Every time that I look this up, all the websites or articles say the answer is switching the settings to "When last connected to this Mac". I don't want the AirPods to ever automatically connect to my Mac, even when it was the last device it was connected to. Does anyone have any ideas for this?
AirPods (3rd generation)
This thing drove me crazy for years. I'm using my AirPods only with my iPhone and larger headphones with Mac and never want it to switch back and forth, but it always does.
I might have just solved it with AirPods 4. It works under the latest macOS at the moment (15.3).
I looked in all possible places where settings can be stored and found something interesting, and it likely works.
Steps:
1 - Connect AirPods to Mac, go to Settings, select "When last connected to Mac".
2 - Open Terminal, run the following command, you will be asked for a password.
sudo defaults read /Library/Bluetooth/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileBluetooth.devices
The output will look something like that:
{
... different stuff ...
"FC:A5:C8:B8:07:67" = {
... different stuff ...
OwnerNoMagicPairing = 0;
... different stuff ...
UserNameKey = "My AirPods 4";
... different stuff ...
};
... different stuff ...
}
You are looking for the section with your AirPods name in UserNameKey; it should (but probably might not) have the OwnerNoMagicPairing key set to 0.
Next, you need to copy the top-level key of this section ("FC:A5:C8:B8:07:67" in case above).
3 - Run the following command, replacing "FC:A5:C8:B8:07:67" with your specific value from above.
sudo defaults write /Library/Bluetooth/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileBluetooth.devices "FC:A5:C8:B8:07:67" -dict-add OwnerNoMagicPairing -int 1
You may rerun the first command to check that now OwnerNoMagicPairing set to 1.
4 - Open AirPods settings again, check that "When last connected to Mac” is still selected, and click disconnect.
After that, when I insert my AirPods, it connects to my iPhone.
On Mac, click connect on AirPods, and it switches to Mac.
Put AirPods back to the case, take them out, and insert them again - they still connect to my iPhone, even though they were last connected to Mac and even if my iPhone screen is off.
Play anything on Mac and AirPods doesn’t switch to it automatically.
Fn fantastic!
My AirPods 2, which I no longer use but still added to my settings, also have this key. So this should work with other Apple headphones too.
Johnthewineguy wrote:
Can there be a setting of [never connect to this device]?
I'm not a programmer so I can't answer that. You can, however, let Apple know what you'd like to see here:
I want to have bluetooth turned on with my MacBook, my kid's, my wife's. All 5 family/work iPads; all our AirPods, our Beats headphones...
Are you sharing an Apple ID? If so, this is only one of many problems you'll have. Yes, you can sometimes work around them but those workarounds tend to break with iOS updates. And Apple is quite definite that they don't support sharing of Apple IDs. They don't prohibit it but nor do they go out of their way to make it any easier.
kochxbos wrote:
The 'connect to airpods' drives us crazy.. help
I don't know who the "us" is you speak for. However, the "us" that is your fellow users here in this forum can't change anything.
Submit feedback to Apple using the previously provided link.
Thanks for the reply Bryan. I mention the "When last connected to this Mac" option in my post. I don't want the AirPods to ever automatically connect to my Mac, even if they were last connected to my Mac. I want to fully disable the ability to connect automatically. I can't believe that it's not one of the options.
One of the reasons for this is when I go to check the battery level of my AirPods. When I open the case next to my iPhone, showing the battery levels, it switches the audio to my AirPods, which is not what I want.
Just to give some extra context as to why the current functionality isn't acceptable, if I am in a meeting on my laptop in Zoom or Teams using the speakers, and then I get a phone call, I want to be able to answer my phone with my airpods. However, they frequently connect to the laptop, and then I have to go through a few seconds trying to hear and be heard on the phone call. I NEVER connect my airpods to my laptop on purpose. The settings are already on "when last connected to this Mac." But, if my phone is locked and the top of the AirPods container/charger is opened, it will auto connect to the laptop. I have to be VERY careful to pick up my phone and make sure the screen is at least on before I open them. That is a ridiculous, cumbersome, non-intuitive, HORRIBLE UX. I understand the intent - the execution is poor.
I have the same issue. I have unpaired and paired my AirPods Pro several times, setting both my MacBook Pro and iPad to the 'When last connected to this device' and whenever I open my Mac the AirPods connect to that instead of the iPhone.
Another example is if I'm been listening to an Audiobook and someone calls me and I answer it. When the call ends the AirPods prefers to disconnect from my iPhone and either connect to the iPad or MacBook even though they were active on my iPhone before and during the call, and I've never actually connected them to the iPad or MacBook. The 'When last connected to this device' clearly doesn't work, and I should be able to chose if I even want the AirPods to connect to my iPad or MacBook.
Mojo987 wrote:
When the call ends the AirPods prefers to disconnect from my iPhone and either connect to the iPad or MacBook even though they were active on my iPhone before and during the call, and I've never actually connected them to the iPad or MacBook
Exactly same behaviour
I have this same issue, selecting 'when last connected to this Mac' does NOT work and I am frankly SO sick and tired of Apple deciding what is 'convenient' for me and NOT leaving room for my preference to override that I am, after switching to Mac three years ago, I am SO ready to sell each and every Apple device I own and go back to when I and I ALONE had control over my computer, my phone, my car stereo, my music library, my headphones. This is the single BIGGEST achille's heel of the entire Apple ecosystem - the arrogant, presumptuousness to leave me out of the decisions as to how and when I can use the devices I own..ESPECIALLY given the premium you pay for them. After purging my iPhone of my ENTIRE Apple Music library because Apple didn't have the sense, or regard, to put into place an option to NOT have it automatically start playing from my library EVERY time the phone connects to the car...every time I START the car, every time I END a phone call, every time I take off my Airpods...to the point of absurdity. It's been a problem for YEARS and they've done NOTHING, just as they will, I have NO doubt, do NOTHING to fix THIS ridiculous failure.
I've had enough - I simply didn't have these kinds of ridiculous issues when I used a PC and an Android phone and I will be more than happy to go back to life without them.
I'm having similar problems and it's driving me crazy. I watch TV on my phone while working on my laptop a lot and about 10+ times a day it will pause my show because my computer randomly stole the connection to my airpods. I never click anything telling it to switch and I'll be in the middle of watching when it stops.
As I said in my last post it's working perfectly for me. I have B/T set as follows on my iPhone as follows:
and on my iMac:
If both are set as shown in the screenshots and the last time you used the AirPods was with the iPhone it will always connect to the iPhone and give not notification on the Mac.
This is horrible UX.
I can't opt out, when I removed my AirPods from my Mac they also got automatically removed from my iPhone!
I had an interview and my iPhone was used as the camera! Why are these features turned on automatically!?
Seriously, from now on I used wired headphones for important things. Bluetooth is not reliable so don't automatically opt us in and assume your workflow works for everyone and every situation.
It seems that you haven't read the description of the post, only the title. What I wanted to achieve was being able to use my AirPods on my Mac sometimes, while stopping them from ever automatically connecting. The solution that Old Toad provides only solves the issue if I never wanted to use the AirPods on the Mac. This would be easy for Apple to solve by adding "never" as an option for automatically connecting.
THE dumbest function ever. Eventually, the "when last connected..." works but the problem is that the AirPods seem to arbitrarily "forget" any devices at some point ("Not your AirPods?") and so you have to reconnect the BluTooth again which brings all the devices back to default. So annoying. The worst is when I'm at my desk and and put my AirPods on and ask SIRI to "Call (anyone)" and then it connects to my computer! My computer doesn't even make phone calls! Dumb dumb dumb. Should be a simple button in the control centre to "connect to AirPods". The Apple "hand holding" always drives me nuts.
After reading the e updates on this thread saying the 'When last connected' had been fixed I turned Bluetooth on on my MacBook and iPad again, and it seemed to work. However, today I was listening to an audiobook on my phone (only device where the AirPods Pro are set to connect automatically) and received a call, which I answered, and when the called hung up the AirPods disconnected from the phone altogether. Guessing it connected to some other device I've not used the AirPods on.
Such a shame that this is still not resolved... it drivers me crazy that the airpods keep connecting to my iMac, when i am walking around with my airpods connecte dto my iPhone.. This is a real bugging thing...
APPLE - here's a use case for you...I use the Mac Studio to create music. Hence, I use an audio interface with studio monitors to output the sound from my Mac Studio. Never in a million years would I use AirPods with my Mac. With my phone, I have a mobile interface to interact with. After creating, I pop in my AirPods to hear music from my iPhone (as I work around the house). But, oh wait - I CAN'T. Because my Mac Studio stole the connection. A simple (user) solution is to add the "never" option for AirPods connectivity with Mac products. Apple *was* unique because they put users first. Today, it feels like a competition product and quality is fading. I never thought I'd see the day that Apple became an inferior product. Please return to your roots as a user centric brand.
-Disappointed user
P.S.
When pairing to AirPods (most commonly used on the go), why would a stationary object, such as the Mac Studio take priority over my (mobile) iPhone? Bluetooth is convenient on the go. If I have a desktop set up that never moves, it's highly likely that I'm using wired speakers.
How to FULLY stop AirPods from automatically connecting to Mac.
