This is how dynamic head tracking works with AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max

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The dynamic head tracking is an advanced feature with the AirPods with spatial audio. With the function, the sound always comes from the same direction, even if you look the other way with your head.

Maybe it’s happened to you before: you’re listening to music with your AirPods and suddenly the sound sounds very different. Suddenly you only hear music in your left earpiece as soon as you turn your head to the right: you have discovered the dynamic head tracking. This is a function of the AirPods when listening to spatial audio with compatible apps. If you find it annoying or want to use it as often as possible, read here how to disable it or set it up correctly.

  • Explanation
  • Suitable models and apps
  • Enable or disable

What is Dynamic Head Tracking?

The Dynamic Head Tracking feature (also known as Dynamic Head Tracking) is a part of spatial audio included with the AirPods earbuds and headphones. With the function, your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV ensures that the audio always comes from the same direction and therefore does not turn with your head. Thanks to the cooperation between the sensors in the AirPods and the position of your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, the AirPods know whether you are still looking forward or looking away from the screen or the starting position of your listening session. This ensures that the sound always comes from the front, even if you turn your head to the left or right. With a normal set of earplugs or headphones, the sound always moves with you, but with the AirPods the situation is simulated so that the sound always comes from the same direction.

This is how dynamic head tracking works with AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max

In practice, this means that while listening to music, a singer’s voice sounds more out of the left ear when you turn your head to the right. This creates the illusion that the singer is always in front of you. As if you were there live. Also while watching a movie or series, the sound is, as it were, fixed with the image, even if you look away from the screen.

These AirPods models are suitable

Dynamic head tracking on AirPods doesn’t work with all models. You can only use the feature on these AirPods (and Beats):

  • AirPods (3rd generation, 2021)
  • AirPods Pro (1st generation, 2019)

  • AirPods Max (1st generation, 2020)

  • Beats Fit Pro (2021)

The function comes into its own when listening to content in spatial audio. This is possible, for example, with content from Apple Music, Apple TV +, but also Netflix and Disney +. But it also works with content in stereo, for example with Spotify. You can use it on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

Set up or disable dynamic head tracking on the AirPods

Disabling or setting up the dynamic head tracking with the AirPods is very easy. You do that like this:

  1. Play something on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Open the Control Panel.
  3. Press and hold the volume control.
  4. At the bottom, tap Spatial audio.
  5. Head Tracked enables head tracking. Choose Fixed to listen with spatial audio, but without the main tracking. If you don’t want spatial audio at all, choose Off.

Turn off dynamic head tracking on AirPods.

Our experience shows that the main tracking comes into its own when watching movies and series and not so much when listening to music. When listening to music, you are often more mobile, so the audio can sound a bit confusing.

If you want to know more about spatial audio, you can read all about it in our tip. In addition to AirPods, you can also listen to spatial audio through the built-in speakers on your iPhone.

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