How to listen with Personalized Spatial Audio for AirPods on an iPhone

With Personalized Spatial Audio, you can use the TrueDepth camera on your iPhone to create a personal profile for Spatial Audio on your iPhone that delivers a listening experience tuned just for you.

What is Spatial Audio?

Apple says Spatial Audio gives artists the opportunity to create immersive audio experiences for their fans with true multidimensional sound and clarity. Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio experience that enables artists to mix music so the sound comes from all around and from above.

Here’s what you need

To set up Personalized Spatial Audio, you need an iPhone with iOS 16 and the TrueDepth camera.

After you sign in with your Apple ID, you can use Personalized Spatial Audio on these devices:

• AirPods Pro (1st or 2nd generation), AirPods Max, AirPods (3rd generation), or Beats Fit Pro
• Audiovisual content from a supported app.

How to set up Personalized Spatial Audio:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your Spatial Audio enabled device] > Personalized Spatial Audio > Set Up Personalized Spatial Audio.
2. To capture the Front view, hold your iPhone about 12 inches directly in front of you. Position your face in the camera frame, then slowly move your head in a circle to show all the angles of your face. Tap Continue.
3. To capture a view of your right ear, hold your iPhone with your right hand. Move your right arm 45 degrees to your right, then turn your head slowly to the left. To capture a view of your left ear, switch your iPhone to your left hand. Move your left arm 45 degrees to your left, then turn your head slowly to the right. Audio and visual cues will help you finish setup.

How to turn off Personalized Spatial Audio

On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your Spatial Audio enabled device] > Personalized Spatial Audio > Stop Using Personalized Spatial Audio.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)