Apple’s dynamic head tracking is here if you’ve got some fantastic AirPods

In June, Apple introduced both lossless audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio at Apple Music. While there were restrictions on which gadgets could handle what, you didn’t need AirPods to get the benefit. However, with IOS 15 public release, Apple has also added Dynamic Head Tracking and for that you will need a pair of AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.

Small reminder: Dolby Atmos is a specific surround sound format that allows you to simulate a three-dimensional space. What Apple calls spatial audio is like an extra layer thanks to dynamic head tracking. How it works is, it corrects where the sound seems to come from, no matter where you are in this soundscape. Say therefore that you hear voices coming from before you. If you turn your head to the right, voices will now sound as if they are coming from your left earphone. If you turn your head to the left, it will sound like it’s coming from your right earpiece.

This is a great feature, but it will only work if you have AirPods, and the more expensive ones. Classic AirPods don’t support dynamic tracking; the only ones that do are the ridiculously expensive ones AirPods Max and the AirPods Pro. (This is because the feature relies on accelerometers to detect the movement of your head.)

If you to do have a pair of AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, all you need to do is update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 15 Where iPad 15, respectively. (We have a handy guide on how to do here.) Once done, you just need to verify that Atmos is turned on. You can do this by going to the Settings application, scroll down to Music, so audio. From there you should see the Dolby Atmos setting. In Apple Music itself, there are also Spatial Audio playlists to get you started and Apple has since added a tutorial track featuring Olivia Rodrigo’s song “good 4 u” to show how it works.

That said, if you don’t have an AirPod, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Dolby Atmos at all. You can. It will just be the “normal” kind. As for the sound, it’s impressive but slightly less noticeable for music, especially if you’re only listening to songs for background noise. In our experience, dynamic head tracking is much more noticeable when using AirPods to watch movies, especially action scenes. Still, if immersive audio is your thing and you’ve got the gear, it’s a good thing to try for yourself.