders for each set, allowing you to control the volumes of each set separately.

How to Stop Sharing Audio on MacBook

Once done, you can remove the secondary set of AirPods from your Mac using these steps:

  1. Click on the Apple Menu, then go to System Settings > Bluetooth.

    Select Bluetooth.
    Select Bluetooth.
  2. Right-click on the “i” button beside the name of the AirPods you want to disconnect.

    Right-click on the “i” button beside the name of the AirPods.
    Right-click on the “i” button beside the name of the AirPods.
  3. Select Forget This Device, then confirm by clicking Forget Device on the pop-up window.

    Select Forget This Device, then confirm by clicking Forget Device on the pop-up window.
    Select Forget This Device, then confirm by clicking Forget Device on the pop-up window.
While you can still hear audio after removing the secondary AirPods, you should change your audio output from Multi-Device Output back to AirPods. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Sound > your AirPods. This lets you toggle ANC/transparency mode from the Sound options and access your customized AirPods control, which isn’t available if you use Multi-Device Output.

Can’t Connect Two AirPods to One MacBook? Try These Fixes

If you can’t connect your AirPods to your MacBook, there might be underlying connection or software issues. 

Luckily, these connection issues are easily fixable. Here are some methods you can try to troubleshoot them.

  • Turn Bluetooth off and then on again: Restarting the Bluetooth module will return it to its initial state, removing any bugs or issues caused by the active connections you had.
  • Reset AirPods: Resetting your AirPods clears all user-enabled settings, which will help eliminate the root cause. However, doing this disconnects all previously paired devices, so you must reconnect them before using.
  • Update AirPods: Outdated firmware can cause incompatibilities, leading to connection issues with your MacBook. Read our guide on how to update AirPods firmware for the full guide.

Conclusion

At this point, you should be able to use two sets of AirPods on your Mac. No more sharing your AirPods when listening to music or watching videos with others. If you ran into connection issues, we also hope the fixes above helped you to solve them.

Did you find any other challenges when pairing two sets of AirPods to your MacBook? Also, what do you think of the audio-sharing feature on Macbook? Let us know in the comments!

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