Want to watch the same movie with family members on a plane, but still allow each person to use their own audio device? Microsoft is previewing a new feature that will allow Windows 11 users to share audio over Bluetooth LE. The audio sharing feature should support any headphones, speakers and hearing aids with Bluetooth LE compatibility, and it will allow users to share the same audio stream to two sources at once. Bluetooth LE refers to Bluetooth Low Energy, which uses significantly less power than traditional Bluetooth.

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«Built on top of Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology, shared audio lets your supported Windows 11 PC transmit an audio stream to two Bluetooth audio accessories at the same time,» Microsoft said in a blog post. «Shared audio lets students share music with a friend while studying or brings family members closer by watching a movie together on an airplane.»

Insiders will receive a new shared audio preview tile in Windows Quick Settings, enabling the feature. Users then connect their Bluetooth device and add a second one. The PC will transmit audio to both devices once both are connected. 

Microsoft is rolling out the update for supported Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices starting Monday, and it will roll out to other devices in the coming weeks. You can also check settings to determine if your Bluetooth device is compatible with Bluetooth LE, which will make it compatible with audio sharing.

Your Bluetooth device must support Bluetooth LE to use the feature. Fortunately, most of the best headphones on the market today do, which will make the transition easier if you already own top-tier Bluetooth headphones. 

Doing more with Bluetooth LE

The preview comes amid a larger push from Microsoft to bolster its Bluetooth audio offerings. Part of that included a super-wideband stereo profile for gamers, which uses better audio compression and a higher sample rate to improve audio quality over Bluetooth LE while allowing users to keep using their microphones. Microsoft has also recently rolled out spatial audio support over Bluetooth in Teams, which will add some new functionality for your favorite work-from-home headphones.

Bluetooth LE has been a hot topic for operating system updates over the last couple of years, and Microsoft’s preview will bring Windows 11 back into parity with its competitors. Android users received shared audio over Bluetooth LE earlier this year, while Apple users have had the feature on iPhones and iPads for a few years. MacOS also has the feature.

Apple is turning to Google to make a custom Gemini AI model to power the next version of its virtual assistant Siri for spring 2026, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Sunday. 

According to the report, Apple was evaluating whether to use Google or AI competitor Anthropic for the next version of Siri. Gurman says Google offered a better financial deal. In an earlier Bloomberg report, he says Anthropic would have cost Apple $1.5 billion per year. The report doesn’t reveal Apple’s own financial offer.

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This custom Gemini model will run on Apple’s private cloud compute servers. Apple’s own models will continue to run on devices for personal data, while Gemini would operate on servers for more complex tasks. Gurman also says that Apple won’t highlight Google’s involvement in the company’s marketing. 

Representatives for Google, Apple and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

With major tech companies pivoting toward AI, Apple has largely been left behind. The tech company was slow to adopt AI and hasn’t developed AI models that are competitive. It instead turned to companies like OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, to help add generative capabilities on top of existing Apple systems. 

Even then, the promise of a truly agentic Apple Intelligence has failed to materialize, although it has improved. Apple CEO Tim Cook also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of acquiring an AI company.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Apple also has a close relationship with Google. The search giant pays Apple $20 billion annually to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. It’s a relationship that nets Apple money and prevents it from building a competitor to Google Search, a claim Apple denies. This arrangement was an important factor in the Department of Justice’s case against Google, where a judge ruled that the company was operating an illegal monopoly. 

Despite falling behind on AI, Apple is doing well financially. Last month, it surpassed a $4 trillion market cap.