Hello,
I recently got a new iPad. My AirPods are now connecting to it by default, which I would not like it to do, and I cannot get it to automatically switch to my phone, like Apple says they should. I should note, my phone has a braille device connected to it, but I don't think that should matter. Does anyone have guidance here? iPhone 16 Pro Max, for clarity.
By CritterPup, 5 September, 2025
Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories
Comments
Maybe spoke too soon
Whelp perhaps I should've waited. Unpairing the AirPods from my account completely, re-pairing them, then re-pairing the display seems to have fixed this issue. Granted this isn't an issue I see coming up all that often but all the same.
Voiceover alone won't always make AirPods auto-switch
As an iPad and iPhone Airpods user myself, I've noticed that they do automatically switch, but voiceover itself isn't always enough to do it. Playing a podcast or music or a book or something is usually enough to get them to switch to the device you want them on.
Luckily I've usually got something paused in the background I can quickly start and stop with a two-finger double tap.
Couple of things to check
On each device check in the bluetooth settings and more how the AirPods connect. There are a couple of options, automatically and when last connected to this device. automatically is the one you want.
there is also the option of creating a shortcut in the shortcuts app which selects the AirPods as output and you can then assign it to back tap in VoiceOver settings.
But yeah. Voiceover doesn't trigger it, which seems a bit odd to me. I'm not sure if that's because we tend to have various devices chattering away at the same time, but it does feel like a specific design choice by Apple.