With Apple’s AirPods nestled in your ears, you can listen to your favorite music, audiobooks, and podcasts like any other pair of true wireless earbuds. But if you know the right tricks, you can also talk to Siri, control music playback, enhance the audio, translate live conversations, check the battery charge, and ping a missing earbud.
If you have an AirPods Pro model, you get even more features, including heart rate tracking during workouts, the ability to turn your earbuds into hearing aids, and more.
Whichever model you own, make sure your iPhone or iPad is running the latest version of the operating system. Go to Settings > General > Software Updates and tap Install or Update to apply the latest update. Now, here are 22 tips to help you get the most out of your AirPods.
1. Pair AirPods With a New iPhone
Connecting your AirPods to a new iPhone is usually quick, though the process varies based on your model. First, make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone. For the AirPods 1, 2, and 3 or the AirPods Pro 1 and 2, you’ll need to open the lid of the charging case and tap Connect on the card that appears on your phone. Hold the setup button on the back of the charging case with the lid open, and the earbuds should pair.
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Does that feel a bit too complicated? For the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3, Apple has a new way to connect. When you open the case and see the card on the screen, tap Connect and then double-tap the front of the charging case. If it doesn’t work, close the lid for 30 seconds and then reopen it.
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2. Pair AirPods With a Second Device
To use your AirPods with another Apple device, such as an iPad, Apple does the work for you. Once you pair your AirPods with a device, iCloud syncs that pairing with any other Apple devices connected to your Apple account. On your iPad, swipe to display Control Center, then long-press the Music card, tap the music source icon, and change it to your AirPods to use them with your iPad.
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3. Listen to Apple TV
Did you know you can watch a video or listen to music on your Apple TV and send the sound to your AirPods? To do this, open your AirPods case. Press and hold the pairing button or double tap the front of the case. Head to Settings on your Apple TV, choose Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth, and select your AirPods from the list. Once connected, the sound from your Apple TV is piped to your AirPods.
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4. Rename Your AirPods
By default, your AirPods are named Jack’s AirPods or Jill’s AirPods Pro, but you can rename them. Make sure your AirPods are in your ears and then go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone. Tap the Info icon for the earbuds, tap the Name field, and then type the new name. Tap Done to apply the change and then tap Back to return to the previous screen.
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5. Call Up Siri
Want to quickly call up Siri? By double-tapping an AirPod or pressing the stem of an AirPod Pro, you can trigger Apple’s voice assistant. To set this up, place your AirPods in your ears, go to Bluetooth settings, and tap the Info icon for your earbuds. Under Double-Tap on AirPod or Press and Hold AirPods, make sure that the Left or Right AirPod is set to Siri. You can then double-tap or press the stem of the corresponding earbud to call on Siri.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
6. Control Your Music
Want to pause, play, jump forward, or jump back a track? Just tap or press an AirPod to control your music. On any generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods 3 or 4, music control is automatically available. You’ll need to enable it on the AirPods 1 or 2 by opening Bluetooth and tapping the Info icon for your AirPods. Tap the Left or Right entry under the Double-Tap on AirPod section and change it to the audio action of your choice—Play/Pause, Next Track, or Previous Track.
Now when you play audio, you can control it by interacting with your AirPods. With any generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods 3 or 4, press the stem to play or pause, double-press to skip to the next track, and triple-press to skip back. With the AirPods 1 or 2, double-tap your AirPod to perform the action you chose.
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7. Turn On Active Noise Cancellation
With any AirPods Pro or the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), you can switch among different listening modes designed to lessen background noise. These include Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Adaptive. To change the mode while you’re listening to audio, open Control Center, press down on the audio control, then choose Listening Mode.
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Alternatively, head to Settings > Bluetooth, choose the Info icon for your AirPods, and then tap one of the settings. You can also switch among these modes with a long-press on the stem of either bud:
Noise Cancellation: This blocks out virtually all background sounds. It can come in handy in a noisy environment where you want to clearly hear your audio.
Transparency: This mode muffles the background noise so you can still hear it without it interfering with your audio. It’s a good option for public places where you still need to hear announcements and remain aware of your surroundings.
Adaptive: This is a mixture of Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation. It adapts the volume of the current audio based on your environment and interactions.
Off: This turns off all noise cancellation features, which allows you to hear your surroundings, though it may interfere with your audio.
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8. Try Voice Isolation
Ever have trouble hearing the other person on a phone call when you’re stuck in a noisy environment? Your AirPods Pro 2 and 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods 4 with ANC have a built-in feature called Voice Isolation that is designed to enhance voice quality and reduce background noise. While on a phone call, open Control Center, tap the small orange microphone icon at the top, and select Voice Isolation. You should now be able to hear the person more clearly on the other end.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
9. Improve Sound With Headphone Accommodations
A feature known as Headphone Accommodations enhances the audio from your AirPods by boosting softer sounds and certain frequencies. For this to work, you must be running iOS 14 or higher on your iPhone and have the AirPods 2, 3, or 4, or any AirPods Pro model. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual and enable Headphone Accommodations. Tap Play Sample to start playing music, which will allow you to tune the audio for a balanced tone across a range of frequencies, a vocal range for middle frequencies, or brightness for higher frequencies. You can also boost softer sounds slightly, moderately, or strongly.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
10. Go 3D With Personalized Spatial Audio
Available for any generation AirPods Pro and for the AirPods 3 and 4, the Spatial Audio feature tries to lend a three-dimensional quality to your music to make it seem as if it’s coming from all around you. To hear the difference between that setting and regular stereo audio, go to Bluetooth, select the Info icon for your AirPods, and select See & Hear How It Works under the Spatial Audio section. To enable Spatial Audio while you’re listening to music, open Control Center, press down on the control for your AirPods, and then tap Spatialize Stereo. You can then try it in Fixed mode and in Head Tracked mode to hear which sounds better.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
11. Turn On Conversation Awareness
Your AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3, AirPods 4 with ANC come with a feature called Conversational Awareness, which detects when someone nearby or on a phone call starts speaking and tones down the volume of your audio. Personalized Volume, similarly, adjusts volume based on the environment. To enable this, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Info icon for your earbuds, and then turn on Conversation Awareness and Personalize Volume. Alternatively, open Control Center, press down on the audio control, and tap Conversation Awareness. The next time someone talks to you, the audio should automatically lower so you can hear the conversation.
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12. Translate a Live Conversation
Introduced with iOS 26, Live Translation can translate another person’s words into your own language and pipe them through your AirPods. If the other person also has the right AirPods and a compatible iPhone, you can both carry on a conversation hands-free. If not, your own words will appear on your iPhone and be translated for the other person to see and hear.
For Live Translation, you’ll need the AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3, or the AirPods 4 with ANC, an iPhone 15 Pro or later, iOS 26 or later, Apple Intelligence enabled, and Apple’s Translate app. Next, you’ll need to download the languages you wish to translate. Go to Bluetooth settings, tap the Info icon for your AirPods, then choose Languages, and select the down arrow for any you wish to download.
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Now let’s say you’re about to have a conversation with someone speaking one of the supported languages. With your AirPods in your ears, you can trigger Live Translation a variety of ways. You can press and hold the stems on both AirPods at the same time, say “Siri, start Live Translation,” or add the Translation control to Control Center.
Otherwise, you can open the Apple Translate app on your phone, tap the Live icon at the bottom, pick your languages, and then tap Start Translation. Another option is to set up the Action button on an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 16, or iPhone 17 to trigger Live Translation.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
13. Respond to Siri With a Nod or Shake
Does Siri ask questions or announce a notification when you’re wearing your AirPods Pro? Normally, you’d have to say yes or no to respond, but if you have the AirPods 2, 3, AirPods 4, or AirPods 4 with ANC you can just nod your head up and down for Yes or shake your head side to side for No.
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14. Automatically Transfer Audio to Your AirPods
Have you ever been listening to music on your iPhone or iPad and wanted to transfer that audio to your headphones? It can be an awkward transition. Apple’s AirPods can actually tell when the buds are in your ear, making the process seamless. The earbuds can even pause the audio when you take them out of your ears. To set this up, open Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Info icon for your AirPods, and then enable Automatic Ear Detection.
Now, when you start playing music, you can place the AirPods in your ears and the audio will bounce from your device’s built-in speaker to the earbuds. Remove one AirPod, and the music pauses. Put it back in your ear, and the music resumes. Remove both, and the music stops. Your AirPods can also automatically switch among your iPhone, iPad, and Mac as long as they’re all pointing to the same iCloud account.
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15. Share With Other AirPods Users
If someone else has the right AirPods, AirPods Pro, or Beats headphones, you can share your audio with them. While listening to something with your AirPods, access the Control Center on your iPhone and tap the AirPlay icon for the current audio. Tap Share Audio and choose the other set of AirPods or Beats headphones. You should then see entries for both headphones. Tap the circle for the other set to connect it. You can then control the volume for both listeners or each one separately.
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16. Check the Battery Charge
You can check the current charge on your AirPods and the case by placing at least one earbud in the charging case. This will make a card appear on your phone screen, indicating the charge level for the AirPods and case. You can also check it from the Batteries widget. Swipe to the right on your device until you reach the Widgets screen. Tap Edit at the bottom, then tap the plus (+) sign at the top and choose the Batteries widget. You’ll be able to see the charge for your AirPods and case from the Widgets screen.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
17. Find Your Lost AirPods
Did you lose your AirPods again? Don’t worry, you can track them down through your iPhone or iPad. On your device, open the Find My app and make sure you’re signed in with your Apple account. Tap the entry for your AirPods, and the map should pinpoint their location. If the earbuds are out of the case and paired with your iPhone or iPad, you can also find them with a sound. Tap the Actions link, then tap Play Sound. Your AirPods emit a beeping noise to help you locate them.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
18. AirPods Pro: Take the Ear Tip Fit Test
One of the drawbacks with the regular AirPods is that they use a one-size-fits-all approach with an in-ear design that doesn’t necessarily fit all ears properly. If the fit isn’t snug, the AirPods can easily and quickly slip out of your ears. The AirPods Pro corrects that issue by switching to an in-canal design with replaceable tips for small, medium, and large ear canal sizes.
By default, the AirPods Pro are packaged with the medium tips, but you can easily change sizes. To switch out the current tips, pull firmly on them until they detach from the base. Position the new tips so that the center white circle meets with the center black circle on the base. Then push until they click into place.
To help determine which of the sizes fits best, you can take an Ear Tip Fit test. Attach the tips to the base of the AirPods, then insert them into your ears. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info icon for your AirPods Pro. In the Fit & Comfort section, tap Test Acoustic Seal > Continue > Play to make a short music clip play. You’ll then be told if the current tips offer a good seal. If not, you can adjust the tips or try a different size until both AirPods indicate a good seal.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
19. AirPods Pro: Check Your Heart Rate During a Workout
With the AirPods Pro 3, you can check your heart rate during a workout. Though this feature is on by default, you can check to make sure it’s enabled. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the Info icon for your AirPods Pro. Swipe down to the Privacy section to confirm that Heart Rate is turned on. Now, when you start a workout in the Workouts app on your Apple Watch, the Fitness app on your phone, or a number of third-party apps, your heart rate should appear in the app. You can also say “Siri, what’s my heart rate?”
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20. AirPods Pro: Take a Hearing Test
With the AirPods Pro 2 or 3, you’re able to take a test to measure your hearing. Make sure you’re in a quiet environment. At the Bluetooth settings screen, tap the Info icon for your AirPods and select Take a Hearing Test. Read the details on the next screen and tap Get Started, then follow the next several screens. To measure your hearing, the test will play a series of beeps of different frequencies, first in your left ear and then in your right. When done, the screen will show you the results.
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21. AirPods Pro: Turn Your AirPods Into a Hearing Aid
If you do have any trouble hearing, you can use your AirPods Pro 2 or 3 as a hearing aid. At the Bluetooth settings screen, tap the Info icon for your AirPods and select Hearing Assistance. You’ll be asked to take a hearing test or use your prior test result. If you already took a test, choose the result you want to use and select Set Up Hearing Aid. Go through the setup screens and then tap Turn On Hearing Aid. You should then be able to hear surrounding noises better.
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To use the hearing assistance at any time, put the AirPods Pro in your ears, open Control Center, and tap the ear icon. You can now choose among Background Sounds, Hearing Assistance, and Live Listen. Try each mode to hear which best amplifies and enhances the sounds for you. You’re also able to tweak the volume and other attributes for Background Sounds and Hearing Assistance.
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22. AirPods Pro: Adjust the Volume by Swiping the Stems
You can control the volume of the AirPods Pro 2 and 3 by swiping up and down on a sensor located on the stem of the AirPods. To enable this, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the Info icon next to your AirPods Pro, then tap Accessibility and enable Volume Swipe. To help avoid accidental volume changes, you can adjust the time between swipes by selecting Longer or Longest. Now when music is playing, put your thumb and index finger on the stem of the earbud and swipe up or down on the control to make the volume change.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
About Our Expert
Lance Whitney
Contributor
Experience
I’ve been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I’ve written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I’ve also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.
I’ve used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I’m well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I’m always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that’s become another key area for me.
My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it’s time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.
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