How to change settings for AirPods Max

On iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can change the settings for AirPods Max. For example, you can customize the action performed when you turn the Digital Crown or press the listening mode button, and you can turn off automatic head detection.

You can also switch how you end a call and mute yourself. And if you have AirPods Max 2, you can turn Camera Control on or off and have audio pause automatically when you fall asleep while listening.

Change how the Digital Crown works

To increase the volume on AirPods Max, you can change which direction you turn the Digital Crown.

1. Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
2. Do one of the following:
   • iPhone or iPad: Go to the Settings app. Tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen. Select Digital Crown (if you don’t see that option, first tap Controls & Gestures). Choose an option.
   • Mac: Go to the System Settings app and then click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). On the right, select an option next to Increase Volume by Rotating Digital Crown (if you don’t see that option, first click Controls & Gestures).

Customize the listening mode button

You can press the listening mode button on the right headphone of AirPods Max 1 to switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. With AirPods Max 2, you can switch between Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Adaptive Audio.

1. Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
2. Do one of the following:
   • iPhone or iPad: Go to the Settings app and then tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen. Select the modes you want to access with the listening mode button (if you don’t see that option, first tap Controls & Gestures). When you’re listening to audio with your device and you press the listening mode button on AirPods Max, it cycles through all the options you selected on your device.
   • Mac: Go to the System Settings app and click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). On the right, select an option next to Press and Hold to Cycle Between (if you don’t see that option, first click Controls & Gestures). When you’re listening to audio with your Mac and you press the listening mode button on AirPods Max, it cycles through all the options you selected on your Mac.

Turn automatic head detection on or off

When you take off your AirPods Max, they automatically stop playing audio, then resume playback once you put them back on. That’s a setting you can change.

1. Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
2. Do one of the following:
   • iPhone or iPad: Go to the Settings app, tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen, and turn Automatic Head Detection on or off (if you don’t see that option, first tap Audio & Routing).
   • Mac: Go to the System Settings app and click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Turn Automatic Head Detection on or off (if you don’t see that option, first click Audio & Routing).

Change how you end a call and mute yourself with AirPods Max

By default, you can double-click the Digital Crown on your AirPods Max to end a call, and press once to mute and unmute. You can switch these actions.

1. Wear your AirPods Max, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
2. Do one of the following:
   • iPhone or iPad: Go to the Settings app. Tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen. Tap End Call or Mute & Unmute (if you don’t see those options, first tap Controls & Gestures). Choose Press Once or Press Twice. The other option automatically switches.
   • Mac: Go to the System Settings app and then click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). On the right, select an option next to End Call or Mute & Unmute (if you don’t see those options, first click Controls & Gestures). The other option automatically switches.

Turn Camera Control on or off on AirPods Max 2

With AirPods Max 2, you can change the action that takes a photo or starts or stops a video recording.

1. Wear your AirPods Max 2, and make sure they’re connected to your iPhone.
2. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
3. Tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen.
4. Tap Camera Remote (if you don’t see that option, first tap Controls & Gestures) and then do one of the following:
   • Turn Camera Control on: Tap either Press Once or Press and Hold.

     Note: If you select Press Once, media control gestures are temporarily unavailable while you use a supported camera app. If you select Press and Hold, listening modes and Siri gestures are temporarily unavailable while you use a supported camera app.

   • Turn Camera Control off: Tap Off.

Pause audio when you fall asleep with AirPods Max 2

You can use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to choose whether AirPods Max 2 automatically pause audio if you fall asleep while you’re listening.

1. Wear your AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
2. Do one of the following:
   • iPhone or iPad: Go to the Settings app, tap the name of your AirPods near the top of the screen, and turn on Pause Media When Falling Asleep (if you don’t see that option, first tap Audio & Routing).
   • Mac: Go to the System Settings app, click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), and turn on Pause Media When Falling Asleep (if you don’t see that option, first click Audio & Routing).

You can change the sound effects volume on your AirPods, too. For the steps, check out our article, Adjust the volume of sound effects for AirPods.

This guide is for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, or later.

See also

• Rename your AirPods
• Restart, unpair, or reset your AirPods
• Control Spatial Audio and head tracking on AirPods