The automatic switching of AirPods on iOS 14 is annoying. Here’s how to turn it off

After upgrading to iOS 14 or MacOS 11 Big Sur you probably experienced your AirPods switch randomly between your Apple devices. The new auto-switch feature should make your life easier, but for many – including yours – it’s annoying.

In theory, the new feature would be able to identify which Apple device you want to use your AirPods with in real time. For example, if you are streaming music on your Iphone and you start playing a video on your iPad, AirPods must switch to your iPad. But in reality, the appeal is somewhat meticulous. I know I had problems with my iPhone taking over my AirPods connection when I unlocked it while listening to music on my iPad.

Fortunately, there is a way to turn the feature off. Just be sure to follow the steps outlined below on all Apple devices that you use your AirPods with, or at the very least, devices that you don’t want your AirPods to automatically switch to.

Disable automatic deactivation on iPhone, iPad

With your AirPods connected to your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1 Open the settings app.
two Touch Bluetooth.
3 – Touch the “i” icon next to the name of your AirPods.
4Scroll through the options until you find the option labeled Connect to this iPhone / iPad; touch it.
5Select When you last connected to this iPhone / iPad then exit the Settings application.

Turn off automatic switching on a Mac

Connect your AirPods to your Mac and follow these steps:

1 Open System Preferences.
two Select Bluetooth.
3 – Click options next to the name of your AirPods.
4Click the drop-down menu labeled Connect to this Mac.
5 Select When you last connected to this Mac and then click Done and close System Preferences.

With automatic switching off on all your Apple devices, your AirPods will connect to the last device they were connected to when you connected them, just like they did before iOS 14. So, if you want to start using them with another one of your Apple devices, you can switch to them by selecting them in the AirPlay section of the Control Center.

For more tips on AirPods, check out these general tricks for AirPods and AirPods Pro. We also have some specific tips for AirPods Pro. About the AirPods Max, be sure to check out our full review.