Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools enhancements, seamless support for ChatGPT, and visual intelligence.
Apple Intelligence has also begun language expansion with localized English support for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Learn more >
Apple Intelligence has also begun language expansion with localized English support for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Learn more >
You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When I get my new iPhone 7, with the included Lightning EarPods, how will I be able to connect them to my brand new MacBook with Retina display?
Is there an adapter that converts USB-C to Lightning, or the 3.5mm headphone jack to Lightning?
Woodwyn wrote:
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
And despite some know-it-all's opinions here, this means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
Also from Apple's Official Support Page as of December 13, 2016:
Use Apple headphones with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod - Apple Support
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
iPad Models
iPod Models
And despite some know-it-all's opinions here, this means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
The 3.5mm EarPods are compatible with all Apple devices, including the iPhone 7 with a 3.5mm adapter. Therefore, any person who buys an iPhone 7, will be getting something less in terms of compatibility than what Apple gave them with every previous iPhone and iPod they ever purchased, without informing them explicitly of the limitations. If that person gave away their old iPhone along with the original 3.5mm EarPods, then they will have to buy another set of headphones in order to use them the way in which you suggest with your simplistic view of this problem.
And finally, your solution involves a dongle, an adapter, or whatever you want to call it. Adapters and dongles and such, are not elegant solutions, nor are they generally intended as a permanent fix. You are suggesting them as a permanent fix in order to use one pair of wired headphones between multiple Apple devices, or anything else.
Regardless, you're saying if they had done a little bit of research, they would have, what? Not purchased the iPhone 7 at all? Not purchased a native accessory to use with the iPhone 7 that isn't compatible with anything else? Learned to live with a dongle/adapter with the iPhone 7? Switched to inferior fidelity BlueTooth headphones, which may have performance problems on some devices? Resigned themselves to carrying multiple pairs of headphones?
Ultimately your advice does nothing to help solve the original, legitimate problem (like a few others here) -- which is how to use Lightning headphones on a Macintosh in particular, and other standardized audio interfaces in general. You're totally missing the forest for the trees here.
Woodwyn wrote:
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
Which means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
The 3.5mm EarPods are compatible with all Apple devices, including the iPhone 7 with a 3.5mm adapter. Therefore, any person who buys an iPhone 7, will be getting something less in terms of compatibility than what Apple gave them with every previous iPhone and iPod they ever purchased, without informing them explicitly of the limitations. If that person gave away their old iPhone along with the original 3.5mm EarPods, then they will have to buy another set of headphones in order to use them the way in which you suggest with your simplistic view of this problem.
And finally, your solution involves a dongle, an adapter, or whatever you want to call it. Adapters and dongles and such, are not elegant solutions, nor are they generally intended as a permanent fix. You are suggesting them as a permanent fix in order to use one pair of wired headphones between multiple Apple devices.
Regardless, you're saying if they had done a little bit of research, they would have, what? Not purchased the iPhone 7 at all? Not purchased a native accessory to use with the iPhone 7 that isn't compatible with anything else? Learned to live with a dongle/adapter with the iPhone 7? Switched to inferior fidelity BlueTooth headphones, which may have performance problems on some devices? Resign themselves to carrying multiple pairs of headphones.
Ultimately your advice does nothing to help solve the original, legitimate problem (like a few others here) -- which is how to use Lightning headphones on a Macintosh in particular, and other standardized audio interfaces in general. You're totally missing the forest for the trees here.
I did research before I bought my headphones and I purchased the Bose QC35. I can connect wirelessly OR with a wire to my iPhone-7, my iMac, my MBP and my television audio out. Because of the convenience of the wireless connection, I never use the wire. The QC35 has the added benefit of noise cancellation. The icing on the cake is that the QC35, at $350, is less than half the price of the status headphones that don't do the job for you.
Philly_Phan wrote:
Woodwyn wrote:
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
Which means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
The 3.5mm EarPods are compatible with all Apple devices, including the iPhone 7 with a 3.5mm adapter. Therefore, any person who buys an iPhone 7, will be getting something less in terms of compatibility than what Apple gave them with every previous iPhone and iPod they ever purchased, without informing them explicitly of the limitations. If that person gave away their old iPhone along with the original 3.5mm EarPods, then they will have to buy another set of headphones in order to use them the way in which you suggest with your simplistic view of this problem.
And finally, your solution involves a dongle, an adapter, or whatever you want to call it. Adapters and dongles and such, are not elegant solutions, nor are they generally intended as a permanent fix. You are suggesting them as a permanent fix in order to use one pair of wired headphones between multiple Apple devices.
Regardless, you're saying if they had done a little bit of research, they would have, what? Not purchased the iPhone 7 at all? Not purchased a native accessory to use with the iPhone 7 that isn't compatible with anything else? Learned to live with a dongle/adapter with the iPhone 7? Switched to inferior fidelity BlueTooth headphones, which may have performance problems on some devices? Resign themselves to carrying multiple pairs of headphones.
Ultimately your advice does nothing to help solve the original, legitimate problem (like a few others here) -- which is how to use Lightning headphones on a Macintosh in particular, and other standardized audio interfaces in general. You're totally missing the forest for the trees here.
I did research before I bought my headphones and I purchased the Bose QC35. I can connect wirelessly OR with a wire to my iPhone-7, my iMac, my MBP and my television audio out. Because of the convenience of the wireless connection, I never use the wire. The QC35 has the added benefit of noise cancellation. The icing on the cake is that the QC35, at $350, is less than half the price of the status headphones that don't do the job for you.
Good for you. Still doesn't answer the question originally posed. Nor does it necessarily apply to anyone else's needs. But sure -- why not just interject your opinion where it's not being requested?
Woodwyn wrote:
Philly_Phan wrote:
Woodwyn wrote:
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
Which means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
The 3.5mm EarPods are compatible with all Apple devices, including the iPhone 7 with a 3.5mm adapter. Therefore, any person who buys an iPhone 7, will be getting something less in terms of compatibility than what Apple gave them with every previous iPhone and iPod they ever purchased, without informing them explicitly of the limitations. If that person gave away their old iPhone along with the original 3.5mm EarPods, then they will have to buy another set of headphones in order to use them the way in which you suggest with your simplistic view of this problem.
And finally, your solution involves a dongle, an adapter, or whatever you want to call it. Adapters and dongles and such, are not elegant solutions, nor are they generally intended as a permanent fix. You are suggesting them as a permanent fix in order to use one pair of wired headphones between multiple Apple devices.
Regardless, you're saying if they had done a little bit of research, they would have, what? Not purchased the iPhone 7 at all? Not purchased a native accessory to use with the iPhone 7 that isn't compatible with anything else? Learned to live with a dongle/adapter with the iPhone 7? Switched to inferior fidelity BlueTooth headphones, which may have performance problems on some devices? Resign themselves to carrying multiple pairs of headphones.
Ultimately your advice does nothing to help solve the original, legitimate problem (like a few others here) -- which is how to use Lightning headphones on a Macintosh in particular, and other standardized audio interfaces in general. You're totally missing the forest for the trees here.
I did research before I bought my headphones and I purchased the Bose QC35. I can connect wirelessly OR with a wire to my iPhone-7, my iMac, my MBP and my television audio out. Because of the convenience of the wireless connection, I never use the wire. The QC35 has the added benefit of noise cancellation. The icing on the cake is that the QC35, at $350, is less than half the price of the status headphones that don't do the job for you.
Good for you. Still doesn't answer the question originally posed. Nor does it necessarily apply to anyone else's needs. But sure -- why not just interject your opinion where it's not being requested?
Your original question asked for an answer to a problem that you yourself created. Again, next time investigate before making a purchase.
Philly_Phan wrote:
Woodwyn wrote:
Philly_Phan wrote:
Woodwyn wrote:
Not very helpful Philly_Phan. Apple provides a pair of Lightning EarPods with the iPhone 7. Unlike the iPhone 6s & SE, those Lightning EarPods are ONLY compatible with the following (from Apple's website):
COMPATIBILITY
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
Which means the Lightning EarPods aren't even compatible with iPad mini 1, the iPod Touch 5, nor the iPod nano currently being sold. They are also not compatible with any Lightning device not running iOS 10.
The 3.5mm EarPods are compatible with all Apple devices, including the iPhone 7 with a 3.5mm adapter. Therefore, any person who buys an iPhone 7, will be getting something less in terms of compatibility than what Apple gave them with every previous iPhone and iPod they ever purchased, without informing them explicitly of the limitations. If that person gave away their old iPhone along with the original 3.5mm EarPods, then they will have to buy another set of headphones in order to use them the way in which you suggest with your simplistic view of this problem.
And finally, your solution involves a dongle, an adapter, or whatever you want to call it. Adapters and dongles and such, are not elegant solutions, nor are they generally intended as a permanent fix. You are suggesting them as a permanent fix in order to use one pair of wired headphones between multiple Apple devices.
Regardless, you're saying if they had done a little bit of research, they would have, what? Not purchased the iPhone 7 at all? Not purchased a native accessory to use with the iPhone 7 that isn't compatible with anything else? Learned to live with a dongle/adapter with the iPhone 7? Switched to inferior fidelity BlueTooth headphones, which may have performance problems on some devices? Resign themselves to carrying multiple pairs of headphones.
Ultimately your advice does nothing to help solve the original, legitimate problem (like a few others here) -- which is how to use Lightning headphones on a Macintosh in particular, and other standardized audio interfaces in general. You're totally missing the forest for the trees here.
I did research before I bought my headphones and I purchased the Bose QC35. I can connect wirelessly OR with a wire to my iPhone-7, my iMac, my MBP and my television audio out. Because of the convenience of the wireless connection, I never use the wire. The QC35 has the added benefit of noise cancellation. The icing on the cake is that the QC35, at $350, is less than half the price of the status headphones that don't do the job for you.
Good for you. Still doesn't answer the question originally posed. Nor does it necessarily apply to anyone else's needs. But sure -- why not just interject your opinion where it's not being requested?
Your original question asked for an answer to a problem that you yourself created. Again, next time investigate before making a purchase.
Maybe you should just stop responding to requests for help you have no helpful responses to?
Adding you to my mental ignore list. Cheers.
Woodwyn wrote:
But, now that Beats has announced a $100 pair of Lightning only earphones, I'm thinking there may finally be a Lightning adapter introduced for use with other devices ...
Naah... Clearly one pair is intended for the Mac and other similar devices while the other pair is intended for iPhones. You might have a point if they offered ONLY the Lightning version. Actually, wired earphones are so 20th Century. Wireless is the way to go in this modern era. My headphones interchange easily from my Mac to my iPhone to my television sound adapter.
Philly_Phan wrote:
I can't believe all this back & forth. The solution is simple. Use an old-style 3.5mm set of earbuds. Use the earbuds by themselves when connecting to the MBP and use the 3.5mm-Lightning adapter that came with the iPhone-7 when connecting to the iPhone. Then the only extra baggage is the small adapter.
Rrally? So your solution for me to use these $800 Audeze Lightning headphones bought at the Apple Store with my iPhone 7, is to buy a different set of headphones for use with my MacBook, and carry an adapter for use with my iPhone?
What do you suggest I do with the Audeze headphones, since the Apple return window has expired? Sell them on eBay?
Is Apple supporting Lightning headphones or not? They give them away with the iPhone, they sell them in their stores, the publish specs to design them, and more are becoming available on the market. Yet there's no way to use them on anything but some Lightning Devices, including Macs. Who in their right mind is going to spend $800 on a pair of headphones like that? Or even $30, for a pair of Lightning EarPods also sold at the Apple Store?
Woodwyn wrote:
Philly_Phan wrote:
I can't believe all this back & forth. The solution is simple. Use an old-style 3.5mm set of earbuds. Use the earbuds by themselves when connecting to the MBP and use the 3.5mm-Lightning adapter that came with the iPhone-7 when connecting to the iPhone. Then the only extra baggage is the small adapter.
Rrally? So your solution for me to use these $800 Audeze Lightning headphones bought at the Apple Store with my iPhone 7, is to buy a different set of headphones for use with my MacBook, and carry an adapter for use with my iPhone?
What do you suggest I do with the Audeze headphones, since the Apple return window has expired? Sell them on eBay?
Is Apple supporting Lightning headphones or not? They give them away with the iPhone, they sell them in their stores, the publish specs to design them, and more are becoming available on the market. Yet there's no way to use them on anything but some Lightning Devices, including Macs. Who in their right mind is going to spend $800 on a pair of headphones like that? Or even $30, for a pair of Lightning EarPods also sold at the Apple Store?
Actually, my suggestion is that you do just a tiny bit of investigation prior to spending $800 for headphones.
Woodwyn wrote:
When I get my new iPhone 7, with the included Lightning EarPods, how will I be able to connect them to my brand new MacBook with Retina display?
Is there an adapter that converts USB-C to Lightning, or the 3.5mm headphone jack to Lightning?
I can't find a female lightning to male 3.5mm adapter so I have isolated a workaround.
I'm not sure if it would work but consider these.
A female lightning to male microusb adapter
and, a female micro usb to male 3.5mm adapter.
It's a donglebook anyway so why not add 2 more.
https://www.amazon.com/OEM-Sonim-3-5mm-MICRO-Adapter/dp/B0060752F0
http://wholesale.onchee.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_130&product s_id=2170
Alternatively you could try buying the apple male lightning to female 3.5mm adapter and buy a male to male 3.5mm adapter and connect it that way.
LukaDev wrote:
I can't find a female lightning to male 3.5mm adapter so I have isolated a workaround.
I'm not sure if it would work but consider these.
A female lightning to male microusb adapter
and, a female micro usb to male 3.5mm adapter.
It's a donglebook anyway so why not add 2 more.https://www.amazon.com/OEM-Sonim-3-5mm-MICRO-Adapter/dp/B0060752F0
http://wholesale.onchee.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_130&product s_id=2170
Alternatively you could try buying the apple male lightning to female 3.5mm adapter and buy a male to male 3.5mm adapter and connect it that way.
Thanks for posting and trying to help, unlike some others here who offer only their biased, often belittling, opinions rather than trying to find a solution. It is indeed unfortunate that we are 5 months into the iPhone 7 and there is still no commercial solution, even being rumored, on the horizon to enable a Lightning headphone to be used with anything else.
So you're saying you have not actually tried these solutions?
The main problem I see with the first solution is that there is no power provided to convert the analogue signal from 3.5mm to a digital signal which the Lightning headphones need. So that one is a non-starter.
The second solution doesn't make sense as the Lightning headphones have a male connector, so they would need a powered female to female Lightning adapter to connect them, AND power would need to be applied at some point to convert the analogue signal to a digital one.
Again thanks for trying to help.
I'm still incredulous that there is no solution for using a pair of Lightning headphones on a Mac, 5 months after being introduced, much less any other type of standard audio port. New Lightning headphone products are being introduced at CES with only one set of devices capable of utilizing them.
And I love how some here think that it's an acceptable solution that anyone who uses the included Lightning EarPods, which are also sold separately by Apple, should be considered for use solely with the iPhone 7 -- or by extension, ANY LIGHTNING HEADPHONE for that matter -- and should carry a second set of headphones for everything else. That's the most idiotic thing anyone could ever propose to solve this problem Apple created by removing the headphone jack.
I can't believe all this back & forth. The solution is simple. Use an old-style 3.5mm set of earbuds. Use the earbuds by themselves when connecting to the MBP and use the 3.5mm-Lightning adapter that came with the iPhone-7 when connecting to the iPhone. Then the only extra baggage is the small adapter.
Yes, Apple supports Lightning headphones on their devices that have Lightning connectors. The Audeze headphones rely on an an iOS app to get the full utility from them, did you not do any research or read the box before you bought them? And the people who are going to use them are those who using devices with Lightning connectors. Nowhere on Apple's site, nor Audeze, does it say those headphones will work with any device that does not have a Lightning connector. Sounds like a consumer problem to me.
To the extent purchasing Lightning headphones expecting broader compatibility beyond the iPhone 7 and a few other Lightning equipped devices (its not even compatible with all Lightning equipped devices), and not receiving that support is a customer problem; I suppose I would agree. Any customer that would support such a company that would promote Lightning audio products (while simultaneously limiting any wired connections to Lightning only), and then not support this new de facto audio standard with all of their own products, much less any other industry standard audio device; indeed has a problem.
Is this to be the new motto: "Welcome to Apple where the customer is always wrong, and the buyer should beware"?
It's really too bad there's no way to block unhelpful responses on these communities.
How Can I Use My Lightning Headphones With My New MacBook?
