Did you unwrap a new pair of AirPods Pro this holiday season? If yes, there are numerous features you should explore to make the most of them. Here are some tips for new users.
Testing the AirPods Pro Fit
One of the first things to do is ensure you achieve the best fit while wearing your AirPods Pro. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward way to check this.
- With your AirPods Pro in place and connected, open the Settings app and select their name at the top.
- Tap on “Ear Tip Fit Test” from the menu and then hit the play button.
Your AirPods Pro will conduct a test to check whether you’ve achieved the optimal fit and will suggest trying different ear tip sizes if necessary. The AirPods Pro 2 come with four sizes of ear tips that can easily be swapped.
Listening Modes on AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro feature various listening modes, such as Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode:
- Active Noise Cancellation: External microphones detect ambient sounds, which are countered with anti-noise to cancel them out before you hear them.
- Transparency mode: Your AirPods Pro allows external sounds in, helping you stay aware of your surroundings.
- Adaptive Audio: This mode combines Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, adjusting the noise level you hear based on the environmental conditions.
Starting with iOS 18, you can customize Adaptive Audio to suit your preferences, allowing for more or less noise. Within the AirPods menu in the Settings app, a slider lets you choose between “Less Noise” and “More Noise” when using Adaptive Audio.
Control Options
The AirPods Pro 2 are equipped with a touch-sensitive Force Sensor on their stems, enabling you to perform various actions without needing your iPhone. Here are the default controls:
- Play or pause audio: Press the stem. Press again to continue playback.
- Next track: Double-press the stem.
- Previous track: Triple-press the stem.
- Answer a call: Press the stem when a call comes in.
- Volume adjustment: Swipe up or down lightly on the stem.
You can modify the functions of the force sensor through the AirPods menu in the Settings app.
Find My Integration
Your AirPods Pro are also compatible with the Find My app on your iPhone. If you misplace or lose your AirPods Pro, you can track them on a map and even command the case to play a sound.
Within the Devices section of the Find My app, you can find your AirPods Pro, configure notifications for loss, and more.
Hearing Tests and Hearing Aid Features
This year, Apple enhanced the AirPods Pro 2 with innovative hearing health capabilities. You can now perform a hearing test to check for hearing loss and utilize your AirPods Pro as a hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing impairments.
Find out more:
Head Gestures for AirPods Pro
With iOS 18, users can interact with Siri and respond to notifications simply by nodding their heads.
- Accept a call or respond to notifications: Nod your head up and down.
- Decline a call or dismiss notifications: Shake your head side to side.
This feature can be activated through the Settings app by going to the AirPods menu and selecting “Head Gestures” from the features list. You can assign specific gestures to “Accept, Reply” and “Decline, Dismiss.”
Voice Isolation Feature
Voice Isolation is an innovative feature for the AirPods Pro designed to prioritize the caller’s voice in noisy conditions. Apple states that this feature enhances voice clarity while minimizing background noise for the listener.
- While on a call, swipe down from the screen’s top to open the Control Center.
- Tap the “Controls” option at the top of the screen.
- Select “Voice Isolation.”
Audio Sharing Capability
One of my favorite features of the AirPods Pro is the audio sharing capability, allowing you to share your audio with someone else using AirPods or Beats headphones.
To activate audio sharing, tap the AirPlay icon on the Now Playing screen, Lock Screen, or in the Control Center. Just select the “Share Audio” option and bring the other person’s headphones close to yours for a seamless connection.
Audio sharing is compatible with all generations of AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and several different Beats products.
Top Accessories for AirPods
Lastly, you can enhance your AirPods Pro experience with various accessories. Here are some of my favorites:
Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.
FTC: We use income-earning auto affiliate links. Read more.
