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Basic AirPods Feature Every Newbie Should Try

AirPods have made a place for themselves as one of the most preferred Christmas gifts every year. Each year, the ample supply and aggressive sales pricing ensure that Apple’s AirPods remain on top of the shopping list when buying gifts. Besides being a great gift, they have taken over the wireless earbud market due to their integrated features and user-friendliness. Today, Apple users can choose from four models that range from the low-priced entry model to the over-the-ear, premium headphones.

Thanks to their H1 processor, these come with long battery life. Users can also expect a long-range low-latency connection with Apple devices. While AirPods seem the easiest to manage, they might sometimes malfunction. The most common problem faced by Apple users is AirPods not connecting. However, it doesn’t mean you must immediately run to the Apple service center or get a replacement. You can try some DIY fixes, such as:

  • Clean your AirPods regularly to ensure they function correctly. 
  • Adjust the stereo balance. On an iOS device, go to Settings > Accessibility > to Hearing > select Audio/Visual and check the stereo balance slider > set Mono Audio to Off to ensure both AirPods are playing content. On your Mac computer, go to Settings > Sounds > from the Output Menu, select AirPods > ensure the slider is midway between L and R. Then, go to System Preferences > click Accessibility > click to disable Mono Audio. 
  • Unpair and re-pair AirPods with your Apple device. 

These fixes can ensure your AirPods are working fabulously with your Apple device. 

If you have Recently Bought or are Considering Buying AirPods, you Must know about these Features to make the Most of your Investment

  • Name them 

You can personalize your AirPods by giving them a customized name. You can do so by opening Settings on your iPhone or iPad > tapping on Bluetooth > looking for them in the list of devices and tapping the “i” next to them > tapping Name, and writing whatever you wish to name them. 

  • Customize the Controls 

Users can use the controls on their paired iOS devices to manage their AirPods. There are in-built controls as well. For instance, if you wish to pause playback, you can double-tap either AirPod.  You can personalize their controls by opening Settings > tapping Bluetooth and tapping the “i” next to the AirPods > seek the list of devices and tap “i” next to them. Then, you can personalize the double-tap gesture to play/pause, invoke Siri or skip to the previous or next track. You can even switch off the double-tap feature. 

Typically, standard AirPods require users to tap on the sides for playback control, if you are using AirPods Pro, you can use the Force Sensor feature. Thanks to this feature, you can perform regular tasks by pressing on the side of the earbuds. You can go to Settings to access these controls and customize them. You can even switch between Transparency and noise cancellation. If you are using the Pro model, the default controls are pressing twice to skip forward, pressing once to answer a call or play/pause, pressing three times to skip back, etc. Other settings include adjusting the press and hold duration, the press speed, and enabling noise cancellation for one AirPod. 

  • Spatial Audio 

Spatial Audio is an exclusive feature of AirPods Max and Pro. The feature brings surround sound to your ears. It uses directional audio filters to play sounds virtually anywhere in space and creates an immersive experience. Even as you move your device or turn your head, the surround sound channels will hit the sweet spot. You can enable Spatial Audio by opening Settings > Bluetooth > tap the “i” next to the AirPods > scroll to find Spatial Audio and toggle it on. 

  • Automatic Device Sharing 

Automatic device switching capability is one of the new features in macOS Big Sur, iPadOS 14, and iOS 14. The feature is specifically designed to be convenient. However, it can sometimes get in the way. The concept of automatic device switching is that when you play content on another Apple device, the earphones automatically switch and start playing content on the other device. The feature can be disabled or enabled on your iPad or iPhone by opening Settings > Bluetooth > tapping the “i” next to the earphones > tapping the Connect to the iPhone/iPad setting > changing from Automatically to When Last Connected to This iPhone/iPad. 

On your Mac, you will find this setting by going to System Preferences > selecting Bluetooth > choosing the AirPods from the list of devices and clicking Option. Then, you can change the Connect to This Mac setting from Automatically to When Last Connected to This Mac. As you change this setting, the earphones will only connect to the Apple device if they were connected to the same device. So, these are some of the features you must not overlook when using AirPods. How many of them are you using already?

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