How To Fix AirPods Pro ‘Automatic Device Switching’ Not Working

Are you confused as to why your AirPods Pro ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is not working?

Apple released a new feature called ‘Automatic Device Switching’ in iOS 14. This allows your AirPods Pro to switch seamlessly between your devices that are signed in using the same Apple ID. For example, if you want to connect your AirPods Pro to your Apple Watch, just turn it on and play any form of media in it. Then your AirPods Pro will automatically switch to it, even though you are still connected to your iPhone.

This is a convenient feature that saves you time and effort to manually switch back and forth to any of your Apple devices. However, some users were unable to make this work. Some users claimed that it does not switch automatically and nothing seemed to make any difference.

Because of that, we have compiled a list of things that you may try to overcome this problem. After all, there’s no harm in trying.

Without further delay, let’s jump right in!

1. Check If You Are Using A Supported Device.

Are you still using the 1st generation of AirPods? If that is the case, ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is expected not to work as this is an unsupported headphone. 

Unfortunately, not all Apple headsets and OS are supported by the ‘Automatic Device Switching’ feature. Apple has released a list of its supported headphones and OS on its user guide.

Here are the supported OS and devices:

  • iOS 14 or later required
  • iPadOS 14 or later required
  • AirPods Pro
  • AirPods (2nd generation)
  • AirPods Max (iOS 14.3 or later required and iPadOS 14.3 or later required)

It is always important to check if your headphone or OS is supported before starting to troubleshoot. This can help you save time and effort. Plus, you will not end up getting even more disappointed.

2. Check Firmware Version Of Your AirPods Pro.

In order to enjoy this newest feature, you need to make sure that your AirPods Pro is up-to-date and has the ‘3A283’ firmware version. Otherwise, this feature may not work.

Though, in most cases, your AirPods Pro may already be up-to-date. But it’s still better to be certain, so check out the version first before trying out any other steps.

Here’s how you can check the firmware version of your AirPods Pro:

  1. Start by opening your iPhone’s Settings app and tap General.
  2. Next, select About.
  3. Then scroll to the bottom and look for your AirPods Pro.
  4. Finally, tap it to see your firmware version.

If you found that your AirPods Pro is still not updated, you can trigger it to update itself. Unfortunately, there is no option to update them automatically.

Here’s how you can update the firmware version of your AirPods Pro:

  1. Start by ensuring that your AirPods Pro is paired with your iPhone or iPad.
  2. After that, put them back in their charging case.
  3. Next, make sure they are charging by connecting them to a Lightning cable or wireless charging pad.
  4. Then open its lid. 
  5. Finally, wait for a few minutes, and they should update on their own.

Now, check if the ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is still not working for your AirPods Pro. Hopefully, updating the firmware resolves it, but if not, let’s go over to our next suggestion.

3. Reset AirPods Pro.

Apple Support always recommends that you reset your AirPods Pro if they are not working. In this case, if the ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is not working. At the same time, this fix is also applicable whenever you cannot connect to them.

However, as a disclaimer, if you reset your AirPods Pro, its settings will also be reset. It can be inconvenient, but it’s still worth a shot.

Here’s how you can reset your AirPods Pro:

  1. Start by putting your AirPods Pro back in their case.
  1. After that, close the lid and wait for 30 seconds before opening it.
  2. Next, open your iPhone’s Settings app and select Bluetooth.
  3. Then click the “i” icon next to your AirPods Pro.
  4. Now, select Forget This Device and tap it again to confirm.
  1. After that, with the lid still open, press and hold down the circular button (Setup button) on the back of the case for 15 seconds, or until you see the status light flashing amber.
  1. Then while the lid is still open, put your AirPods next to your device. 
  2. Lastly, follow the on-screen instructions to reconnect your AirPods Pro. 

When you’re done with all of that, check if your AirPods Pro ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is still not working. If it did not work, don’t panic as we still have some more suggestions for you.

4. Update iOS Or iPadOS To The Latest Version.

If resetting your AirPods Pro did not work, the next thing to do is for you to update your OS to the latest version, may it be for iOS or iPadOS. If you are still not on iOS or iPadOS 14, then updating your iOS will allow the feature to work.

But before anything else, take note that you should connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network. Also, check if you have at least 50% battery life to prevent any interruptions.

Here’s how you can update your iOS or iPadOS to the latest version:

  1. Start by opening up your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app and tap General.
  2. After that, tap on Software Update to check if there is an update.
update to the latest ios version
  1. Next, if there is one, select Install Now to begin the update. This may take a few minutes to an hour, depending on your network connection.
  2. Finally, wait for a few more minutes for your iPhone to restart automatically.

With that out of the way, see if your AirPods Pro ‘Automatic Device Switching’ is still not working. Fortunately, an update is all that you need!

5. Try Dr. Fone.

However, if the issue still remains, try Dr. Fone.

Dr. Fone is one of the leading names in the market, especially when it comes to repairing devices. This is because it has so many tools that you can use to maintain your device. Specifically, its ‘System Repair’ tool fixes a lot of iOS, and even Android system issues. 

It also offers other helpful tools. It has the ‘Data Transfer’ tool, ‘Data Recovery’ tool, ‘Phone Unlock’ tool, and ‘WhatsApp Transfer’ tool. These are all found inside Dr. Fone’s all-in-one toolkit.

Why choose Dr. Fone over others? This is because millions of users all over the world are continuously using Dr. Fone until now. In fact, there are over 50,000,000 Dr. Fone users around the globe. Plus, Dr. Fone has also received much acclaim from respected media outlets such as ‘PC World’,  ‘Forbes’, ‘CNET’, and many more.


Try Dr. Fone Now! 



6. Contact Apple Support.

When all else fails, you know the drill! The last thing on our list is for you to contact Apple Support. It is important to contact them as they may already have a resolution for this issue that is not publicly available yet. 

If contacting Apple Support is not to your liking, you can also go to your nearest Apple Store to have your AirPods Pro checked by Apple-certified technicians. However, before heading over there, make sure to check your AirPods Pro warranty options first.


This wraps up our article! Hopefully, we were able to provide some useful fixes for you. If you have any other questions or concerns, just let us know, and we will try our best to answer them for you!


If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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