Are you trying to connect two different speakers to your iPhone, but getting nowhere? This is actually a bit of a hot topic these days, and one that gets a lot of people a bit hot under the collar – why?
Well, sadly, because it might not be possible…
Despite the promises and confident assertions of so many how-to articles out there, if you have a new iPhone – made within the last decade or so – and you are trying to stream music to two different speakers, it simply might not work.
There are some ways, but only with certain speakers – specifically two or more speakers from the same company (I’ll get into that below) – and so many people who want to do this find that it’s best to start over, purchase a couple of shiny new speakers that will communicate with each other, and finally get where they want to be.
Is it Possible to Connect Two or More Speakers to an Iphone?
Yes and no.
If you are researching this topic, you very well might have read, with increasing exasperation, several articles about how exactly to use the iPhone’s own operating system – iOS – to easily connect more than one Bluetooth speaker to your iPhone.
And yes, this used to be possible – almost a decade ago.
Inexplicably, and a bit frustratingly, several years ago Apple removed from iOS this the ability to connect wirelessly to multiple speakers. Nobody seems to know why, especially since it was a very useful feature, and something people to this day are continuously trying to do, and continuously failing to succeed at.
These articles, which positively state you can definitely, and easily, do this seemingly simple task were all written many years ago (even though they may claim to have been “updated” quite recently, or have no published date on them), and I have talked to several people who have gone a little crazy trying to follow these instructions that no longer work.
But don’t give up hope!
Connecting Two or More Speakers to an Apple iPhone – One Possible Solution
There is one way, but it’s a whole different approach. There are certain brands of speakers which allow you to use more than one of their speakers at the same time – this is independent of operating system, and so works for Apple iOS, Android or any PC.
So this is where the “whole different approach” comes in – this method may require you to:
- Get new Bluetooth wireless speakers, which, BTW, don’t have to be expensive, even the best ones, but should be from the same company – ie, all Bose, all JBL, etc
- Use your iPhone to connect to one
- Then use the speakers’ own technology to have them connect to each other.
There are a few different speakers that will do this, including JBL, Bose, Denon, Sonos, Harman Kardon and others, and if you already have two or more of any of those you might be in luck – just check your user manual or the company’s online support page and you should find detailed instructions on how to daisy-chain them together, so you can play the same music on both from your iPhone.
But if you don’t (that is, if you have multiple Bluetooth wireless speakers but they are each from different companies, or if they just aren’t capable of daisy-chaining) you are probably stuck – sorry! The only option then is to purchase a couple, or a few, new speakers from one of the companies that allow multiple-speaker play.
I am happy to recommend speaker manufacturers whose Bluetooth wireless speakers will work perfectly for this application, and I would especially recommend two:
- JBL, because their speakers are affordable, incredibly well built and have really great and exciting sound.
- Bose, because they have even better sound, look beautifully and are Siri compatible.
Bose are really amazing sounding speakers, and are more appropriately dressed for most homes, but keep in mind that you can only pair 2 Bose speakers together. With JBL, party animals that they are, you can connect literally dozens and dozens of their new speakers and play them all at the same time from your iPhone!
So if you are interested in learning a little more about all of this, read on – I will offer my top picks for multiple speakers for your iPhone, and also walk you through exactly how to make it work.
How to Connect Two or More JBL Speakers to an Apple iPhone
JBL has for many years made it possible to daisy-chain two or more of their speakers together, and it’s super simple to do – the only slight complication is that newer JBL speakers can’t link with older ones.
You can, though, use any models of JBL speakers from the same generation (that is, released and available at around the same time) and link them together – like, for example, a JBL Flip 5 and a Charge 5, or two JBL Pulse 4 speakers.
I will say, though, that for stereo sound it is always best to use two of the same model speakers – again, like two JBL Pulse 4 – and some people even prefer the consistency of sound even if they are placing the speakers farther apart to fill up more space with music.
However you go, if you are buying new speakers for your iPhone, and want to connect two or more, it’s a breeze, and I think JBL speakers are about the best sounding and best made affordable Bluetooth speakers you can get.
Any of the below JBL wireless active speakers – all new and currently available models – will work beautifully, and I’ll list them here from most to least expensive:
My own choice would be to get a couple of JBL Xtreme 3, which are incredibly tough, play loud and have amazing sound at any volume, but – full disclosure! – what I actually own is a JBL Flip 5, the least expensive of our choices, but also super tough, water resistant and easy to use, and with amazing sound for its size and price – and yes, I am planning to get a second one!
The process of connecting two JBL speakers to one iPhone is simple:
- Power one of your JBL speakers on, and make sure it is linked via Bluetooth to your iPhone.
- Play music on the iPhone
- Power on the additional speaker or speakers you want to connect
- FInd and press the connection button –
- Within 30 seconds, those additional speakers should be playing the same music as the first speaker
Really, that’s it!
Keep in mind that JBL powered Bluetooth speakers won’t work with Siri, or any voice assistant, but just for music, movies or any other audio, I think they are a fantastic choice for iPhones (or really for anybody) – well made, tough and durable, easy to use and with fun, fabulous sound.
How to Connect Two or More Bose Speakers to an Apple iPhone
While JBL speakers are very durable and well built products, with a fun and exciting sound, it has to be said that for even higher quality Bose speakers are a brilliant choice.
They are exceptionally well made, with a whole new level of fit and finish and a whole new level of sound quality – incredibly rich and musical, open and detailed, with deep, fast and powerful bass, shimmering high frequencies and an almost eerily palpable presence.
Bose speakers also have the huge advantage of working with Apple Siri and allowing you to use voice commands – not all of their speakers can, but the ones I’ll list below are fully Siri compatible.
And, contrary to popular belief, Bose speakers aren’t really that expensive. If you are ready to purchase a couple of speakers so that you can play them at the same time with your Apple iPhone, these should definitely be on your short list.
Again, I would strongly recommend that you get two of the same model speakers, like two Bose Bose SoundLink Flex, but any of the below – all of them the latest models – will work with each other.
My favorite, and my best recommendation, would be the SoundLink Revolve, which is that perfect balance of affordability and superb sound, but again any of these will work easily and flawlessly in two-speaker setups with your iPhone.
You can connect two Bose speakers to your iPhone using either of two different methods. Using the speaker buttons is a bit easier, and you don’t need to download or learn the App, but either way works perfectly.
To connect two Bose SoundLink speakers together using the speaker buttons:
- Power on both of your Bose SoundLink speakers
- Pair one of the speakers with your iPhone
- On that speaker, press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume + (up) buttons at the same time, until you hear a voice prompt
- On the second speaker, press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume – (down) buttons at the same time, until you hear a tone.
- Play music!
You can now choose between “Party” mode, which plays the exact same music on both speakers, and is great for filling larger spaces, or “Stereo” mode, which sends left channel signal to one speaker and right channel to the other, offering surprisingly excellent stereo sound
- Your speakers will go into Party mode with the above instructions, and to switch to Stereo mode just press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume + (up) buttons at the same time, until a voice prompt announces “Stereo mode”
- And to switch back to Party mode, do the exact same thing
To connect two Bose SoundLink speakers together using the SoundLink App:
- Power on both of your Bose SoundLink speakers
- Pair one of the speakers with your iPhone
- Open the Bose Connect app on your iPhone and press the Party Mode icon near the bottom of the screen
- Press the Continue button and your speakers will connect with each other
- Play music!
You can now choose between “Party” mode, which plays the exact same music on both speakers, and is great for filling larger spaces, or “Stereo” mode, which sends left channel signal to one speaker and right channel to the other, offering surprisingly excellent stereo sound
- Your speakers will go into Party mode with the above instructions, and to switch to Stereo mode just press the STEREO (L/R) toggle switch at the bottom of the screen
- And to switch back to Party mode, do the exact same thing