The Apple AirPods are some of the hottest selling headphones on the market right now. And recently, Apple released the second-generation AirPods with several hardware improvements.
Here are 12 of the best AirPods tips and tricks for those of you who have purchased either the first-generation or the second-generation AirPods.
1. Find Out The Battery Level Of The AirPods
There are a couple of easy ways to find out the battery life that is left on the AirPods. One of the first ways is by putting the AirPods back in the case and keeping the lid of the case open while you are looking at your iOS device. Then your device will show how much battery life is left on your AirPods case and the AirPods.
Another way to check the battery life of your AirPods is by using the battery widget on the Today View on your iOS device. You can see the Today View by swiping left on the Lock Screen or the Home screen. The Today View shows widgets like Weather and Calendar by default. But you can add the Battery widget by scrolling to the bottom and tapping on Edit. Then tap on the green plus button next to the Batteries widget. From there, decide which position you want the Batteries widget to appear on the Today View. And then tap on Done.
2. Connecting AirPods To Various Devices
Connecting AirPods To The Apple Watch
If you want to connect your AirPods to your Apple Watch, it should seamlessly do so automatically if both devices are linked to your Apple ID. But in case it doesn’t, then you will have to go to the Bluetooth settings of the Apple Watch. First, you will want to put the AirPos into pairing mode by opening the AirPods case. Then go to the Apple Watch’s Setting app > Bluetooth. Your Apple Watch will search for nearby Bluetooth devices and then you can connect to your AirPods that way.
Connecting AirPods To An Android Device
To connect your AirPods to an Android device, you can do so by going to the Settings app of the Android device > Select Pair a New Device > Open the AirPods case to pair the headphones > Pair to the Android device.
Connecting AirPods To A PC
In order to connect the AirPods to a PC, you can do that by going to Settings on the PC > Press and hold the button on the back of the AirPods case > Tap AirPods when it shows as an available device (note: it might appear as headphones instead of AirPods).
3. Disable Automatic Ear Detection
Either may find the automatic ear detection to be either very useful or quite annoying. The automatic ear detection transfers the audio between connected devices when you put one of the AirPods in your ear. I have experienced issues where the audio would switch from my AirPods to the car Bluetooth or it would disconnect when I put my head down. So I turned off this feature. To do this, go to the Settings app > Bluetooth > Make sure the AirPods are connected > click the “i” symbol on the AirPods > Scroll to Automatic Ear Detection and toggle it on or off.
4. Announce Calls
Normally, you have to look at your phone or wearable device to see who is calling. But the AirPods can announce who is calling while you are wearing them. You can set this feature up by going to the Settings app > Phone > Announce Calls > Headphones Only.
5. Live Listening
The Live Listening feature on AirPods makes it work like a hearing aid or a hearing boosting tool. With this feature, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can be used as a microphone that sends sound to your AirPods. And Live Listen can help with hearing a conversation in a noisy area and you can hear audio from someone speaking from across the room.
To use the Live Listen feature, go to the Settings app > Customize Controls > Scroll down to the green plus button next to Hearing and then tap on it. Then tap on back to save the setting.
6. Save Battery By Using One AirPod At A Time
Photo: One AirPod
In case you do not have a charger handy and you want to maximize the amount of time you can use your AirPods, then I would recommend using one AirPod at a time. The first generation AirPods have two hours of talk time supported each and the second generation has three hours of talk time. By using one at a time during conference calls or long phone calls, you can maximize the usage before having to recharge.
7. Change The Double Tap Action On AirPods
There is a way to change the action performed by AirPods when you double tap on one of the headphones. The default for double tapping the side of each AirPod is to launch Siri on the iPhone (first-generation) or next track (second generation). To change the default, go to the Settings app on your iOS device > click on the “i” symbol next to AirPods > Select what you want to change the action to on each AirPod side. You can set options like play/pause, previous track, next track, or off.
If you have the second-generation AirPods, I would recommend that you do not use Siri as an option. Why? You can say “Hey Siri” to activate Siri using the second-generation AirPods instead.
8. Rename Your AirPods
If you want to rename your AirPods, then you can do so by opening the Settings app on your iOS device > Bluetooth > Click on the “i” button next to AirPods > Tap on Name > Change the name and hit Done.
9. Finding Lost AirPods
One of the biggest complaints about the AirPods is that they can fall out of your ear and get lost. Fortunately, Apple added the ability to find the AirPods through the “Find my iPhone” app. You should download this app on your iOS device ahead of time to link your devices. And then you can access this feature by going to iCloud.com, logging in to your account, and then going to Find my iPhone. There’s also a separate Find my iPhone app that you can download on your iOS devices.
10. Cleaning Your AirPods Case
Since most people carry around their AirPods in their pockets, it can get dirty very quickly. I would recommend using baby wipes and toothpicks to get lint and dirt out from the inside of your AirPods case.
11. Different Color AirPods
Photo: Colorware
Apple officially sells the AirPods in white only. However, there are third-party companies that allow you to buy AirPods in different colors. For example, ColorWare sells AirPods in different colors and styles. However, you will have to pay a premium price for the customization. ColorWare is an example of a company that provides those services.
12. Understanding What The Lights On The AirPods Case Mean
Photo Credit: Apple
The color of the lights on the AirPods case means different things. No light on means that the AirPods case does not have any battery left and needs to be recharged immediately. And amber light with the AirPods in the case means that the AirPods are charging. An amber light without the AirPods in the case means that there is some battery life left on the case, but it could still use a recharge. And a green light without the AirPods in the case means that the case has a full charge.
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