How to Use AirPods and AirPods 2
Once your AirPods are set up and connected (or your AirPods Pro are set up), here’s how to use the most common features of the original AirPods or the second-generation AirPods 2.
AirPods Audio Controls
Play or Pause Audio: By default, double-tapping AirPods causes audio to start playing, or if it’s already playing, to pause. You can also pause the audio playing by taking the AirPods out of your ears.Skip to the next track: Double-tap AirPods (this varies based on your settings. More on that in a second).Go back to the previous track: Double-tap AirPods (this varies based on your settings, too).Answer or End a Phone Call: Double-tap either AirPod. If you’re currently on a call and have another coming in, double-tap to switch to the new call.
AirPods and Siri
How you activate Siri with AirPods depends on what model you have.
AirPods: Double-tap either AirPod and, once Siri is active, speak your command the way you usually would.AirPods 2: Assuming you chose it while setting up your AirPods, you can activate Siri simply by saying “Hey Siri,” followed by your command.
Change Audio Outputs to AirPods
Change iPhone and iPad Audio Output to AirPods: If the audio from your iPhone or iPad isn’t playing to your AirPods, you can change that. Open Control Center, then tap the media playback controls. Tap the AirPlay icon at the top corner of the panel to reveal the list of output options, then tap AirPods. Use AirPods on a Mac: Pair your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad, and make sure you use the same iCloud account on your Mac as on your iOS device. Turn on Bluetooth on the Mac, click the speaker icon in the menu bar, then choose your AirPods.
Turn Off AirPods
You can also turn off your AirPods if you know you’re not going to be using them for a while.
How to Work with AirPods Pro
If you’ve got AirPods Pro, the controls are different than the first two generations of AirPods. Here’s what you need to know.
AirPods Pro Audio Controls
Play or Pause Audio: To start playing audio, or pause audio that’s already playing, press (or click) the stem of either AirPod.Skip to next track: Double click the stem of either AirPod to skip to the next track.Go back to the previous track: Triple-click the AirPod stem to skip to the last track.Answer or End a Phone Call: To answer an incoming call, or end an active call, click the stem of either AirPod. To switch from one call to another incoming call, click the AirPod stem.
AirPods Pro and Siri
Activate Siri: If you configured “Hey Siri” when setting up your AirPods Pro, activate Siri simply by saying “Hey Siri.”
Siri Commands: Once you’ve activated Siri, you can use any of the commands Siri supports for the AirPods. These include changing the volume, pausing music, getting a battery level check, and more.Read Incoming Messages: When you set up your AirPods Pro, you can set Siri to read your incoming text messages.
AirPods Pro Noise Cancellation
AirPods Pro offer three noise reduction settings to improve your listening experience. To access them, connect your AirPods to an iPhone or iPad, open Control Center, and tap the volume control. Your options are then:
Noise Cancellation: This blocks out background noise and focuses just on the audio in your AirPods.Transparency: Reduces background noise similar to noise cancellation but lets through voices and other ambient sounds (think car sounds when you’re walking).Off: Turns off both noise cancellation and Transparency. The AirPods still work, but with all of the background noise that’s happening where you are.
Sound Quality Testing
To get the best listening experience with your AirPods Pro, you need to test the sound to see if there’s any sound leaking in or out. To run this test, connect your AirPods to your iPhone, then tap Settings > Bluetooth > the i next to AirPods Pro > Ear Tip Fit Test > Continue > Play button. The test results will tell you whether your AirPods Pro fit as well as they can or if you need a new fit.
Changing AirPods Tips for a Better Fit
If the Ear Tip Fit Test suggests you need a better fit, switch the default tips to some that fit better. To do this, pull off the current tip (it requires more force than you may expect, but it will pop up off), then press the new ones on until they snap into place.
How to Fix Problems with AirPods
Most of the time, AirPods work. But if your AirPods aren’t working, you may try troubleshooting the connection or resetting the AirPods. Or, if you’ve lost them, you can use Find My app to locate them.
