The latest version of Apple‘s headphones made quite a few improvements. And not only settings that offer better performance, but also new functions with which to customize the experience of use, such as adjusting noise cancellation and other types of functions that we will discuss below. If you want to get the most out of your AirPods Pro , this is your guide.
Beyond the iPhone
Yes, your headphones can be used with other devices beyond the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. In these devices the pairing is very simple (not to say magical) thanks to the automatic iOS system, but with other types of devices we will have to use the traditional method of Bluetooth pairing .
To do this, we will have to do the following:
- Open the case of the AirPods Pro and hold the button on the back until the status LED starts to flash.
- Access the Bluetooth settings of your Android phone or any other device and search for AirPods.
- Select them and hit connect. Your headphones will already be paired.
How to choose the perfect pad
One of the novelties of the AirPods Pro is that they introduced rubber pads that allow for a more comfortable adjustment of the earpiece, sealing its placement and allowing optimal noise cancellation to be applied. But each ear is a world, so along with the headphones are included rubbers of three different sizes so that the user can choose the one that best suits them. But is the choice defined by a matter of comfort?
Yes and no. The headset must be firm and perfectly attached for the cancellation to be effective, but you should not feel uncomfortable with them on either. To make this testing process easier, Apple has designed the so-called “Pad Test”, which will perform a series of sound checks to help you see which pad is the best fit for your ear. To activate this test you must do the following:
- Put the Airpods Pro on your ears with the ear pads that you think best fit your ear.
- Go to Settings of your iOS device and select Bluetooth.
- In the list of connected devices , search for the AirPods Pro and press the information button next to the name.
- Select the ” Pad Test ” option.
- Tap Continue and start the process by tapping the Play button to play the sound.
At the end of the test, the system may suggest adjusting the pad or changing it to another pad, so follow the steps and continue until you complete the process with both AirPods.
How to remove and replace the pads
Removing these protections is quite simple, however, you must take into account a small detail so that the coupling is perfect and we do not have problems in the future. The trick is to pay attention to the oval shape of the earphone base, a shape that will allow you to align the fastening points correctly.
To remove the pad we will only have to pinch them and pull firmly outwards. It has no major complications and you should not fear for any breakage.
How to adjust noise cancellation
With the headphones perfectly adjusted and already connected to your device, it’s time to select the way that best suits us when listening to music, reading a book or, simply, working. This selection of cancellation mode can be made in a thousand ways:
From the iPhone
To adjust the cancellation mode from your iOS device we will have to enter Settings > Bluetooth and enter the options of the AirPods Pro. It will be there when we see the Noise Control settings, being able to choose between the three available options.
Another way to adjust the modes without having to enter the settings menu is achieved by accessing the Control Center (swipe down in the upper right corner) and pressing and holding on the volume control of the AirPods Pro. In a few Noise canceling modes appear in seconds.
From Apple Watch
Since we can also use AirPods Pro with the Apple Watch , it makes sense that we can adjust the cancel mode from the watch itself. For this we will only have to touch on the AirPlay icon when we listen to music, and it will be there where we can choose between the cancellation mode that we prefer.
From the Mac
If, on the other hand, you are using your headphones with the Mac, you will have to see the properties from the system menu bar. There you can select the AirPods Pro and see the noise cancellation options.
From the AirPods Pro
And what happens when we have the iPhone in our bag or backpack and we need to change modes? That’s what the pressure zone is for, a sensor placed in the AirPods Pro that allows us to select different functions. This area is sensitive to pressure, so just touch and press it to activate a function that we have previously configured.
We may have a different function in each AirPod. To configure it we will only have to enter the settings of the headphones and modify the values in the section “Hold the AirPods”. There we can choose which function will be activated on the left AirPod and which function will work on the right AirPod, being able to choose between the following:
- Activate Siri
- Control Noise Control
Since pressure control has been incorporated, now by making the double touch gesture we will directly control multimedia playback. These are the available options:
- Quick touch : Play / Pause.
- Double tap : Next song.
- Triple tap : Previous song.
Can I use my AirPods Pro as a sound amplifier?
Thanks to its cancellation system, built-in microphones, and pairing with iPhone and iPad, AirPods Pro can be used as a hearing aid add-on with the Hearing function. This is a peculiar function that makes use of the iPhone’s microphones to capture sound that is beyond our reach.
So if someone is hard of hearing, just activate the function, place your iPhone close to the sound source, and the AirPods Pro will receive the amplified signal via Bluetooth. It is something like a fully camouflaged wireless microphone. To activate it you must do the following:
- Enter the System Settings and click on Control Center .
- Select customize controls and look for the Hearing option .
- From now on a new icon will appear in the Control Center (gesture down from the upper right corner).
It will be from that icon from where we will activate the function and from where we can also adjust the input volume.
How to share the sound with other people
If you are one of those who does not like to share something as personal as some AirPods, you can always invite them to connect to your connection with their own to listen to both at the same time. To do this, you have to activate the function from the Control Center:
- Once you have your headphones connected, go to the Control Center and click on the AirPlay icon.
- The option “ Audio Sharing ” will appear. Click on it.
- It is time to connect the second AirPods. Open the lid without removing the headphones from the case and wait for them to appear visible in the menu. When you see them, click on them and they will be paired.
Now in the Control Center you can see an individual volume controller for each AirPods, so that we can have independent settings depending on the person.
