AIRPODS TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW

After buying Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds last fall, I spent months not using them to their full potential.

- JARED NEWMAN

Perhaps that’s by design. Setting up a pair of AirPods is so simple—just open the case, tap “Connect” on your phone, and plug them in your ears—that you can easily miss all of the extra features and customizations they offer.

This week, I decided to finally dive in further. After all, those features play a big role in distinguishing AirPods from much cheaper earbuds, so it’d be a shame to let them go to waste. Here’s a rundown of everything that’s possible:

THE BASICS Instead of reaching for your phone, make sure you know these basic AirPods commands:

Play or pause by tapping either earbud (for older AirPods) or by squeezing the stems (for third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro).

Skip forward with two quick taps or squeezes.

Skip backward with three quick squeezes (third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro only).

Long-squeeze on AirPods Pro to switch between noise-canceling and “Transparency” mode, which lets in outside sound.

Change your stem settings: To change what your AirPods do when pressing or squeezing them, head to Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the “i” next to your AirPods. For first- and second-gen AirPods, consider using a double-tap on the left earbud to skip backwards. You can also choose to invoke Siri with a double-tap (or a squeeze, on third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro).

To change the detection speed for double-taps or long-squeezing, head to Settings > Accessibility > AirPods. (AirPods Pro users should definitely try “Shorter” or “Shortest.”)