Windows 11 now lets you share audio with two Bluetooth devices, but there's a catch

In what seems like a major step for Windows 11 users, but is truly a feature that should have been available for quite some time, Microsoft is now testing a feature that allows audio to be shared simultaneously with two Bluetooth audio devices.

4

However, there is a catch. The new feature is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and is not available on the average Windows 11 desktop. While not fully implemented across Windows 11, the test marks a shift in Windows finally adopting multi-device audio streaming.

According to Microsoft's blog post, shared audio enables a PC to transmit its audio output to two Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices simultaneously. For those wondering, this means Bluetooth devices such as headphones, speakers, or even hearing aids can be used simultaneously. Microsoft notes that the feature is still in testing and may not be widely available or stable for all users.

4

The ability to stream to multiple devices is not new. In fact, Mac users have long been able to use built-in tools to achieve this. For Windows, the challenge lies in hardware limitations. Most current Bluetooth hardware on PCs cannot support multiple audio streams, meaning users may still need third-party tools to route audio to multiple devices simultaneously.

4

Microsoft's move to adopt Bluetooth LE is an indicator that the new Bluetooth standard will eventually become the industry-wide standard. However, widespread adoption will depend on both software updates and hardware manufacturers catching up. For now, the feature remains a work in progress, but I'm very glad to see progress being made in the right direction.