iOS 11 Lets AirPods Users Change Tracks With a Double Tap

Owners of AirPods will soon be able to skip forwards and backwards between tracks with a simple double tap of either earpiece, thanks to an additional setting Apple is providing in iOS 11.

Currently, AirPods users can only change tracks from the buds by invoking Siri with a double tap and vocally commanding the virtual assistant to do so, an action some people find cumbersome or simply embarrassing to have to perform in public.

Unfortunately the only available alternative to iOS 10 users is to take out their iPhone and perform the track change manually by tapping the lock screen.

Screen Shot 1
However, as demonstrated by YouTuber Appsolutely Tech, in iOS 11 it's possible to customize the Bluetooth settings on the AirPods so that a double tap on one earpiece skips to the next track, with the same action on the other earpiece returning to the previous track.

The Next/Previous track options join the existing settings found on the iOS Bluetooth 'info' screen that let users double tap to activate Siri, play/pause the track, or turn off the AirPods.

(Thanks, Jonathan!)

Related Roundup: AirPods 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy)
Related Forums: iOS 11, AirPods

Top Rated Comments

Eliottjames Avatar
90 months ago
Just discovered an interesting tidbit with this. Yesterday I tried out the new AirPods behaviour, setting the right to next track and the left to Siri. When I used my AirPods with my primary device running iOS 10 today, they had retained this behaviour! There was no option for separate left and right controls in the AirPods settings on my iOS 10 device but they still retained their iOS 11 behaviour. That's one iOS 11 feature that we can enjoy now I suppose (providing that you're running the beta on another device...).
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kubaw Avatar
90 months ago
Great. And with iOS 12 we shall expect to control the volume.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ma2k5 Avatar
90 months ago
That is good news, a much requested feature.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Game 161 Avatar
90 months ago
This isn't a game changer....Bragi has been doing this for some time now......smh....you apple fanboys are lost....
This is macrumours so maybe you are lost too?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colmaclean Avatar
90 months ago
I guess they're waiting until iOS 12 for triple-tap.

Just think of the possibilities!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
90 months ago
Also:

LONG TAP: lowers volume
DOUBLE TAP+HOLD: raises volume
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...