Alexi CharlesFeb 4, 2023
Marco Arment

I love when I put in my AirPods, click the stem to presumably start playing from the phone in my pocket, and instead, music begins playing on my Mac in the next room…

which I've told it NOT to auto-connect to…

and it plays through the computer's speakers, not even through the AirPods!

(I wish there was a global setting to tell a pair of AirPods, “Always reconnect to the last-used device. Never ever ever automatically switch.”)

Feb 4, 2023 at 10:24pmIvory for Mac
Show threadMatt WilcoxFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment likewise a setting on the phone: my default app to play when you've forgotten things is NOT music, it's Overcast. Overcast. Play overcast!
Show threadPeter ChristensenFeb 4, 2023
@mattwilcox @marcoarment A thousand times this!
Show threadScott Davidson 🎸📝🕹️Feb 5, 2023
@mattwilcox @marcoarment I have the opposite. I ask SIRI to play a song, even if I include the “title by artist,” SIRI Hal 9000’s me and says I need to grant permissions access to Overcast to do that. BUT I DON’T LISTEN TO “Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden,” in Overcast, SIRI. One would think the maker of the Apple Music app, oh say APPLE would know this. Sometimes I even say “Play song by artist (in/with) Apple Music and it still tries to invoke Overcast. wth
Show threadLinkeFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I know this pain. So frustrating.
Show threadgaro  Feb 4, 2023
@marcoarment oh Apple, you and your “it just works” games 🙄
Show threadTim ReedFeb 4, 2023
@garo it just works, just not always the way you want it to…
Show threadJemal Cole Loves Each of YouFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment setting every device not to auto-connect works for me, but the frustrating part is that auto-connect is SO CLOSE to working right, but too exasperating when it fails.
Show threadKurtFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment I click and it connects to the iPad Pro in my backpack (that I never connect to) and starts playing random music.

Happens. All. The. Time.

Show threadJeffFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Sometimes my Powerbeats pro will automatically connect to my daughter’s iPad, even though I’ve said it to never connect automatically.
Show threadPer CederbergFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I love when I take out one AirPod, the music stops playing. But when I then take out the other, it resumes. 🤦‍♂️
Show threadNickFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment related: I love when a song on Apple Music for some reason will start playing on my Apple TV, superseding whatever my wife is watching, instead of on my AirPods that I clicked to play. and for whatever reason it’s surprisingly difficult both to replicate and to fix when it does happen.
Show threadgeekwonkFeb 5, 2023

@evrythngwastakn @marcoarment
This happens on the homepod mini in our nursery.

I’ll tell the homepod to play the sound of rain, then navigate by hand on my phone to start the lullaby.

30% of the time it will decide I did not select my phone as output, I must mean the homepod because it’s right there and just started, and so it will now replace the rain sounds.

Show threadTodd JordanFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment at least it will pair. Tried to no avail to pair my airpods to the work laptop. It wouldn't take bluetooth headphones of any sort apparently. The new one, works find and correctly identified the AirPods straight out.
Show threadDGPFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Apple: It just works! except when it doesn’t, since we provide neither logs for insight, nor configuration for you to customize!
Show threadEduardo RamosFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment this never happens to me, so weird…
Show threadsayrerFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment you have to look at the phone. this always works, and I have them paired to 4 devices. (like pick your song and FaceID it).

I will say that Overcast is the best app at switching between all of these things. Even the Tesla rwd/ffwd buttons are better than like, the BBC.

Show threadRenFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment The additional problem I’ve had recently is that my watch sometimes “steals” the AirPods from my phone _while_ I’m listening, just because it is announcing something. As far as I can tell, there’s no way to turn off auto connect for the watch.
Show threadStuart IsaacFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment I had no idea you could initiate playback that way 🤯

And yes, 100% agree on the Marco setting for AirPods.

Show threadPaul McGraneFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I understand the predicament but I don't experience that problem. When wear AirPods (regular №3) nearby my Macintosh, both machines see them. But it's my iPhone that takes over the audio. And that's what I want.
Show threadPeter LioFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Agreed. I get the idea and think it is admirable, but it’s time for Apple to re-think this. Will it be a more sophisticated flow chart type questionnaire? Or just a good, old-fashioned set of toggles in a preference window… it is difficult to capture the desired behavior in a number of circumstances, so I get why they are shying away from this.
Show threadtambourinemanFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I miss cables. Unambiguous connections.
Show threadMatthew HammFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Mine randomly connect to a mystery device but seemingly only when I’m outside. So I’ll be mowing the lawn and as I approach the house they’ll disconnect from my phone, connect to something else, and then reconnect to my phone as I’m mowing back the other way.
I believe I have everything set to not auto connect and it only happens in that scenario, so I can’t figure out what the offending device is.
Show threadScott Davidson 🎸📝🕹️Feb 5, 2023
@brainfed @marcoarment Sounds like RF interference in your yard. This is a big problem right now at truck stops since all the routing, logs, and communication tech in a semi have gone to a combination of Bluetooth and cell signals.
Show threadMatthew HammFeb 5, 2023
@ScottXD @marcoarment That’s interesting! And makes more sense than anything I came up with so far.
Show threadopkopkFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment the auto-connect behavior seems to reset to promiscuous after either an AirPod firmware update or maybe a macOS update. I wish it would persist.
Show threadJasonFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment speaking of the reverse. When I take my AirPods out it always defaults back to my Mac Studio internal speaker instead of my DAC. This is new in Monterey. Anyone figure out a work around?
Show threadFreediverXFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment
Don’t worry, with Apple eliminating executive level product positions and letting the operations guys run every facet of the business, I’m sure the quality of their user experience will continue to improve over time.
Show threadzemackdaddyFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment You're way past me. I'm still stuck at why does this one song I never listen to always play when my phone connects with BT to my car?
Show threadWesFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I love how my AirPods Max always connect to my max, but the max never switches to them for audio output. Then, miraculously, it will for a couple days before giving up again. I literally never use them for anything else, but my phone or iPad will be like hell yeah, let’s output through those headphones you’re not wearing.
Show threadChristopher TipperFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I’ve been fighting my HomePod all day with handoff and I’m convinced they messed it up at some point in last few months like there’s a chaos monkey in Apple’s labs
Show threadMarcos HuertaFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I had a fun fail state where I was trying to use my AirPods in the front seat of the car; and it kept connecting to the iPad the toddler was using in the back seat (with wired headphones.). It was impossible to resolve without turning off auto-connect which i could not do until we stopped. I had to just give up using the AirPods until then.
Show threadShottyFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment my personal favourite is when I hit play and Apple Music starts playing despite Overcast (or Spotify) being the only things I listen to. Happens multiple times a day.
Show threadSystem IV, Building KFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment The very, very best thing, for me is when I bump my AirPods Max on my desk, even slightly, and an utterly pointless, non-interactive, MODAL dialog takes over my iPad screen.

It does not have any function, that I can discern, it’s not offering connection or control of any sort, except to wait for me to dismiss the 3D rendering of the product I already bought.

At least it knows what color they are.

Show threadgeekwonkFeb 5, 2023

@goodthinking @marcoarment

It’s truly wild to me that they made this dialog non-interactive. It could so easily offer the opportunity to connect or swipe away.

Show threadEric Böhnisch-VolkmannFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Oh yes please.
Show threadAdiFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment You’d think that this would be fixed because the Cupertino people (execs in particular) would be feeling this pain the most…. But years later, here we still are…
Show threadDanielFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment yep… my baby can confirm that this is a wonderful behavior.
Happened a couple of times waking her
Show threadCaryJMFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment replaced mine w a pair of Bose earbuds for this precise reason. Also, the feature downgrades due to firmware updates that I had no control over.
Show threadacer149Feb 4, 2023
@marcoarment
Show threadjohnwhitleyFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I call this class of error "Insufficient Magic" and some days I feel like it's Apple's biggest UX fail category.
Show threadDave DiamondFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment You've got magic beans and you want to control how and where they grow? 🙂🫘
Show threadforrestthewoodsFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment AirPod sync is broken as fuck.

I connected my AirPods to my partner’s iPad. Huge mistake. Now I constantly get notified that “Forrest’s AirPods Pro” have been following me. It’s so embarassingly bad.

Show threadJason Petersen (he)Feb 4, 2023

@marcoarment I’ve seen a thing lately where I put up my Pros and switch to normal AirPods for whatever reason and they nominally connect. The icon shows on the Lock Screen. But they never actually play and trying to un-then-reconnect spins forever.

Killing Overcast fixes it. No clue who’s fault it is, but if I get more details I’ll pass them on.

Show threadACFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Mac AirPods autoconnect is the worst. Weirdly, Mac HomePod autoconnect is also the worst. One works when you want, the other fails as often as it works.
Show threadAlex PandelidisFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment yeah, I’ve had some frustrating AirPods auto connect issues as well. I’ll often be listening to something off my iPad, pause what I’m listening to, press the AirPods and it will start playing whatever from my phone (with no interaction with the phone).
Show threadJorge RosasFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment this morning instead of playing overcast it turned on my tv and started playing Plex. The tv was off, and I pre-played a second of overcast to prime it up.
Show threadCeolafFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment smartest thing you’ve ever said, written or done (professionally).
Show threadAlticusFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment This ranks up there with clicking the stem and Apple Music launches and just starts playing random music EVEN THOUGH the last thing playing was a podcast in Overcast.
Show threadatomicangelFeb 4, 2023

@marcoarment I wish my AirPods would just stay connected to my iPhone. As in, while playing something, don’t randomly disconnect and go to mono mode while you “reboot” or whatever it is your doing.

Sidebar: this doesn’t happen when I pair them to a non Apple device.

Show threadBilly AdamsFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment mine will sometimes randomly connect to my laptop, closed, in my bag.
Show threadJon KitFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I think it’s fun. It’s a guessing game of, “what source is this audio coming from and where in my house do I have to go to fix this?” :(
Show threadJosh WoldFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment this 10000%!!!
Show threadHendrik KueckFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment I thought that only happened to me. Good to know it is not something weird about my setup, but some weird Apple bug. So baffling.
Show threadGregneeFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment Weird. I have never seen this particular behavior myself (AirPods Pro, iPhone 13 Pro, M1 MacBook Air).
Show threadsbradycalhounFeb 4, 2023
@marcoarment sadly I just turn off Bluetooth on the other devices. I’m watching tv on an iPad with AirPods and responding to this on an iPhone sans the tooth.
Show threadReid SorensonFeb 5, 2023
@marcoarment Also when it decides to start playing a completely random song in Apple Music rather than the podcast you were just in the middle of…
Show threadDavid NelsonFeb 5, 2023
@marcoarment An adjacent complaint: I wish my phone could be told to never switch outputs when audio is playing. Or, I wish I could designate a specific output as preferred if multiple are available. Specifically I would never want to send audio to anything other than my AirPods when they are connected.
Show threadjohn 🎧Feb 5, 2023

@marcoarment What is even more baffling is that I have all 3 pairs of Apple current AirPods lineup and OG AirPods 2 and have never experienced this behavior. I swap between my TV, iPhone, iPad Pro, MacBook Air and  Wattch Ultra multiple times each day via auto-connect or the pop-up prompts.

Clearly others have shared in your experience. I wonder what causes this behavior to affect some and not others.

Show threadKevin AielloFeb 5, 2023
@marcoarment Additional complaint: The fact that my AirPods do not have a real “off” mode for battery-saving. It’s a poor decision. My previous Jabra headphones had a long-press that would really turn them off. Due to this: they would last much longer than AirPods do (which basically drain battery relatively fast when unused.)
Show threadNate BallantineFeb 5, 2023
@marcoarment 1000% with you on this