How to Set Up AirPods Personalized Spatial Audio

Apple introduced Personalized Spatial Audio, a new feature for AirPods owners, in iOS 16. What it is and how to set it up on an iPhone are described in this article.

Apple claims that Personalized Spatial Audio employs Dolby Atmos to produce an even richer, more immersive soundscape while listening to music from the Apple Music library, making the listening experience even more precise and immersive.

This is accomplished through Personalized Spatial Audio, which maps out your unique sound profile using the TrueDepth camera on an iPhone to evaluate the three-dimensional geometry of your ears. To use it, you'll need the following.

What You'll Need

• ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID running ‌iOS 16‌ or later.
• AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, or AirPods Max.

How to Set Up Personalized Spatial Audio

1. With AirPods connected, launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Tap on the name of your AirPods, just below your Apple ID banner.
3. Under "Spatial Audio," tap Personalized Spatial Audio.
4. Tap Personalize Spatial Audio....
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You may tap See & Hear How It Works on the previous screen to hear how it sounds when the setup is complete. You may always turn off the functionality by selecting Personalized Spatial Audio -> Stop Using Personalized Spatial Audio if you don't like what you hear.

How to Turn Spatial Audio On and Off in Control Center

1. Make sure the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ 3/Pro/Max are connected to your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Launch the Control Center with a diagonal swipe down from the upper right of the screen.
3. Touch and hold the volume control bar.
4. Tap the Spatial Audio button to turn it on or off.

The spatial audio button will be blue and animated with audio waves around the listener's head if spatial audio is enabled and active. The spatial audio button will be blue but static if spatial audio is enabled but not currently playing for the audio material you are listening to.