Since Apple removed headphone jacks from their phones, I had no option but to use wireless Bluetooth speakers. I must admit Bluetooth speakers are neat and convenient since they don’t require running unsightly wires and cables along my walls and floor.
I can connect them to my smartphone, tablet, laptop, or even TV for optimum functionality and control. However, I’ve realized I must set up at least two wireless speakers to guarantee an authentic audio experience.
Most people prefer to link their wireless speakers to their iPhones since the latest models support audio sharing and Bluetooth 5.0. However, connecting two Bluetooth speakers to one iPhone can be a massive challenge if you don’t know what to do or where to start.
Some Bluetooth speakers require a passcode, while others only require pressing a connectivity button to set them up with your iPhone.
This tutorial explains ways to connect two Bluetooth speakers to one iPhone for an immersive listening experience.
Key Takeaways
- Pairing is the first step to connecting wireless speakers to your iPhone. Ensure you first pair the Bluetooth speakers with your iPhone to stream audio from your device.
- Apple introduced the Audio Sharing feature with the launch of iOS 13. At first, this option allowed you to connect two Bluetooth speakers (or a speaker and headphones) to one iPhone and play them simultaneously. The speakers only had to support Bluetooth 5.0.
- Soon after introducing Audio Sharing, Apple limited this feature to Beats and Apple headphones and earbuds (those featuring H1 or W1 chips). So, if you want to connect two Bluetooth speakers to one iPhone and play them together, you can’t use the Audio Sharing feature anymore.
- Using a Bluetooth transmitter that can send audio to two Bluetooth devices (headphones or speakers) simultaneously will allow you to connect two Bluetooth speakers to an iPhone. Since you have to buy the transmitter, as well as cables that connect your iPhone to the transmitter, this option is quite inconvenient.
- If the Bluetooth speakers have AUX inputs, you can use an Apple Lightning to AUX adapter and a 3.5mm splitter cable to make a hardwired connection. In this case, you won’t be using Bluetooth to stream audio to two speakers.
- If you have Airplay-compatible Bluetooth speakers, you can connect them to your iPhone using this Wi-Fi technology. Airplay is a proprietary wireless protocol similar to Bluetooth. It allows you to stream media to airplay-compatible devices.
- If your Bluetooth speaker doesn’t support Airplay, you can make it Airplay-compatible by buying an Airplay receiver and connecting that receiver via an AUX cable to the speaker. I’m aware this is quite inconvenient, but it’s still an option.
- The only way to connect two or multiple non-Airplay Bluetooth speakers to one iPhone is to use third-party daisy-chain technology compatible with the exact speaker models you are using. But that’s not the only limitation. The speakers must be of the same brand, and if the brand uses different daisy-chain technologies for different speaker generations, you have to use compatible speakers.
How to Use the Audio Sharing Feature to Connect Two Bluetooth Headphones to an iPhone?
Connecting Two Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone
Connecting two Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone might seem daunting. Fortunately, Apple has made everything easy by introducing Audio Sharing. And then, Apple made it hard again by introducing some limitations.
This feature comes with iOS 13 or later versions, allowing you to stream audio to multiple devices (speakers or headphones) from one iPhone using Bluetooth. Your iPhone must support Bluetooth 5.0 to connect two or more wireless speakers.
The process described below only works for select Apple and Beats headphones. It doesn’t work for Bluetooth speakers anymore. Before connecting your Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone, you must pair them. Pairing is a process during which Bluetooth devices register and store information regarding each other. Once paired, your iPhone will recognize your speakers automatically on subsequent connections. Here are the steps to pair your Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone: Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone. Put your speaker into pairing mode. Pairing iPhone with a Bluetooth SpeakerStep 1 – Pairing
Step 2 – Connecting iPhone to Bluetooth Speakers
After pairing both of your speakers with your iPhone, connecting them becomes smooth and seamless. You only need to select the speakers from your iPhone’s list of paired devices under Bluetooth settings.
Here are the steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Search for your Bluetooth speakers under the list of paired devices.
- Tap on each Bluetooth speaker to connect.
- Your iPhone will display “connected” next to each speaker’s name.
Next to each speaker’s name, your iPhone will display “Connected”
Step 3 – Streaming Audio to Connected Bluetooth Speakers
Once connected, you can stream audio from your iPhone to your Bluetooth speakers simultaneously. The speakers will play the same audio from your iPhone. The best part is that you can adjust the volume levels of individual speakers.
Here are the steps:
- Swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone’s screen to access the Control Center.
- Tap on Music/Playback.
- Tap on the top right button next to Music.
- Scroll down to view paired audio devices.
- Select the bubble next to your Bluetooth speakers to activate them.
- Adjust the volume level of individual Bluetooth speakers via the Control Center on your iPhone.
- Play your favorite songs or videos on your iPhone.
- Your iPhone will transmit audio signals to your speakers simultaneously.
Connecting Two Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone via Audio Sharing (Not Possible Anymore)
Connect Using a Bluetooth Transmitter
Some Bluetooth transmitters can transmit audio to two Bluetooth speakers (or headphones) at the same time. This is called dual audio (just like in Samsung phones). With this transmitter, you can send audio from your iPhone to any two Bluetooth speakers.
To connect two Bluetooth speakers to an iPhone, you will first have to connect your iPhone to the transmitter using an AUX cable and Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm adapter. Then, you will have to connect both speakers to the transmitter. Once the connection between the speakers and the transmitter is established, everything you play on your phone will be transmitted (via Bluetooth transmitter) to the speakers.
Bluetooth transmitters that support Dual Audio can be used to (indirectly) connect an iPhone to two Bluetooth speakers.
Connect Using Cables
If using a Bluetooth transmitter is too inconvenient, this is even worse. In this scenario, everything has to be wired – Bluetooth connection is not necessary.
For this method to work, you need two Bluetooth speakers with 3.5mm AUX inputs. If they don’t have AUX inputs, this setup won’t work.
You will have to connect a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter to your phone. Then, connect a splitter cable to the adapter. The splitter cable should have one 3.5mm male connector on one side and two 3.5mm male connectors on the other side.
Depending on the splitter cable configuration, this option may allow you to play two connected speakers in stereo (as left and right channels).
A 3.5mm splitter cable will allow you to connect two speakers with AUX inputs to your iPhone.
Connect Using Airplay
If you have Airplay-compatible Bluetooth speakers, you can connect them to your iPhone using this wireless technology.
The number of Airplay-compatible speakers is increasing every day.
Airplay is a proprietary wireless protocol similar to Bluetooth. It allows you to stream media to airplay-compatible devices. But unlike Bluetooth, Airplay requires a Wi-Fi connection. So, you can’t use this technology outdoors.
Best AirPlay 2 Speakers
| Denon Home 150 | B&W Formation Flex |
| KEF LSX II | Naim Mu-so Qb V2 |
| Bose Home Speaker 300 | Sonos Move |
Here are the steps to connect your Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone using Airplay:
- Turn on your wireless speakers.
- Connect your Bluetooth airplay-compatible speakers to your Wi-Fi network.
- Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen to open Control Center.
- Tap the icon with a triangle and three circles in the upper-right corner.
- Under Speakers & TVs, select each Bluetooth speaker you want to play audio to.
- Play any audio on your iPhone, and it will be transmitted to the connected speakers.
Connecting Multiple Bluetooth Speakers to an iPhone Via AirPlay 2
Don’t Have a Smart Bluetooth Speaker? Use an AirPlay Receiver
If you have a standard Bluetooth speaker without Wi-Fi capabilities, you can make it AirPlay-compatible by adding an Airplay receiver. Most Bluetooth speakers have at least one analog audio input, usually a 3.5mm AUX. AirPlay-enabled receivers usually have multiple audio outputs, and one of those outputs has to be 3.5mm AUX or RCA. So, you can easily connect your Bluetooth speaker to a receiver.
Turning Your Bluetooth Speaker (or Any Speaker) into an Airplay-Compatible Speaker
When you connect your iPhone to the receiver via Airplay, the iPhone will send audio to the receiver, and the receiver will send it to your Bluetooth speaker.
Depending on the type of the receiver, you will be able to connect multiple Bluetooth speakers to it, or you may have to buy a separate Airplay receiver for every Bluetooth speaker. Either way, this Airplay receiver will allow you to (indirectly) connect two or multiple Bluetooth speakers to one iPhone.
Best AirPlay-Enabled Receivers
| Belkin SoundForm Connect | Arylic S50 Pro+ | WiiM Mini |
Other Ways to Connect Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone
If you don’t have an Airplay-compatible Bluetooth speaker and don’t want to buy an Airplay receiver, the number of available options decreases considerably. In fact, depending on the speakers you want to connect, the number of available options is one or zero.
If you want to connect two speakers made by different manufacturers to your iPhone, let’s say one Bose and one JBL Bluetooth speaker, I can’t think of any option.
If the speakers are made by the same manufacturer, there’s one option to connect both to the same iPhone and play them simultaneously.
However, some limitations might prevent you from connecting two or more speakers together, even if they are made by the same manufacturer. First of all, the speakers must support the same daisy-chain technology.
Over time, some manufacturers have developed multiple daisy-chain technologies. For example, JBL has three different technologies used in three different generations of Bluetooth speakers. Older JBL Bluetooth speakers support JBL Connect, newer ones support JBL Connect+, while the latest models support JBL PartyBoost.
If you want to connect two JBL speakers that don’t support the same daisy-chain technology, you won’t get the results you were hoping for. These speakers are simply incompatible and cannot be daisy-chained.
For example, JBL Flip 4 supports JBL Connect+. You can connect it with another JBL Flip 4 or other JBL Connect+ speakers (JBL Pulse 3, JBL Xtreme 2, JBL Charge 4, JBL Boombox). However, you can’t connect it with JBL Flip 5 or Flip 6 because they are JBL PartyBoost speakers.
Different generations of JBL speakers support different daisy-chain technologies.
The other thing you must have in mind when connecting two or multiple non-Airplay Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone is that you may have to use the app designed for those speakers.
When it comes to JBL speakers, it’s the JBL Portable app. For Bose speakers, you have to use the Bose Connect app, UE speakers can be controlled via the UE BOOM app (UE BOOM, MEGABOOM, and HYPERBOOM speakers) or the UE Roll app (UE Roll and Roll 2).
The third thing to know is that, depending on the brand and speaker model, you may have to use two same Bluetooth speakers if you want them to play in stereo (LEFT and RIGHT channels). When connecting two different Bluetooth speakers (different models, same brand) to your iPhone, even if they support the same daisy-chain technology, your only option might be to play them in PARTY mode (no stereo option).
Connecting Two JBL Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone
As discussed previously, make sure that both JBL speakers support the same daisy-chain technology. Ideally, you will connect two same speaker models. Let’s connect two JBL Flip 5 speakers to an iPhone (or rather to each other).
First, pair one of your JBL Flip 5 speakers with your phone.
Only one speaker has to be connected to your iPhone – the other will connect to the first speaker.
Now, turn on the other speaker and make sure it’s not connected to any device.
Press the PartyBoost button on the first speaker. You will hear a notification sound, indicating the PartyBoost is enabled. Also, the LED ring surrounding the POWER and Bluetooth buttons will light up.
Now, press the same button on the other speaker. They should connect together in a few seconds.
Press the PartyBoost button on the primary speaker (the one connected to your iPhone). Then, press the same button on the other speaker.
You can play some music from your iphone, and it should be transmitted to both speakers.
You have to use the JBL Portable app to switch from PARTY to STEREO mode.
How to Connect Two JBL Flip 5 Speakers to an iPhone via JBL PartyBoost
Connecting Two Bose Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone
Connecting two Bose speakers to an iPhone is equally quick and straightforward. As in the previous example, you won’t need the Bose Connect app to connect them, and you don’t even need it to enable STEREO mode. However, it’s still convenient to have it installed on your phone. Let’s pair two Bose Revolve speakers together.
First, pair the primary speaker (you can use any of the two as the primary speaker) with your iPhone.
Now, when the speaker is paired with your iPhone, press the power button on the other Bose speaker, and make sure it’s in pairing mode (but not connected to any device).
On the first speaker, press and hold the Bluetooth and VOL UP buttons. You should hear a voice prompt indicating the speaker is in Party mode.
Pressing the Bluetooth and VOL UP buttons on the first speaker will put it in daisy-chain mode.
On the second speaker, press the Bluetooth and VOL DOWN buttons simultaneously until you hear a voice prompt.
Pressing the Bluetooth and VOL DOWN buttons simultaneously on the second speaker will put the second speaker in daisy-chain mode.
After a few seconds, both speakers will emit the voice prompt “Party Mode”. To switch to Stereo mode, press the Bluetooth and VOL UP buttons on either speaker.
How to Connect Two Bose Speakers to an iPhone (Manually or Using the Bose Connect App)
Connecting Two UE Bluetooth Speakers to One iPhone
If you want to pair two or multiple UE Bluetooth speakers together, you should be aware of the limitations. There are a few.
First of all, Wonderboom speakers are not compatible with other UE speakers (BOOM, MEGABOOM, HYPERBOOM). Additionally, Wonderboom 3 is not compatible with Wonderboom 1 or 2. So, you can’t pair Wonderboom 3 with Wonderboom 2 (or Wonderboom 1). However, you can pair Wonderboom 1 and Wonderboom 2 together, but you will only get Party mode since Wonderboom 1 doesn’t support Stereo mode.
The instructions for connecting two Wonderboom speakers together are the same for every Wonderboom version.
You need to turn on and pair the first Wonderboom with your iPhone.
Then, turn on the other speaker and make sure it’s not connected to any device.
Now, press the middle button on both Wonderboom speakers until the speakers make a sound. On Wonderboom 1, you have to press the Ultimate Ears logo.
Press the MAGIC BUTTON (or the UE logo on Wonderboom 1) on both speakers simultaneously to connect them together. One of the speakers has to be connected to your iPhone first.
When it comes to BOOM/MEGABOOM speakers, especially the latest versions (BOOM 3, MEGABOOM 3, HYPERBOOM), the only option is to connect them together through the UE Boom and Megaboom app.
First, you need to install the app.
Then, connect one UE BOOM speaker to your iPhone.
When you open the app, you will see the connected speakers, but the app will also recognize all the UE BOOM speakers in your proximity. Other speakers don’t even have to be turned on – the app will recognize them if they have enough charge.
When you open the Boom and Megaboom app, you will see the speaker your iPhone is connected to, as well as other speakers in your proximity.
From here, you just have to drag the speakers up, and they will power on automatically. Now, you can choose between Party and Stereo modes.
Drag the speaker up, and it will automatically turn on and connect to the first speaker. Select DOUBLE or STEREO mode and start playing.
How to Connect Two UE BOOM Speakers to One iPhone Using the BOOM App
Older UE Boom speakers (first generation) supported manual daisy-chain connection (without the app). I believe they still support it. The procedure applies to BOOM 1 and MEGABOOM 1.
You have to turn on the first speaker and pair it with your iPhone.
Now, turn on the other speaker and make sure it’s not connected to any device.
On the first speaker, press the Bluetooth and VOL UP buttons until you hear a notification sound.
Then, press the Bluetooth button twice on the second speaker.
In a few seconds, the two speakers will connect and play in PARTY mode. To switch to stereo mode, you will have to install the app on your iPhone.
How to Connect Two UE BOOM Speakers Together Manually
Connecting Two Sony Speakers to One iPhone
Sony has two wireless daisy chain technologies – Wireless Party Chain and PartyConnect. The two technologies are not compatible. So, if you have an older XB speaker (like XB30), you won’t be able to connect it to new PartyConnect speakers.
The following speakers support the latest PartyConnect technology: SRS-XB23, SRS-XB33, SRS-XB43, SRS-XE200, SRS-XE300, SRS-XG300, SRS-XG500, SRS-XP500, SRS-XP700, and LSPX-S3. New speakers will also support PartyConnect until SONY comes up with a new daisy-chain technology.
Older XB PartyConnect speakers (SRS-XB23, SRS-XB33, SRS-XB43) had a PartyConnect button, so you didn’t have to use the app to connect them together. However, if you want to connect new XE, XG, and XP speakers, you have to use the Sony Music Center app.
So, let’s see how we can connect multiple SONY PartyConnect speakers together (and to your iPhone) using the app.
Connect the first SONY speaker to your phone.
Install the app and open it. You should see the speaker there – the app will recognize it automatically. Turn on other speakers, and make sure they are not connected to any device.
In the app, right below the speaker, you should see the option Group with other speakers. Tap on it.
On the next screen, select STEREO PAIR or PARTY CONNECT, depending on how many speakers you want to pair together (two or more).
The app will display a list of compatible speakers in your proximity. Select the speakers you want to connect together and tap on Next. Confirm your selection by tapping OK.
The latest SONY speakers (XG, XE, XP series) can only be connected together via the SONY Music App.
How to Connect Two SONY PartyConnect Speakers Together Using the Sony Music App
Connecting SONY’s Wireless Party Chain speakers together is somewhat easier since they all have the ADD button, allowing you to connect them without using the app. Watch the video below for detailed instructions.
Connecting Two Sony Bluetooth Speakers Together Using the Wireless Party Chain
Connecting Two Anker SoundCore Speakers to One iPhone
Anker’s daisy-chain technology is called PartyCast. There are two versions of PartyCast – 1.0 and 2.0. Speakers featuring PartyCast 2.0 are compatible with speakers featuring PartyCast 1.0.
However, PartyCast 1.0 speakers can’t play in stereo (only Party Mode). Also, PartyCast 2.0 is easier to set up since you only have to click the PartyCast button once on both speakers, and the speakers will pair. Furthermore, PartyCast 2.0 speakers will deliver lower latency. You should have this in mind when pairing PartyCast 1.0 with PartyCast 2.0 speakers – there’s a chance they won’t be synced perfectly.
Below, you have a list of Soundcore PartyCast speakers:
PartyCast Speakers (Source – Anker Soundcore)
Let’s connect two PartyCast 1.0 speakers together:
Turn on one of the speakers and pair it with your iPhone. This will be your primary speaker.
Turn on the other speaker and make sure it’s in pairing mode (but not connected to any device).
Go to your primary speaker, locate the PartyCast button, and press it for 4 seconds. The button should turn solid blue, and you should hear a notification sound.
Soundcore Speakers – PartyCast Button
Now, go to the secondary speaker and do the same thing – press the PartyCast button for 4 seconds. The PartyCast LED should also turn blue.
Finally, on the secondary speaker, press the PartyCast button once again, but this time shortly. The PartyCast LED should turn solid white.
Your two Soundcore PartyCast speakers are now connected together. You can stream audio from your iPhone to both Bluetooth speakers simultaneously.
How to Connect Two Soundcore Speakers Together (PartyCast 1.0)
How to Connect Two SoundCore Flare 2 Speakers Together
Frequently Asked Question
- Question: Can you connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time?
- Answer: Yes. You can connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time. The only issue is that your smart device must support dual audio output. Dual audio is a feature on some Android smartphones that allows you to send signals to multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously. Your multiple wireless speakers can play audio from one connected source device.
- iPhones and iPads have a similar feature (iOS 13 and later) called Audio Sharing. However, this feature only allows you to connect two Bluetooth headphones made by Apple or Beats to your iOS device. It used to work with all Bluetooth speakers and headphones, but that’s not the case anymore.
- You can also connect two Bluetooth speakers and play music on both simultaneously from one iPhone or Android phone if both speakers support compatible daisy-chain technologies (like JBL Connect, JBL Connect+, JBL PartyBoost, SoundCore PartyCast, SONY Wireless Party Chain, SONY PartyConnect, UE PARTYUP, etc.).
- Finally, you can connect two or multiple smart Bluetooth speakers with Airplay support together and stream audio from your iPhone to all those speakers at the same time.
- Question: Can I connect two Bluetooth speakers to my iPhone?
- Answer: You can connect up to seven Bluetooth speakers to your iPhone if the phone features iOS 13 or later versions and supports Bluetooth 5.0. However, you can only send audio to one Bluetooth speaker at a time. You can send it to two Bluetooth headphones, but only if those headphones are made by Apple or Beats. This feature is called Audio Sharing. It used to work with all Bluetooth devices, but now it’s limited to Apple/Beats products.
- Still, some workarounds will allow you to stream audio simultaneously from one iPhone to multiple Bluetooth speakers. Some of the options are using Airplay-compatible smart Bluetooth speakers, using Airplay receivers connected to your Bluetooth speaker via AUX cable, or using Bluetooth speakers that support some wireless daisy-chain technology.
- Question: How do I enable audio sharing on my iPhone?
- Answer: Audio sharing is a function on iPhones that lets your smartphone transmit audio signals to two separate Bluetooth devices simultaneously. Enabling audio sharing on your iPhone is straightforward.
- Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to go to the Control Center. Tap Music/Playback and select the icon with a triangle and three circles. Next, tap on Share Audio to enable audio sharing.
- Note that Audio Sharing can only be used with Apple and Beats headphones/earbuds. It used to work with other Bluetooth devices (like speakers), but it doesn’t anymore.
- Question: Can iPhone 11 connect to two Bluetooth headphones or speakers?
- Answer: All iPhones since iPhone 8 (featuring iOS 13 or later) can connect to two headphones, but only to select Beats and Apple headphones. This feature is called Audio Sharing (similar to Dual Audio on Samsung phones). While Dual Audio on Android phones allows you to connect to two (or multiple) Bluetooth speakers/headphones made by any brand, Audio Sharing on iPhone is limited to Apple/Beats headphones. It used to work with Bluetooth speakers and headphones made by other brands, but that’s not the case anymore.
- Question: How do I connect multiple Bluetooth speakers to my iPhone 11?
- Answer: While you can’t use the Audio Sharing feature to stream music from one iPhone to multiple Bluetooth speakers, there are other options. You could try using Airplay-compatible Bluetooth speakers, you could make your Bluetooth speakers Airplay-compatible by connecting them to an Airplay receiver (you’d have to buy the receiver), or you could try connecting together Bluetooth speakers that support the same wireless daisy-chain technology.
Take Away
Since Apple removed the standard 3.5mm headphone jack from their devices, it has forced users to rely on wireless headphones and speakers. However, a single Bluetooth speaker does not guarantee an authentic audio experience.
You need to connect your iPhone to at least two speakers to enjoy true stereo sound. The good news is that there are a few ways to connect your iPhone to two or multiple Bluetooth speakers. I hope this guide helped you discover your options.
This is yet another frustration where Apple removes features that I use. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why I could no longer stream to multiple speakers via iOS bluetooth. Thank you for writing such a clear and comprehensive article. The problem for me is that I have different speakers in different rooms and I used to be able to patch my TV speakers in as well. I wear blue tooth hearing aids which is yet another variable. I used to play music from the computer to broadcast/stream to the bluetooth speakers and devices so was relieved and excited when I could do that from iOS. After all, I don’t wander around the house with my computer in my pocket doing chores room to room or entertaining friends. But I will have to go back to playing music from my computer instead of the iPhone. I thought Apple was committed to customer experience and wanted the iPhone to be center to Apple Music. Oh, wait, that was Steve Jobs. Btw, I can’t buy multiple new airplay bluetooth speakers but that doesn’t sound like it would be a complete solution anyway.
Apple wants to keep its customers in their ecosystem. They want you to buy more and more of their equipment and not some other brand. They don’t care that much about their customers’ needs. It’s a sad profit-oriented reality we live in.
All the best,
Steve