Since their launch in 2016, Apple's AirPods have become wildly popular and are an oft-gifted item. In 2019, Apple released AirPods Pro, and this year the company debuted a pair of over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, offering more choice for consumers this holiday season.
If you received AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max as a gift, make sure to take a look through all of the how tos in this guide, because there are plenty of tips and tricks worth knowing.
Basic Features
- How to Set Up and Connect Your New AirPods 2 or AirPods Pro
- How to Charge AirPods, AirPods 2, and AirPods Pro
- How to Change the Name of Your AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max
- How to Use Just One AirPod or AirPod Pro
- How to Clean Your AirPods or AirPods Pro
- How to Find Your AirPods or AirPods Pro Serial Number and Check Your Firmware
- How to Update Your AirPods or AirPods Pro
- How to Answer a Phone Call on AirPods and AirPods Pro
- How to Wirelessly Charge Your AirPods or AirPods Pro
Must-Know Tutorials
- How to Use the 'Hey Siri' Command With AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro
- How to Turn Off Automatic Ear Detection on Your AirPods
- What Does the Light on the AirPods Case Mean?
- How to Pair AirPods to Your Apple Watch
- How to Unpair Your AirPods From iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or Mac
- How to Have AirPods Announce Your Calls
Connectivity With iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac
- How to Switch Devices When Using AirPods
- How to Check AirPods Battery Life on iPhone and Apple Watch
- How to Use AirPods With Your Mac and Customize Controls
Tips and Tricks
- How to Use Just One AirPod
- How to Set AirPods Microphone to Just One AirPod
- How to Share One Pair of AirPods With a Friend
- You Can Tap Your Ear to Activate Your AirPods
- How to Get Siri to Announce Incoming Messages Over AirPods
Troubleshooting
- How to Reset AirPods, AirPods 2, and AirPods Pro
- Lose an AirPod? What You Can Do
- How to Troubleshoot Problems with AirPods
- Only One AirPod Working? Here's How to Fix the Problem
- How Long Do AirPods and AirPods Pro Last?
Just for the AirPods Pro
- How to Control the Noise Cancellation Feature on AirPods Pro
- How to Customize the Force Sensor Gesture Functions on AirPods Pro
- How to Perform an Ear Tip Fit Test on AirPods Pro
- How to Control the Transparency Feature on AirPods Pro
- How to Buy Replacement AirPods Pro Ear Tips
Just for the AirPods Max
- How to Set Up and Connect Your New AirPods Max
- How to Customize the Noise Control Button on AirPods Max
- How to Disable Automatic Head Detection on AirPods Max
- How to Reverse the Digital Crown Volume Controls on AirPods Max
- How to Turn Off AirPods Max
AirPods Guides
- AirPods: Our Complete Guide to Apple's Wireless Earphones
- Powerbeats Pro vs. AirPods 2
- AirPods vs. AirPods Pro: Features Compared
- AirPods Pro vs Powerbeats Pro
Videos
More Info
Know a super useful iPhone tip that other MacRumors readers might not be aware of? Make sure to share it in the comments below.
For more info on Apple's latest iPhones, and the iOS 14 operating system, make sure to check out our detailed roundups: AirPods 2, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max.
Related Forum: AirPods
Popular Stories
iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update.
The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Read Full Article • 101 comments
New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest.
Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States.
A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026:
The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras
Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely.
Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
Top Rated Comments
79 months ago
Come on people, aren't things getting a bit out of hand when earphones have such complexity? Oh for the good old days when all you had to do to hear music was plug earphones into a jack.
79 months ago
Well, this isn’t on Apple really. It’s just Macrumors making article bait as they expect a lot of new AirPod-owners because of the season. It is really not a hassle for most users (bar if you’re unlucky, get a dud and actually have to troubleshoot something). You open the package, the phone/pad offers to automatically pair them to your account, and you’re set.
Come on people, aren't things getting a bit out of hand when earphones have such complexity? Oh for the good old days when all you had to do to hear music was plug earphones into a jack.
79 months ago
AirPods are literally easier to use than corded headphones because you don’t have to spend any time untangling wires and staying tethered to your device.
Come on people, aren't things getting a bit out of hand when earphones have such complexity? Oh for the good old days when all you had to do to hear music was plug earphones into a jack.
“The good old days” are never actually that good in comparison. It’s only people living in the past who say that.
79 months ago
Seriously, what complexity?
Call me old fashioned, but that one advantage does not outweigh all the complexity involved with using these devices. And wireless headphones have existed for a long time and don't involve all the complexity that EarPods have.
How are EarPods complex? AirPods aren't complex either...the opposite actually.
79 months ago
There’s zero need for any of the guides in this article. There’s an intro to the AirPods as soon as you set them up and the intro isn’t very long. There is nothing complex about them.
That's great to know, but if it was as simple as that, then why would there even been the need for the massive amount of guides at the top of this article?
I use some old wired ones with an old phone at work.
I plug them in the phone, press them in my ears and they work.
There are no articles needed.
