Apple’s newest wireless headphones, the AirPods Pro, were unveiled during the company’s “Far Out” event on Wednesday. Even though these AirPods won’t be available for purchase until September 23 (you can preorder them now), there is still a great deal that can be done with the AirPods that you may already possess.
Apple’s wireless headphones, whether they’re the original AirPods, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, or the over-the-ear AirPods Max, all share a number of features that expand their use beyond just listening to music wirelessly.
You’ll find a rundown of the basics below, followed by pointers on how to extend the life of your battery, exchange music with a family member or close friend, and personalize the interface.
1. Use your Find My network to find a misplaced earpiece.
It’s simple to misplace a single AirPod, but with Apple’s Find My app, you can easily find it again. Connecting your AirPods to your Apple ID and activating Find My on your iPhone will allow you to see exactly where you last left them. If you misplace one of your AirPods and it is in the Bluetooth range of your other Apple devices, you may use it to make a sound that will help you locate it.
To do so, open the Find My app, choose the Devices tab, touch on the AirPod you want to locate, and then select Play Sound. Apple’s iOS 15 updates the Find My app to work further away from your device, allowing you to find your misplaced AirPods Pro or AirPods Max even if they aren’t in Bluetooth range.
2. Keep one earbud in and switch out the other to save battery life.
While I’ve never had to charge my AirPods for more than a day, heavy users who make several phone calls each day may see battery drain more quickly. You just need one AirPod to use it independently as a Bluetooth headset. Keep the second one in the case so that it can charge, and then switch between them as necessary. The other bud effortlessly takes up the task.
3. Use an Apple Watch to see the remaining charge on your AirPods.
Here’s a nifty tip for those of you who possess an Apple Watch: After positioning the open AirPods case next to your watch, open Control Center and choose the battery option from the menu. You will see battery life information not just for your watch’s battery, but also for your AirPods and the case they are stored in.
4. Quick And Easy Pairing For Apple Wireless Headphones
When using AirPods for the first time, pairing them takes no more than three seconds. Simply open the charging case, wait for your phone to notify you, and then hit the Connect button. Actually, that’s all there is to it.
As long as you are using the same iCloud account, you do not need to repeat these procedures on any other Apple devices. If you’ve linked your AirPods with your iPhone, they’ll also work with any other Apple device, including the Apple TV, iPad, and Mac. It’s a very neat thing to do.
5. They’re Not Only For Use With Apple Goods, Though.
To begin pairing with a new device, place the AirPods in their charging case, flip the lid up, and then press and hold the tiny button on the case’s back until the white LED light begins blinking. After that, you should be able to find them in the Bluetooth connection settings of an Android phone, as well as a computer or a TV.
6. Say “Hey, Siri!” And Your AirPods Will Immediately Respond.
You can activate Siri with a “Hey Siri” wake command on AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. If you’re wearing AirPods and your iPhone is in another room, you can say “Hey, Siri” to manage volume, music playing, message sending, and more. ‘Hey, Siri!’ continues to function while using AirPods with an Apple Watch as long as the watch has internet connectivity.
7. Modify The AirPods’ Controls To Your Liking.
While in the settings menu, you can also customize the double-tap and press-and-hold gestures for both AirPods. If you want to reconnect your AirPods to your iOS device, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then tap Bluetooth. Next, hit the I symbol next to AirPods. By tapping either left or right, you may adjust the individual AirPod’s settings or turn off all interactions.
8. AirPods may serve as a hearing aid.
The Live Listen function on your iPhone transforms your wireless headphones into instant hearing aids. After some initial setup, you can put your iPhone on a table in front of you and still have it transmit your audio to your AirPods, allowing you to have a more natural conversation without having to move any closer to either of you.
Click the plus sign (+) next to Hearing in Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls on your iPhone. To activate Live Listen, open Control Center on your iPhone, slide to the Hearing symbol, and then tap the toggle to turn it on. Repeat the previous procedures in Control Center to deactivate the function.
9. No One Can Use Your AirPods Without Asking.
What happens if another person attempts to use your AirPods? A notification notifying them that the AirPods do not belong to them appears. It’s reassuring to know that whoever borrows your AirPods won’t be able to use them secretly without your knowledge, but they can still connect them with their iPhone by tapping Connect.
10. Update AirPods’ Firmware
Apple has been secretly updating the firmware of AirPods to improve performance. You can’t manually upgrade the firmware, but you can make sure you’re running the most recent version.
Put in your AirPods and go to General > About in Settings on your iPhone. The firmware version may be seen along with other technical details about your AirPods by scrolling down until you see the name of your device and tap it. Whether you know the model name of your AirPods, you may use that to do a Google search for your device’s firmware version to see if you have the most recent update.
11. Let Siri read you your messages.
Without lifting a finger, Siri will read you any incoming messages via your AirPods. If you want to respond to the message, all it takes is a fast voice command. It’s a very handy thing to do. If you don’t want to use this function, you can disable it under Settings > Siri & Search > Announce Messages.
12. Sharing Phone Calls
Like sharing headphones, but without the cord, two people may share a set of AirPods. However, AirPods can only have one of their microphones activated at a time. That rules out the possibility of a joint phone conversation. You might have one person do the talking while the other one listens.
In order to permanently assign one AirPod as the device’s microphone, go to Settings > Bluetooth > press the I next to your AirPods > Microphone > and finally pick the AirPod you want to use as the device’s microphone.
13. Audio Sharing.
Use the new Audio Sharing function if a friend or family member who also has AirPods wants to listen in on something that you are currently listening to, such as a new album or a program that is being streamed. First, ask your buddy to hold their iPhone close to the top of yours, and then follow the on-screen directions.
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