Apple introduced its first pair of AirPods in 2016, and the little white wireless earbuds have made a significant impact on the audio hardware market since then. Just about every phone maker now puts out their own version of the AirPods, including Google and Samsung.
We’ve seen multiple models launched, but they’ve all been consistently simple to set up and simple to use—it’s part of the AirPods’ appeal. That said, if you dig a little deeper into their functions and features, there are plenty of useful tricks you can do with these buds.
1. Use one AirPod
Using one AirPod can give you double the time between battery charges, and while you lose the stereo effect, it’s perfectly fine for calls and podcasts. There’s actually a mono audio option you can make use of on iPhones and iPads too. From Settings, choose Accessibility > Audio & Visual, then turn on the Mono Audio toggle switch.
2. Connect to more devices
You might think AirPods only work with other Apple devices, but that’s not the case: They’ll connect to anything that supports Bluetooth, so you can use them with phones, TVs, laptops, and more. You just need to find the Bluetooth menu: On Google Pixel phones, open Settings then choose Connected devices > Pair new device, for example.
To put the AirPods in pairing mode, put them in their case, open the lid, then double-tap the front of the case (AirPods 4) or press and hold the setup button on the back (any other AirPods). If you’ve done this right, and assuming the buds have some battery life, the status light should flash white and you can select the AirPods on your other device.
3. Know the gestures
Your AirPods support multiple touch gestures, so you can control audio playback without touching your phone. The supported gestures vary depending on the model, but on the latest AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, you can press the stem to play and pause audio, double-press the stem to skip forwards a tack, and triple-press the stem to skip back.
These latest AirPods models also let you nod your head to accept incoming calls, and shake your head to reject them—this should work automatically as long as you’ve configured Siri to work with calls on your AirPods. If you head into the attached settings on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS, you can customize the gestures used by your AirPods too.
4. Check on the charging status
Wondering whether your AirPods case has fully charged? When you plug in your AirPods case or put it on a wireless charging mat, you’ll either see an amber light (charging) or a green light (charged)—but you can actually show this light at any time by tapping on the front of the case. Check a connected iPhone, iPad, or Mac for more charging details.
5. Become more adaptive
If you have the AirPods 4 or the AirPods Pro 2, you can take advantage of a suite of Adaptive Audio features. The clue is in the name: These features change the way that audio is piped into your ears, based on the sounds in your immediate environment, so you’re consistently getting the best results no matter where you are.
With your earbuds in your ears, open up the Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then tap the volume control. You’ll be able to manage the level of noise cancellation based on your environment, and turn Conversation Awareness on or off, which automatically enhances the voices of the person in front of you when you start speaking to them.
6. Enable spatial audio
Another neat feature (exclusive to the AirPods 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Pro models) is spatial audio. The feature is intended to create a surround sound experience as you move your head, as long as you’re listening to an audio source that supports the standard: Apple TV and Apple Music do of course, as do Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and others.
To enable it through your AirPods, open up the Bluetooth menu in Settings (iPhones or iPads) or System Settings (Macs). Tap the small blue info button next to your AirPods, then pick Personalized Spatial Audio and Personalize Spatial Audio. You’ll then be taken through the setup process, which includes a 3D scan of your face via your device’s camera.
7. Keep track of your AirPods
You can use the Find My app on your Apple devices to locate lost AirPods, as well as phones, tablets, watches, and computers. To make sure your earbuds are included, open Bluetooth from Settings (iOS or iPadOS) or System Settings (macOS), then tap the small blue info button to the right of your AirPods—revealing a Show in Find My option.
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