iOS 17 AirPods Features: Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness and More

by

iOS 17 doesn't just add new features to the iPhone - it also brings new functionality to the AirPods. Most of what's new is for the AirPods Pro 2, but there are a few additions that are for all AirPods.

airpods memorial day

Adaptive Audio

Adaptive Audio, or Adaptive Noise Control, is an AirPods Pro 2 feature that combines Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency into one all-in-one mode that's designed to adjust the volume of what's playing based on what's around you and your interactions throughout the day.

Noise control shifts to drown out environmental sounds that you don't want to hear like the noise of an airplane, while making sure that you don't miss anything you might want to hear like someone speaking.

With AirPods Pro 2 that have updated firmware, activating Adaptive Audio can be done by connecting the AirPods, opening Control Center, long pressing on the volume, and selecting the "Adaptive" option that joins Transparency and Noise Cancellation.

Conversation Awareness

Conversation Awareness is part of Adaptive Audio. It is able to detect when someone is speaking, lowering the volume of the media and cutting down on background noise. This feature also enhances the voices in front of you so you can hear what's going on.

Personalized Volume

Also part of Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume adjusts the sound of what's playing based on personal preferences and the sounds around you. The ‌iPhone‌ is able to learn more about the volume that you prefer over time, tweaking as necessary to match your desired sound level.

Mute and Unmute

If you press the stem of the AirPods Pro or third-generation AirPods, you can mute and unmute yourself while you're on a call. This also works on AirPods Max if you press the Digital Crown.

Automatic Device Switching

The AirPods Pro 2 can automatically switch between Apple devices much quicker in iOS 17.

Dark Mode

In a small but notable change, when you connect AirPods to an ‌iPhone‌ with Dark Mode enabled, the connection popup will also be in ‌Dark Mode‌.

Usage Notes

Note that a firmware update is required to use these features, and in the case of Adaptive Audio, it is only available for the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware that enables this functionality was released in September 2023.

Read More

More information on the new features in the iOS 17 update can be found in our iOS 17 roundup.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Read Full Article • 115 comments
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Read Full Article • 94 comments
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Read Full Article • 176 comments
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Read Full Article • 178 comments
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Read Full Article • 123 comments
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Read Full Article • 60 comments
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
Read Full Article • 278 comments

Top Rated Comments

klasma Avatar
klasma
31 months ago

The only new feature I want is a USB-C case for them.
That probably won’t be in iOS 17.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
t0rqx
31 months ago

just curious, if almost everybody charge wireless, why people claim for a USB-C? actually why even those have cable connector, why not remove any port? (serious question).
Unlike what people here tell you. Wireless charging has a lot of power losses, heats up the battery which is bad and is slower than cable. This is probably the gen who think wireless is magic but truth is it still is inferior to wired. Especially with devices that require data transfers.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
ignatius345
31 months ago
The feature I wish for absolutely the most is sidetone. (Better description here than I can write: https://headsetadvisor.com/blogs/headset/what-is-sidetone)


Sidetone is a small amount of your own voice that's piped into your ear speaker as you speak. This sound confirms that your microphone is operating properly, and allows you to adjust your speaking volume to a proper level (not too loud, and not too quiet).
You get sidetone when you talk on your iPhone by itself using the onboard speaker and mic. On AirPods Pro and Max it would enable users to keep ANC on without it sounding like you've got a pillow over your ears.

edit 9/21: Adaptive Audio has sidetone, so I got my wish. It's a great mode for doing phone calls now because it kills at least some of the background noise as necessary, but also pipes in your own voice.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SirAnthonyHopkins Avatar
SirAnthonyHopkins
31 months ago
The only new feature I want is a USB-C case for them.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SirAnthonyHopkins Avatar
SirAnthonyHopkins
31 months ago

just curious, if almost everybody charge wireless, why people claim for a USB-C? actually why even those have cable connector, why not remove any port? (serious question).
I travel around a bit for work and being able to charge everything I take with me off a single cable would be really useful. Not game changing, but just nice to not have to remember multiple cables.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RowellE Avatar
RowellE
31 months ago
Can Conversation Awareness be turned off? Some of us use our AirPods to drown out the voices of people that are talking to us. We all have that one coworker who won’t stop talking.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments