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
Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Read Full Article • 66 comments
iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose.
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone.
iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account.
In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times.
The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said.
While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
Apple's 2026 Mac Plans
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio.
MacBook Air (Early 2026)
The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen.
Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Top Rated Comments
77 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.
77 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.
77 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.
77 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.
77 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.
