A brand new set of AirPods sounds like music to our ears. The wireless earbuds have a number of handy features, some of which you may not know yet.
Unlike similar wireless earbuds, AirPods don’t come with a lot of instructions. They are designed to be used right away. Literally. You put them in your ears near an Apple device and the job is done. But that can also leave new users with a lot of questions.
Your AirPods get even better with help from these tips
Don’t worry. Your friends at WANT have lots of experience with multiple generations of AirPods. These tips and tricks every user should know to enjoy those awesome AirPods even more!
#1 Adjust your touch controls.
The latest AirPods have handy control options that let you do different things by tapping. For example, pressing the earbuds twice activates Siri. If you have the latest AirPods Pro or AirPods 3, you can customize the touch controls. That way, you can choose what happens when you tap the wireless earbuds.
You do this by going to “Bluetooth” in your iPhone’s settings. Find your earbuds and press the little ‘i’ next to the name. This will take you into your AirPods settings. Here you’ll find a list of the various touch controls you can adjust. Play around with the settings a bit and find out what works best for you.
#2 Enable “Find My
Losing your AirPods is a disaster in itself. But if you don’t have the ‘Find My’ feature set up, you really have a problem. The app can use Bluetooth to track the location of your Apple devices. If you are properly logged in, Find My can track your earbuds in almost every possible scenario. How to set up and use the feature properly, we explain in this article.
The third generation. (Image: Apple)
#3 No iPhone? Here’s how to use AirPods on an Android
You can use AirPods just fine with your Android phone. You just can’t use some Apple features. For example, checking battery status and using Siri.
First, open your smartphone settings and navigate to Bluetooth settings. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled and your device is visible to the earbuds.
Now open the charging case of your Apple AirPods and press the white button on the back of the case. When you pair the AirPods Max, press and hold the noise control button for five seconds. This puts the earbuds into pairing mode. Your AirPods will now appear among the available devices from your Android phone’s Bluetooth menu. Tap the right name and confirm the pairing process.
#4 Leave your earbuds wirelessly on
Most AirPod cases can be charged wirelessly. The best way to do this is to use a Qi charging station and put your case on it. Sometimes you have to push a little to get the charging light to come on. But once you get the right position, you can fully charge your earbuds.
New design. (Image: Mark Hofman / OMT)
#5 Disable automatic ear detection
We’re big fans of automatic ear detection. So your earbuds can tell when you have them in your ears, and they can play or pause music. Depending on whether you’re wearing them. That kind of detection is just not ideal for everyone. If you’re in the habit of taking an earpiece out often but don’t want the sound to pause, you can disable the feature.
Go to your iPhone’s settings. Activate your AirPods and select them to go to their menu. Scroll down a bit and you should come across the “Automatic Ear Detection” section. There you’ll find a switch that can turn off the feature.
