Here are our top tips and tricks to ensure you master your Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max wireless earphones in no time.
Why you can trust Pocket-lint (Pocket-lint) – Apple’s AirPods are like Marmite: you’ll either love the unconventional designs – whether the original, Airpods 3 or AirPods Pro, or you’ll hate them. Chances are if you’re reading this feature, you sit in the former camp with us though. Yes, they look a little odd, but they are also great. We want to help you get the most out of your Apple AirPods, whether you have the first generation, the second generation, third generation, the AirPod Pros or the AirPods Max. Here are our top tips and tricks to ensure you master your Apple wireless earphones in no time. squirrel_widget_6163001 Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max pairing tips and tricks How to connect AirPods to your iPhone or iPad All generations of Apple AirPods have a special chip (the W1 or H1) in them which allows for very easy connection to your iPhone or iPad. Open the lid on the AirPods case, press and hold the small button on the back and place the AirPods case next to your iPhone or iPad. The AirPods will appear at the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen. Unlock your iPhone or iPad and press the Connect button. That’s it for the first, second generation and third generation models. For the AirPods Pro, there is an additional step in the Ear Tip Fit Test. The test takes around five seconds and will determine if you have a good fit. If not, the results might recommend you try one of the other silicone tips included. There’s a choice of small, medium and large. For the AirPods Max, take them out of their Smart Case and hold them near your iPhone or iPad within 60 seconds until the setup animation appears. If it doesn’t, you can do it manually through the Bluetooth settings. Press and hold the noise control button on your headphones until it flashes white to pair. How to connect AirPods to your Apple Watch All AirPods connect automatically to any iOS devices registered to your Apple ID once connected to your iPhone so you don’t need to go through the pairing process more than once. As soon as you take one AirPod out of its case, or the AirPods Max out of their Smart Case, they will show as Connected in the Bluetooth settings of your Apple Watch. Pocket-lint How to connect AirPods to your MacBook Any connected AirPods will already be visible in the Bluetooth menu of your MacBook. To connect, open the Bluetooth settings > Find your AirPods in the list > Press Connect. If you have the feature setup, AirPods will automatically switch between your Apple devices too so once connected, they will swap between your iPhone, iPad and MacBook as necessary. squirrel_widget_168834 How to connect AirPods to an Android device Open the Bluetooth settings on your Android device > Select Pair a New Device > Open AirPods case to enable pairing or take the AirPods Max out of the Smart Case > Confirm pairing. If the Apple AirPods don’t appear in the available devices list, push and hold the button on the rear of the AirPods case until the LED light between the AirPods flashes, placing the AirPods in pairing mode. For AirPods Max, you press and hold the noise control button. You’ll then need to select them from the list and confirm pairing. How to use AirPods with an Android phone How to connect AirPods to a PC Open the Bluetooth settings on your PC > Press and hold the button the back of your AirPods case or the noise control button on AirPods Max > Tap on the AirPods when they appear as an available device. They might appear under headphones, rather than AirPods. Once you tap connect, the AirPods will be connected to your PC for audio. How to connect two AirPods to an iPhone You can connect two sets of AirPods to an iPhone so you could have the first and second generation paired, or the third generation and AirPods Max, for example. To do this, follow the same pairing process for the second pair as you did the first. When you connect another pair of AirPods, the name of the first pair will see a „1“ added to it and the second pair you connect will have a „2“ after its name. Both will appear on any other iOS devices linked to your Apple ID. We have a separate feature on connecting two sets of AirPods and sharing audio. AirPods 3 vs Pro vs AirPods 2: Should you upgrade? Pocket-lint squirrel_widget_148285 Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro battery tips and tricks How to check battery on AirPods Checking the battery of your AirPods is very simple on iPhone. Make sure your iPhone is next to your AirPods case and open the AirPods case. For AirPods Max, bring them close to your iPhone and press and hold the noise control button. The battery percentage of both your AirPods and the AirPods case will appear side-by-side on the bottom of your iPhone display. You can also ask Siri what your AirPods battery is like. How to charge AirPods To charge Apple AirPods, simply place them back in their case. They will charge while they are in the case, as long as the case has battery. For the second generation of AirPods or the AirPods Pro, the charging case can deliver up to two hours of talk time and three hours of listening time in 15 minutes of charge. The third generation offers up to one hour talk time or listening time in five minutes of charge. For AirPods Max, you’ll need the Lightning to USB-C cable that is included in the box to charge them. How to charge the AirPods case To charge the AirPods case, plug the Lightning connector into the bottom of the case, as you would your iPhone. If you have the wireless charging case for the AirPods 2, AirPods 3 or the AirPods Pro, you can also place it on a Qi-compatible wireless charging mat to top up the juice. It’s also possible to use the Apple Watch charger to charge the AirPods wireless charging case – you just have to get the placement right. The AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro cases are also compatible with the MagSafe charger. For AirPod Max, plug the Lightning to USB-C connector in the bottom of the right earcup to charge. Use one AirPod and switch to increase talk time The first generation AirPods will offer around two hours of talk time. The second generation offer around three hours of talk time and five hours of listening time. The third generation offer around four hours of talk time and six hours of listening time. The AirPods Pro offer around three-and-a-half hours of talk time and between four and five hours of listening time, depending on the mode you are in. As you can wear one AirPod or two AirPods at any time, we sometimes wear just one AirPod if we have lots of phone calls that day, switching to the other AirPod when the five-minute warning beeps for low battery on the one we are wearing. It offers that little bit of juice and one can charge while you’re talking on the other. Pocket-lint Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro usage tips and tricks How to rename AirPods Any AirPods you connect to your iPhone will automatically take your first name and add AirPods afterwards, like Britta’s AirPods/Britta’s AirPods Pro/AirPods Max.
