iOS 18 is an update designed for the iPhone, but it adds several new features to the AirPods Pro 2, Apple's latest earbuds. The new capabilities require iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia and a firmware update that will be released when Apple releases its new software this fall.
This guide highlights all of the changes that are coming to the AirPods Pro 2.
Head Gestures
If you've ever been in a situation where you needed to confirm a Siri request or decline a call without using a voice command or your hands, there's a solution coming.
Head gestures are a new form of AirPods Pro control that will let you nod your head up and down or shake it back and forth to decline a call or interact with Siri. When you get a call, you can essentially shake your head no to decline it or nod yes to accept it.
When you're responding to Siri for controlling notifications and incoming or outgoing messages, you can use the same gestures for yes and no without having to speak.
Voice Isolation
With Voice Isolation, the AirPods Pro can cut down on loud background sounds when you're on a phone call, allowing the person you're speaking with to hear you more clearly.
The AirPods Pro will use machine learning to detect and isolate ambient noise such as wind, cars nearby, people speaking, and more, blocking out the sound and prioritizing your voice. Voice Isolation is a feature coming to both the original AirPods Pro and the AirPods Pro 2.
Better Adaptive Audio Controls
Adaptive Noise Control is designed to adjust Active Noise Cancellation and the sound you hear in response to the ambient noise in your environment. Adaptive Audio has been an all or nothing setting, but with iOS 18, there are more granular controls for tweaking the feature to allow for more or less noise to come through.
Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming
Personalized Spatial Audio is a feature that already exists for movies, TV shows, and music. It uses the TrueDepth camera on your iPhone to scan your face and ears, developing a personal profile that customizes Spatial Audio just for you.
With iOS 18, Apple is expanding Personalized Spatial Audio to gaming, with the aim of delivering more immersive sound for gameplay. Game developers can incorporate spatial audio in their games as part of this change. Personalized Spatial Audio for Gaming is actually coming to the AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and the third-generation AirPods.
Voice Quality in Games
The AirPods Pro 2 feature voice quality improvements for in-game chat and streaming, along with dynamic head tracking and support for 16-bit 48kHz audio in games.
Lower Latency
According to Apple, the AirPods Pro provide the best wireless audio latency ever for mobile gaming, thanks to improvements coming in iOS 18. Improved latency means that you'll see little to no delay when taking an action in the game and hearing the resulting sound, making for a more responsive experience.
Other AirPods Models
Many of these features are limited to the latest AirPods Pro models. Head gestures and Voice Isolation won't be available on devices other than the AirPods Pro 2, but Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming will be more widely accessible.
Read More
Much more on all of the new features that Apple added in iOS 18 can be found in our iOS 18 roundup.
