Six Useful Tips for New AirPods Owners

Just get a new set of AirPods for Christmas? If so, we've rounded up a handy list of tips, tricks, and features that you might not know about to get you acquainted with your new earbuds.

airpods 3 blue holiday 2

First, if you are new to AirPods entirely, we have a long list of basic tips on how to use your AirPods.

AirPods Basics

6 Useful AirPods Tips for New Owners

Beyond the basics, here are 6 more useful tips about your new AirPods:

1. Keep Your AirPods Safe With Find My

Apple's latest AirPods, including the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro, feature Find My integration, so if they're stolen or misplaced, you can locate them with the Find My app. AirPods can take advantage of the ‌Find My‌ network so you can leverage the iPhones, iPads, and Macs of other people to track down a lost set of AirPods wherever they end up, so long as the battery holds out.

notify when left behind airpods
You'll also want to make sure you turn on "Notify When Left Behind" so you can get alerted right away if you're out and about and forget your AirPods somewhere. To turn it on, open up the ‌Find My‌ app, tap on your AirPods in the list, and toggle on the "Notify When Left Behind" option. These ‌Find My‌ features also work for the AirPods Max.

2. Activate or Deactivate Automatic Device Switching

Apple's AirPods have a feature that allows them to automatically connect to whatever device is in active use, so if you swap from your iPhone to your Mac, the AirPods connection is meant to transition from one device to another as you do.

Automatic Switching can be useful, but there are instances where you might not want it turned on if it's switching between devices inappropriately. You can manage it by following these steps:

  1. Connect your AirPods to your ‌iPhone‌.
  2. Open up the Settings app.
  3. Tap on Bluetooth and then select the "i" next to your AirPods in the list. airpods bluetooth settings
  4. Tap on "Connect to This ‌iPhone‌." automatic device switching airpods
  5. Choose "When Last Connected to This ‌iPhone‌" to turn automatic switching off, and choose "Automatically" to turn it on.

With "Automatically" turned on, your AirPods will connect to your ‌iPhone‌ when it's in active use and your AirPods are in your ears. With "When Last Connected to This ‌iPhone‌" selected, AirPods will only connect to the last connected device rather than the device in active use. This feature also works with AirPods 2, AirPods 3, ‌AirPods Pro‌, and ‌AirPods Max‌.

Note that you will need to disable Automatic Switching for each device connected to your iCloud account if you're not a fan of the feature and want it off entirely. There's no master toggle, with Apple handling it on a per-device basis.

3. Turn on Announce Notifications

With Siri integration and the latest version of iOS (which is iOS 15), AirPods are able to announce all of your incoming notifications, including Messages.

announce notifications airpods
Here's how to turn it on:

  1. Open up the Settings app.
  2. Tap on "Notifications."
  3. Tap on "Announce Notifications."
  4. Toggle on "Announce Notifications."
  5. Toggle on "Headphones."

With both Announce Notifications and Headphones toggled on, ‌Siri‌ will read out notifications from apps of your choice when you have the AirPods in, and will give you an opportunity to respond. So if you have an incoming text message, ‌Siri‌ will read it out and give you a chance to send out a reply, all hands-free.

You can select the apps that you want to use Announce Notifications with so you can get important readouts without having a deluge of notifications read to you by ‌Siri‌.

4. Check Your AirPods Battery Life

If you want to keep tabs on your AirPods battery life, there are multiple ways to do so. AirPods will tell you battery level when you connect them to a device, or you can use the "Battery" widget on an ‌iPhone‌ or an iPad.

how to check AirPods battery life on iPhone
‌Siri‌ is also able to tell you your AirPods battery life, and if your AirPods are connected to your Apple Watch, the control center offers battery life information. For more on the different ways to check your AirPods battery life, we have a dedicated AirPods battery how-to.

airpods pro ask siri battery

5. Use the Force Sensor to Control Playback

If you've upgraded to the AirPods 3 or ‌AirPods Pro‌ from the original AirPods or the AirPods 2, or if you're new to AirPods entirely, you might not be familiar with the physical controls.

airpods 3 vs airpods pro 5
The AirPods 3 and ‌AirPods Pro‌ have a built-in force sensor in the stem. The force sensor can be used for controlling media playback with different presses.

  • Single press - Play/Pause audio
  • Double press - Skip forward
  • Triple press - Skip backward
  • Press when there's a call - Answer incoming call
  • Double press on a call - Hang up
  • Press and hold - Activate ‌Siri‌

On ‌AirPods Pro‌, you can customize what the long press force sensor gesture does because it can be set to Noise Control or ‌Siri‌. The AirPods 3 do not have Active Noise Cancellation and are limited to ‌Siri‌ for the press-and-hold gesture.

6. Make Sure Spatial Audio is Activated

Spatial audio is a feature that offers immersive three-dimensional sound, and it is able to follow the movement of the ‌iPhone‌ with supported audio and video. Spatial audio can be toggled on or off using the Control Center, and it is available for AirPods 3, ‌AirPods Pro‌, and ‌AirPods Max‌.

  1. With your AirPods connected to your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, open up the Control Center. If you don't know how, we have a guide.
  2. On the volume slider, you should see a little icon that looks like the AirPods. If you don't see it, reconnect your AirPods.
  3. Long press on the volume slider.
  4. Tap on the "Spatial Audio" option. spatial audio activate
  5. Choose between Off, Fixed, or Head Tracked (on supported devices). spatial audio options

Off will turn spatial audio off entirely, while Fixed will allow spatial audio to be used, but without head-tracking functionality. Head Tracked enables the full spatial audio feature with head tracking included.

You can also preview what spatial audio sounds like by connecting your AirPods to your phone, selecting them in the Bluetooth section of the Settings app, and choosing the "Spatial Audio" option.

spatial audio test settings
Spatial audio works with the Apple TV app and Apple Music, but many third party apps also support it like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTube, and more. We have a useful guide that outlines many popular third-party apps that support spatial audio.

Learn More

To learn more about your AirPods, we have a dedicated AirPods 3 roundup and a dedicated AirPods Pro roundup, both of which walk through all the different features and will come in handy as you learn to use your new earbuds.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
46 months ago
Nice tips.

Tip #7: You can pair them with non-Apple products, too

To start pairing to anything new, put the AirPods in their case, then flip the lid up and press and hold the small button on the rear of the charging case until the little LED light starts pulsing white. They should then show up in any Bluetooth-pairing settings on an Android phone, or computer, or TV.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dissonance Avatar
46 months ago

Does notifying when left behind work with the first generation AirPods? It doesn't work for me.
I have the AirPods Pro and am not seeing the "Notify When Left Behind" option in Find My. Maybe you have the same issue I do? I'm on an iPhone 8, so maybe that's why? Dunno.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
46 months ago

Did you know you can also spy on people using leaving the iPhone behind accidentally? Can be used to easily eavesdrop ? ?

Further details are below.

https://www.cultofmac.com/761827/how-to-use-iphone-and-airpods-spy-on-people/?utm_campaign=The%20Weekender&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter
Tip #8: If the AirPods user “accidentally“ leaves the iPhone behind, swipe from the right to access the camera and take a butt picture
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julesme Avatar
46 months ago

Did you know you can also spy on people using leaving the iPhone behind accidentally? Can be used to easily eavesdrop ? ?

Further details are below.

https://www.cultofmac.com/761827/how-to-use-iphone-and-airpods-spy-on-people/?utm_campaign=The%20Weekender&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter
It should go without saying that this is unethical and in some states, territories, etc, it may also be illegal.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
46 months ago
Very nice and detailed article.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
46 months ago
Did you know you can also spy on people using leaving the iPhone behind accidentally? Can be used to easily eavesdrop ? ?

Further details are below.

https://www.cultofmac.com/761827/how-to-use-iphone-and-airpods-spy-on-people/?utm_campaign=The%20Weekender&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)