How to Connect AirPods Max to Apple TV

If you are wondering how to connect AirPods Max to Apple TV, then you are in the right place. Wait no longer, here are the best ways to connect your new AirPods Max to Apple TV.

AirPods Max Overview

The AirPods Max, Apple’s first noise-canceling headphones, are big, expensive, and flashy. They sound fantastic with most music genres. On top of that, the AirPods Max is also perfect for watching movies because of its fancy virtual surround. Plus, the headphones also offer the latest noise-canceling technology on the market.

Besides the amazing sound quality, these headphones also have some Apple-exclusive features like spatial audio, instant pairing, and automatic switching. Moreover, its device switching feature also works with non-Apple devices. Personally, these are also some of the most comfortable headphones I have worn. The AirPods Max is particularly good for long listening sessions, despite being a bit heavier than many headphones on the market.

Pricing

AirPods Max is available to order for $549 (US) online and in Apple Stores. Apple will begin shipping the AirPods Max on Tuesday, December 15.

Availability

This is the list of OS requirements for AirPods Max from Apple:

iOS 14.3 or later
iPad 14.3 or later
macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later
watchOS 7.2 or later
tvOS 14.3 or later

Is AirPods Max Compatible with Apple TV?

As mentioned above, the AirPods Max has an auto-switching feature for both Apple and non-Apple devices. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t work with Apple TV yet. This is due to some outdated processors on the Apple TV. Therefore, users have to connect their AirPods Max via AirPlay manually now.

Even though you’re still able to hear any audio produced from the Apple TV, special features like Spatial Audio will not work. For now, the best AirPods audio experience is only on iPad and iPhone.

Despite that, you can still connect your AirPods Max to Apple TV from time to time. Below are three ways to connect audio sources like AirPods Max to Apple TV.

Control Center

Well, this is the universal way to connect your AirPods Max to Apple TV. Control Center is accessible from anywhere in tvOS as long as you have Siri Remote, Remote app on iPhone, or other remote with a TV button.

On the remote, press and hold your TV button (the one with a TV symbol on it) to open the Control Center.
Scroll down and select the bottom-middle icon. The AirPlay icon is similar to the one in the picture above.
Wait for a few seconds and your AirPods Max will appear at the top of the list below.
Select the AirPods Max to connect.

Using Playing Media

When watching content in the Apple TV app, you can swipe down on the Siri Remote to see a small menu. This menu shows subtitle and audio options that allow your Apple TV to connect to other devices. Follow these steps to do it:

Swipe down while viewing media.
Scroll to the “Audio” menu.
In the right-most list, you’ll see AirPlay options.
Select AirPods Max to switch.

Note: Not all media apps have this feature built-in. So, this method might not work with some of your apps. For example, with apps like YouTube, you can only use Control Center to switch to AirPods Max.

Apps with AirPlay Buttons

Some apps like Apple Music have AirPlay buttons built into the interface. If you see a symbol of concentric circles with a triangle pointing up in an app, then that means you can switch audio sources.