Most commonly this is because the headphones you are using do not support Apple's head tracking technology, Core Motion. See here for a list of headphones that support Dynamic Spatial Audio.
If you are using supported headphones, please check the following common issues:
- Are your headphones connected to your device? You can check this by opening System Settings > Sound > Output > Airpods (visible if connected)
- Are your headphones in/on your ears? Head tracking only works when both earpieces are in-place on your head, removing an earpiece or lowering your earphones can pause motion tracking.
- From time to time, your AirPods may need to be reset. Return them to their case for 10 seconds and re-connect them to your device.
- Have motion tracking permissions been granted? Portal requires access to your headphones' motion data for Dynamic Spatial Audio to work. You should have been prompted for this when first connecting but you can double check that Motion & Fitness permissions have been granted by System Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness > Portal.
- Is your device's software up-to-date? Head tracked spatial audio support requires macOS Sonoma or later.
- Restart your device. Sometimes a little nudge can help reset things and get them back on track.
If you've checked all the above and are still experiencing issues connecting your headphones with Portal, please email us at hello@portal.app and we'll help get things back on track.
