Whether your phone supports Auracast depends on the model. As of mid-2026, Pixel 8 and newer phones and recent Samsung Galaxy phones can find and join Auracast broadcasts, but iPhones can’t, and most budget earbuds can’t receive them either. Auracast needs three things to work together: a source that broadcasts, a receiver such as earbuds, and a phone or app that finds the stream.
That matters if you’re about to buy earbuds because the box says “Auracast.” The feature is real and promising, but today it’s easy to pay for something you can’t use. Here’s a quick check, built from manufacturer pages, news coverage and user reports. We haven’t tested Auracast ourselves.
What Auracast Does
Normal Bluetooth connects one source to one pair of earbuds. Auracast lets one source broadcast audio that many nearby receivers can join. Soundcore describes it as a broadcast feature built on Bluetooth LE Audio. You join by scanning a list of nearby broadcasts or a QR code, per the Bluetooth SIG as summarized by Trusted Reviews.
The 3-Part Check
All three parts must support it. If one fails, the others don’t help.
| Part | What it needs | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Source (broadcasts the audio) | A phone, TV, speaker or add-on transmitter that supports Auracast | Some phones can broadcast. Most TVs need a plug-in transmitter |
| Receiver (your earbuds) | Auracast support, not only “Bluetooth 5.3” | Few budget earbuds list it |
| Assistant (finds the stream) | A phone or app that scans for broadcasts | Android phones, yes. iPhones, no |
Screenshot this table before you shop.
Which Phones Work
Samsung. Soundcore’s Auracast page lists the Galaxy S23 and later, Galaxy Z Fold 5 and 6, Z Flip 5 and 6, and Tab S9 FE and later, plus older Samsung devices updated to One UI 6.1. That’s a manufacturer blog, so check Samsung’s current list for your exact model.
Google Pixel. Android Authority reported that Google announced Auracast for the Pixel 8 series and newer on September 3, 2025. The Pixel 9 series had earlier support, but only for compatible hearing aids. The article says you can share audio to multiple compatible earbuds, tune into others’ broadcasts, and join by QR code or Fast Pair.
iPhone. No, according to every source we found. In 2024, an EarFun staff member told a customer the iPhone doesn’t support Auracast in any role. An Apple Community thread from September 2024 got 70 “me too” votes on the same question, and the one reply agreed Apple hadn’t enabled it. In June 2026, the hearing-technology site Aurahear reported that Apple’s WWDC26 keynote announced no Auracast implementation for iOS 27 and no Bluetooth LE Audio support. One seller blog says iOS 17 and later can decode LE Audio, which conflicts with those sources, and we couldn’t verify it. Apple has no official statement we could find.
Which Earbuds Work
Your earbuds must support Auracast receiving, which also means LE Audio. Android Authority names Galaxy Buds 3, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Pixel Buds Pro 2, and EarFun says its Air Pro 4 supports it. Avantree, a seller, says headphones that only support the older SBC or AAC codecs will reject the stream.
Two warnings. First, Android Authority noted the earlier Pixel rollout was uneven: Auracast was blocked on the Pixel Buds 2a and disabled on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 when connected to a Pixel phone. That was at the time of the report, and things may have changed. Second, a spec line like “Bluetooth 5.3” doesn’t prove Auracast. Look for the word itself.
A Warning From User Reports: Firmware Can Break It
A Pixel 8a owner on EarFun’s community forum wrote in June 2025 that Auracast worked on the Air Pro 4 until the earbuds updated to firmware 0.3.7. After that, both EarFun’s app and Qualcomm’s Auracast app failed to connect. A second unit on firmware 0.3.5 still worked. Another Pixel 8 owner reported the same on firmware 0.3.7, even after upgrading to Android 16, and said turning off “LE Audio” for the device restored a working connection, though that turns off LE Audio itself. EarFun’s staff reply asked the poster to email their order number and gave no explanation or fix.
That’s two users on one model, not a proven bug, and we can’t say whether it was fixed. It does show that Auracast depends on firmware, so if it works on your earbuds, it’s reasonable to read user reports before installing an update. That last point is our suggestion, not advice from EarFun.
What You Can Actually Do With It Today
| What you want | What you need | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| Share audio with a friend | An Android phone that can broadcast and two Auracast earbuds | Works only if both receivers support it |
| Quiet TV in a shared room | An Auracast transmitter for the TV, or a TV that broadcasts | Check our TV earbuds guide first; a regular transmitter may be cheaper |
| Join a public broadcast at a venue | An Android phone and earbuds with Auracast | We couldn’t verify which local venues broadcast |
| Hear venue audio with an iPhone | A separate receiver or an app from a device maker | Aurahear says some makers offer Auracast Assistant features in their own apps |
Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs can broadcast natively, per WhySoGeek, but that article gives no sources, so confirm it on Samsung’s site. For most other TVs, Avantree sells a TV transmitter, but that’s a seller’s product page and we haven’t tested it.
Range, Delay and Privacy
Soundcore says range can reach 100 m outdoors but is typically 20 to 30 m indoors, and claims latency under 40 ms in some cases. Those are manufacturer figures, not our tests, and Avantree’s own page gives conflicting range numbers. Public streams are open to anyone nearby, while private streams use a passcode or QR code. Avantree advises against joining unverified public broadcasts.
Should You Buy Earbuds for Auracast?
For most people, not yet. Buy earbuds for sound, fit and battery first, and treat Auracast as a bonus. It makes sense if you have a recent Samsung or Pixel phone, you want to share audio, and the earbuds you’re considering list Auracast by name. Keep the return window open, and test it on day one. If you’re also fixing laggy video audio, see Bluetooth earbuds out of sync with video, and for call quality see why Bluetooth earbuds sound bad on calls, where LE Audio comes up again.
👉 Browse Bluetooth Transmitters for TV | Browse Earbuds With LE Audio
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my phone support Auracast? Pixel 8 and newer phones, and Samsung Galaxy S23 and later, support it according to Google’s announcement as reported by Android Authority and Soundcore’s list. iPhones don’t support it, as of June 2026 reports.
Does the iPhone support Auracast? No, according to the sources we found. Aurahear reported in June 2026 that Apple did not announce Auracast for iOS 27. Check Apple’s current software notes, since this can change.
Do my Bluetooth earbuds support Auracast? Only if the maker says so. Auracast needs LE Audio and Auracast receiving, not just a recent Bluetooth version. Check the spec sheet for the word “Auracast.”
What do I need to use Auracast? A source that broadcasts, a receiver that supports Auracast and a phone or app that finds the stream. All three have to be compatible.
Why did Auracast stop working after an update? Two EarFun Air Pro 4 owners reported it failing after firmware 0.3.7 in 2025. We can’t confirm the cause or whether it was fixed, so check user reports before updating.
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Sources: Android Authority — Google Pixel phones Auracast support launch | Aurahear — Apple disappoints on Auracast support at WWDC26 | Trusted Reviews — What is Auracast? | Soundcore — What is Auracast? | Avantree — How can I listen to Auracast broadcasts? | WhySoGeek — Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio 2026 guide | EarFun Community — No Auracast support after update anymore | EarFun Community — Air Pro 4 Auracast | Apple Community — Does Apple devices support Auracast?