When you are listening to music through your AirPods, you can use the controls on the AirPods to pause/play the music, skip to the next song or skip back to the previous one. You can also control the music volume using your AirPods.
How to control audio with your AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
Control audio with your AirPods Pro 1
Your AirPods Pro have something called a force sensor. This is an area on the stem of your AirPods that will respond to a finger press.
- Play and pause audio: Press the stem. To resume playback, press it again.
- Play the next track: Double-press the stem.
- Play the previous track: Triple-press the stem.
- Adjust volume: Call Siri. “Hey Siri, volume up” or “Hey Siri, volume down.”
Control audio with your AirPods Pro 2
- Play and pause audio: Press the stem. To resume playback, press it again.
- Play the next track: Double-press the stem.
- Play the previous track: Triple-press the stem.
- Adjust volume: Lightly swipe up or down on the stem.
Changing the Press and hold Function on AirPods Pro
By default, pressing and holding the force sensor on AirPods Pro will toggle you through the noise cancelling modes: Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. You can change the action performed when you press and hold the stem on your AirPods Pro. Here’s how:
- Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
- On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings , then tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen.
- Choose Left or Right, then choose the action you want performed every time you press and hold the stem.
Control audio with your AirPods
For those of you with 1st or 2nd generation AirPods, you can use Siri to control audio. You can also double-tap your AirPod near the top of the stem. This double-tap feature comes with a preset function, but you can change that function.
Control audio with your AirPods (2nd gen)
Your AirPods will respond when you say “Hey Siri.”
- Play or play the next track: Double-tap your AirPod near the top of the stem to start the music playing. If you are already listening to a song, double-tap will skip to the next song.
- Other Functions – Call Siri.
- Pause audio: “Hey Siri, Pause”
- Play the previous track: “Hey Siri, previous track”
- Turn the volume up or down: Say "Hey Siri," then say something like "Turn up the volume" or "Turn down the volume."
Control audio with your AirPods (1st gen)
- For all functions, double-tap an AirPod near the top of the stem to call Siri; The double-tap is like saying “Hey Siri.”
Changing the Double-tap Function (AirPods 1st or 2nd gen)
- Wear your AirPods, then go to Settings , then tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen.
- Select left or right AirPod.
- Choose the function:
- Call Siri
- Play and pause
- Skip forward
- Skip backward
Control audio with your AirPods (3rd gen))
With the force sensor on the stem of both AirPods 3, you can do any of the following:
- Play and pause audio: Press the stem. To resume playback, press it again.
- Play the next track: Double-press the stem.
- Play the previous track: Triple-press the stem.
Control audio with your AirPods (4th gen) and AirPods (4th gen) (ANC)
With the force sensor on the stem of AirPods 4 (both models), you can do any of the following:
- Play and pause audio: Press the stem. To resume playback, press it again.
- Play the next track: Double-press the stem.
- Play the previous track: Triple-press the stem.
- Turn the volume up or down: Say "Hey Siri," then say something like "Turn up the volume" or "Turn down the volume."
Control audio with your AirPods Max
You can use the Digital Crown and noise control button to do any of the following:
- Play and pause audio content: Press the Digital Crown. To resume playback, press it again.
- Play the next track: Double-click the Digital Crown.
- Play the previous track: Triple-click the Digital Crown.
- Adjust the volume: Turn the Digital Crown.
