Hidden Windows 11 feature could bring multi-device audio playback In the latest Windows 11 test build, a hidden Windows 11 Shared Audio feature has been discovered bringing a functionality that users have been pining for — the ability to play back audio on multiple devices. This would be a huge boom for user experience, particularly for those with a Bluetooth headset, wired speakers or a combo of both.
Discovered by Windows Insider @phantomofearth, this unannounced Windows 11 Shared Audio option starts up in the quick settings menu, next to the commonplace “Project” button. Once turned on, it will ask users to select one or more audio devices to emit sound through at the same time.
Shared Audio from Windows 11, up to now was not included in the Windows 11 natively. The users had to depend on third party tools like OBS to stream the sound on multiple devices simultaneously. The handicrafts won’t be necessary if the Windows 11 Shared Audio feature finally arrives, which would bring Windows on par with competing platforms that already boast a similar feature set.
A good bit of that curiosity comes from the question of whether the new Windows 11 Shared Audio feature will play nice with Auracast or allow even wilder combinations of audio devices, like Bluetooth earbuds, hearing aids and old school wire headphones. Though the stable build of Windows 11 already supports Bluetooth LE Audio — and dual device connections, for that matter — the latter is strictly controlled, and users will need to set it up manually for each device.
The recently teased Windows 11 Sharing Audio feature might just be the unified ux-needed answer. It also makes it easier to manage audio across multiple devices by allowing users to select all output devices together from the quick settings.
However, this Windows 11 Shared Audio feature isn’t something Microsoft has confirmed in an official capacity. There has been nothing in the Insider blogs or docs, which adds to the mystery of this feature. Should testing go well, this feature may be live in the stable branch of Windows 11 before long.
For Windows 11 devotees who multitask audio or share content with a friend in the same room, Shared Audio could be a game-changer, streamlining audio sharing, making it more intuitive, more flexible and quicker.
