The latest version of Apple's headphones introduced quite a few improvements. And not only settings that offer better performance, but also new functions with which you can customize the user experience, such as adjusting noise cancellation and other types of functions that we are going to 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 system of iOS, 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 AirPods Pro case and hold down the button on the back until the status LED starts blinking.
- Go to the Bluetooth settings of your Android phone or any other device and search for AirPods.
- Select them and hit connect. Your headphones will now be paired.
How to choose the perfect pad
One of the novelties of the AirPods Pro is that they introduced rubber pads that allow the headset to be adjusted more comfortably, sealing its placement and allowing optimal noise cancellation to be applied. But each ear is a world, so along with the headphones are included rubber bands in three sizes so that the user can choose the one that suits him best. 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 what's called the "Tip Test," which will perform a series of tests with sounds to help you see which tip fits your ear best. To activate this test you must do the following:
- Put your Airpods Pro in your ears with the tips that you think fit your ear best.
- Go into Settings on your iOS device and select Bluetooth.
- In the list of connected devices, find the AirPods Pro, and tap the info button next to the name.
- Select the option “pads test".
- Tap Continue and start the process by tapping on the Play button to play the sound.
At the end of the test, the system might suggest that you adjust the ear tip or change it to a different size, so follow the steps and continue until you complete the process with both AirPods.
How to remove and put on 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 base of the headset, a shape that will allow you to align the attachment points correctly.
To remove the pad we will only have to pinch them and pull firmly out. It does not have major complications and you should not fear any breakage.
How to adjust noise cancellation
With the headphones perfectly adjusted and already connected to your device, it's time to select the mode that best suits us when listening to music, reading a book or simply working. We can do this selection of cancellation mode 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 AirPods Pro options. 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 (gesture of sliding down in the upper right corner) and pressing and holding the volume control of the AirPods Pro. In a few seconds the two functions that we can manage both noise cancellation and spatial audio (or spatialize stereo) will appear. . We choose the first one and then you will see the three available alternatives.
From the Apple Watch
Since we can also use AirPods Pro with Apple Watch, it makes sense that we can adjust the cancellation mode from the watch itself. To do this we will only have to touch 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 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 allow us to select different functions. This area is sensitive to pressure, so just touch it 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 "Hold down the AirPods" section. 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 when doing the double touch gesture we will directly control the multimedia playback. These are the available options:
- quick tap: Play/Pause.
- Double touch: Next song.
- Triple tap: Previous song.
Can I use my AirPods Pro as a sound amplifier?
With their cancellation system, built-in microphones, and pairing with iPhone and iPad, AirPods Pro can be used as a hearing aid supplement with Hearing. This is a peculiar function that makes use of the iPhone's microphones to capture sound whose origin is out of our reach.
So if someone is hard of hearing, they just have to turn on the feature, place their iPhone near the sound source, and the AirPods Pro will receive the amplified signal via Bluetooth. It's sort of like a totally camouflaged wireless microphone. To activate it you must do the following:
- Enter the Settings from the system and click on Control center.
- Select customize controls and look for the option Hearing.
- From now on a new icon it will appear in the Control Center (swipe down from the top 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.
Spatial sound, or how to 'spatialize' the stereo
One of the great features of the Apple ecosystem, which it shares with Airpods Max and XNUMXrd-generation AirPods, is the ability to create a kind of 5.1 surround effect to listen to music and, above all, watch movies and series compatible with this function. If you want to activate it, you can do it in two ways.
The first is through the Control Center by swiping from top to bottom at the top of the screen. Then you leave your finger pressed on the volume control (where you will see some Airpods Pro inside) and the menu will appear to choose stereo spatialization. Once you touch there, the two options of fixed point or tracking of the movements of the head appear. We recommend the first.
If you prefer to do it through the menus of the Settings from iOS, it is also possible by going to Bluetooth, then to AirPods Pro (tap on the blue "i" on the right) and finally select the Spatial Audio option. You will see a screen where you can choose it by touching the button and later on Ok.
How to share the sound with other people
If you are one of those who do not like to share something as personal as AirPods, you can always invite them to connect to your connection with their own to listen to both playback at the same time. To do so, you have to activate the function from the Control Center:
- Once you have connected your headphones, go to the Control Center and click on the AirPlay icon.
- The option "Share Audio”. Click on it.
- It's time to connect the second AirPods. Open the lid without removing the earphones from the case and wait for them to become visible in the menu. When you see them, click on them and they will be paired.
Now in the Control Center you will be able to see an individual volume controller for each AirPods, so that we can have independent adjustments depending on the person.