How to stream audio from iPhone or iPad without AirPlay

AirPlay is a great way to beam audio from your iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV, Airport Express, or AirPlay-compatible speaker. But what about speakers, sound systems, and audio sources that aren't AirPlay compatible? That's where BlueTooth comes in. It's a standard and it's getting better all the time. Here's how you get that set up with your iPhone or iPad.

How to pair Bluetooth headphones or speakers

You can pair any modern Bluetooth headset or speaker with your iPhone or iPad by following these instructions.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Put the Bluetooth device you wish to pair into pairing mode. How you do this depends on the device.
  4. Tap the name of your Bluetooth product under Other Devices.

Open Settings, tap Bluetooth, tap device name

Depending on your Bluetooth device, you may need to enter some sort of pairing code.

How to select a Bluetooth audio source in Settings

You can select your Bluetooth audio source within the Settings app.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Tap the name of the device you want use under My Devices.

Open Settings, tap Bluetooth, tap device name

How to choose a Bluetooth audio source from Control Center

Of course, the quickest way to select a new source for your audio involves a quick finger flick and a swipe to the left or right.

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad's screen.
  2. Swipe to the playback control card. From the primary Control Center card, it's a swipe to the left, while it's a swipe to the right from the HomeKit card.

Swipe up, swipe left or right

  1. Tap the device name at the bottom of the card to bring up a list of streaming devices.
  2. Tap the name of your Bluetooth product on the list.

Tap device name, choose audio source

Questions?

If you need to know anything else about streaming audio from your iOS devices, be sure to ask in the comments.

Joseph Keller

Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.