Does Windows 11 support Auracast? Not really, and here is what does

Short answer: no. Windows 11 cannot scan for an Auracast broadcast, and it cannot join one. A Windows laptop in a theatre, an airport or a church with Auracast hears nothing.

What Windows 11 does have is a feature called shared audio. It uses the same LE Audio broadcast technology as Auracast to send your PC's sound to two headsets at once. That is useful, and it is why you will read that Windows "supports Auracast", most recently in TIME's Best Inventions list. But it is a private stream to two devices, not an open broadcast anyone nearby can tune into.

If you want a Windows PC to send a real Auracast broadcast, plug in a USB dongle. More on that below.

What shared audio does

Microsoft introduced shared audio as a Windows Insider preview in October 2025, at first only on a handful of Copilot+ laptops: Surface Laptop and Surface Pro with Snapdragon X, and Samsung's Galaxy Book4 Edge. In June 2026 the update KB5094126 started rolling it out more widely, and in July Windows Latest reported it was reaching all compatible PCs, not just Copilot+ models.

It works like this:

1. Pair and connect two Bluetooth LE Audio accessories: earbuds, headphones, speakers or hearing aids.
2. Open Quick Settings and choose the shared audio tile.
3. Start sharing. Both accessories play the same sound, in sync. Choose Stop sharing to end it.

Microsoft's preview post named Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Buds3 and Buds3 Pro, the Sony WH-1000XM6, and recent ReSound and Beltone hearing aids as working accessories.

The limits:

• Two accessories, maximum. An Auracast broadcast has no listener limit.
• Both must be paired to the PC. Nobody can walk up and join.
• No discovery. The stream does not show up on anyone's phone as a broadcast to pick.
• No receiving. Windows only sends. It can't pick up a broadcast from a TV, a venue or another device.

Microsoft's own blog post does not call shared audio Auracast. It describes it as built on LE Audio broadcast.

Does my PC have LE Audio?

Shared audio needs a PC whose Bluetooth hardware and drivers support LE Audio. To check:

1. Open Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, then Devices.
2. Look for a switch called Use LE Audio when available.
3. If it is there, your PC supports LE Audio. If it is missing, it doesn't, and only a new Bluetooth adapter will change that.

Windows Latest says you need Windows 11 build 26100.8522 or 26200.8522 or newer, so install the latest updates first. Rollout is gradual, so the shared audio tile may take a while to appear even on a supported PC.

How to make a Windows PC broadcast Auracast

A USB transmitter dongle does what Windows can't. The PC sees it as an ordinary audio output; the dongle turns that sound into a proper Auracast broadcast that any number of Auracast earbuds, headphones or hearing aids can join. Creative says the BT-W6 also works with a Mac, a PS5 or a Switch.

The Creative BT-W6 (about US$47) is the cheapest way to do it. Its Broadcast Mode can be open or password-protected. Make sure you buy the W6: the older BT-W5 looks almost identical and does not do Auracast.

The Sennheiser BTD 700 (US$59.95) does the same job and adds aptX Lossless for Sennheiser headphones.

How to listen to a broadcast on Windows

You can't, from Windows itself. The receiving has to happen in your earbuds, headphones or hearing aids, and the choosing in your phone or the earbuds' app. If you are at a venue with your laptop, use your phone to pick the broadcast. Our guide on how to join a broadcast walks through it, and our phone guide lists which phones can.

Will Windows get full Auracast?

Microsoft hasn't said. Its driver documentation for hardware makers already describes broadcast source and broadcast sink (receiving) audio formats, so the plumbing is there. But Microsoft has announced no consumer feature for finding or joining a public broadcast, and no date. We will update this page when it does.