Questions people ask
Short answers, each with a link to the long version.
The basics
What is Auracast?
Auracast is Bluetooth's broadcast mode. One transmitter sends audio into the air and any number of nearby earbuds, headphones or hearing aids can tune in, with no pairing. It is part of Bluetooth LE Audio and is a trademark of the Bluetooth SIG. Read more
How is Auracast different from normal Bluetooth?
Normal Bluetooth is a phone call: one source, one listener, both agree first. Auracast is a radio station: anyone in range tunes in, and the source never knows how many are listening. Read more
Do I need to pair with a broadcast?
No. Your phone or your device finds the broadcast and joins it. Some broadcasts need a password or a QR code scan; none need pairing. Read more
What does an Auracast assistant do?
The assistant, usually your phone, scans for broadcasts and tells your earbuds or hearing aids which one to join. It is a remote control. The audio never passes through it. Read more
Is Auracast secure?
A broadcast can be open or encrypted with a password. Venues use open broadcasts for announcements and encrypted ones for anything private, and the password can be delivered by QR code so nobody types it. Read more
What is the range?
Consumer dongles reach about 30 metres indoors. Venue transmitters are rated at 100 metres or more and can be chained to cover a stadium. Read more
What is the sound quality like?
Auracast uses the LC3 codec at up to 48 kHz. Venue announcements run at lower rates; TV and music broadcasts sound as good as ordinary Bluetooth, and often better than the SBC codec most older headphones use. Read more
Is there a delay?
Consumer transmitters add 50 to 120 milliseconds, which is fine for TV and announcements and noticeable in rhythm games. Venue systems are tuned to under 40 milliseconds. Read more
What does LC3 mean?
LC3 is the codec LE Audio uses. It delivers the same quality as SBC at about half the bit rate, which is why LE Audio earbuds last longer on a charge. Read more
Why do different brands call it different things?
Samsung calls it Audio broadcast, Google calls it Audio sharing, Microsoft calls its two-headset version Shared audio. They all rest on the same Bluetooth broadcast standard, but Microsoft's is not an open broadcast. Read more
Phones
Does my phone support Auracast?
Samsung Galaxy S23 and newer, Z Fold5 and Flip5 and newer, Pixel 8 and newer (not the 8a or 9a), Sony Xperia 1 IV and newer, and recent Xiaomi and POCO phones can find and join broadcasts. Use our checker for your exact model. Read more
Does the iPhone support Auracast?
No. iOS 26 and iOS 27 have no LE Audio or Auracast, and the iPhone 17 and 18 do not expose it. Hearing aids with their own assistant app still work from an iPhone. Read more
Can AirPods join an Auracast broadcast?
No. AirPods' audio sharing and the AirPods Pro hearing-aid mode are Apple features, not Auracast. Read more
I have an iPhone and hearing aids. Am I stuck?
Not if your aids are from ReSound, Jabra, Beltone, Oticon, Philips, Starkey, Bernafon or Phonak: their apps act as the assistant on iPhone. Widex and Signia have no iPhone path yet. Read more
Can my phone broadcast to other people?
Samsung, Pixel, Xperia and Xiaomi phones can broadcast their own media. Samsung's One UI 8.5 can also broadcast the phone's microphone. Read more
Does Windows 11 do Auracast?
Not properly. Shared audio sends LE Audio to exactly two paired headsets on Copilot+ PCs, and Windows cannot scan for or join a broadcast. A USB dongle does the job. Read more
What about a Mac?
No Auracast in macOS. A USB-C dongle such as the Creative BT-W6 or Sennheiser BTD 700 turns a Mac into a broadcaster. Read more
Gear
Do I need new earbuds?
Only LE Audio earbuds can join a broadcast, and not all LE Audio earbuds have the feature switched on. Our product database lists every pair we have confirmed. Read more
Which earbuds work today?
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro and newer, Sony WF-1000XM5 and XM6, Sony WH-1000XM6, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 and Accentum, JBL Tour Pro 3, Jabra Elite Gen 2, Technics AZ100, LG xboom Buds and Creative Aurvana Ace, among others. Read more
What does "Auracast ready" mean on a box?
It means the radio can do it and the maker has not switched it on. Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 5, Phonak's Infinio and Signia's MaX all ship this way. We mark them Firmware pending. Read more
Can I broadcast my TV to the whole family?
Yes. Some LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips TVs broadcast on their own. Any other TV can with a transmitter such as the Sennheiser BTA1, Avantree Audikast 4HA or HomeSpot BA210 plugged into its optical or 3.5 mm output. Read more
Which TVs have Auracast built in?
LG 2025 OLEDs and QNED85 and up, Samsung's high-end Neo QLED 8K and Micro LED sets from 2023, Panasonic's 2024 and 2025 premium sets, and most of Philips' 2026 range. Read more
Can my old headphones join a broadcast?
Not directly, but a receiver such as the Avantree AuraClip or AuraGo plugs into any wired headphones and joins on their behalf. Read more
Does a soundbar receive Auracast?
No soundbar from Samsung, Sony, Sonos or Bose receives or transmits Auracast as of October 2026. Arcam's amplifiers are the only hi-fi gear that does. Read more
Can JBL speakers join a broadcast?
JBL's 2025 speakers use Auracast to link to each other, not to join a phone or venue broadcast. The Soundcore Rave 3S is the one mainstream speaker documented as joining an open broadcast. Read more
What is the cheapest way to try Auracast?
A Creative BT-W6 dongle for about A$90 and a pair of Galaxy Buds or Sony earbuds you may already own. Or a HomeSpot BA210 on the TV. Read more
Hearing
Which hearing aids have Auracast?
ReSound Nexia, Vivia, Savi and Sensia; Jabra Enhance Pro 30 and Select; Beltone; Oticon Intent, Zeal, Verit and Reveal; Philips HearLink; Starkey Edge AI and Omega AI; Phonak Audéo Eon. Widex Allure works from Android only. Signia MaX and Phonak Infinio are waiting on firmware. Read more
Is Auracast replacing hearing loops?
Slowly. Most venues are keeping the loop and adding Auracast, because loops work with every telecoil hearing aid ever made and Auracast only with new ones. Expect both for years. Read more
My hearing aids have a telecoil but no Auracast. What can I do?
A receiver with a neckloop, such as the Avantree AuraCoil or a venue's loan receiver, turns the broadcast into a loop signal your aids can hear. Read more
Does Auracast count as hearing augmentation under Australian building rules?
The National Construction Code requires hearing augmentation where there is a permanent PA, and AS 1428.5 does not yet name Auracast. Venues treat it as a receiver-based system and keep a receiver fleet. The standard is expected to catch up. Read more
Venues
Where can I use Auracast today?
In Australia: Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall, ICC Sydney, QPAC and every University of Queensland lecture theatre. Abroad: Frankfurt and Munich airports, Brighton Station, Vue Cinemas and dozens of theatres. Our directory lists them. Read more
How do I join a broadcast at a venue?
Open your phone's Bluetooth settings, find Audio broadcast or Audio sharing, and pick the venue's stream, or scan the QR code on the signage. Hearing-aid wearers use their maker's app. Read more
I run a venue. What does it cost to add Auracast?
A single-room transmitter from Avantree is about US$300; a professional two-stream unit from Listen Technologies, Williams AV, Bettear or Opus runs US$1,300 to $2,400 before installation, plus loan receivers. Read more