The AirPods Pro and AirPods 3 operate differently than older AirPods. With these ears you have to squeeze the stem to operate all kinds of functions. Below we explain how the pressure sensor in the stem works.
- This is how the pressure sensor works
- Noise canceling on/off (AirPods Pro)
- Customize controls (AirPods Pro)
Control AirPods with pressure sensor
The pressure sensor can be recognized by the flattened part on the stem. You can press this one, two or three times or hold it down a little longer to activate certain functions. You can also change some settings. It’s good to know that AirPods 3, i.e. the non-Pro model, don’t allow for customization of controls. We explain on this page how to operate the AirPods, but the adjustable settings are only intended for AirPods Pro.
That is how it works:
- Press once: play or pause music, or answer a phone call
- Press 2x: to next track
- Press 3x: go to previous track
- Press and hold: Use Siri (AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro) or switch between active noise canceling and Transparency mode (AirPods Pro only)
Noise canceling on and off on AirPods Pro
The Transparency mode is intended to listen in when you have the earphones in. Because the AirPods Pro have noise reduction and close your ear canal, you can’t listen to what’s going on around you. By enabling Transparency mode, you can still have a conversation and hear the traffic.
Customize AirPods Pro controls
You can adjust how you want to operate the AirPods Pro. It’s about what happens when you hold down the stems. The short squeeze actions cannot be set. You can arrange this via the settings of the AirPods:
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad connected to the AirPods.
- Go to Bluetooth.
- Tap the blue i next to the name of your AirPods.
- You can now customize the AirPods controls, choosing which modes your AirPods Pro will switch between: Siri, Mute, Transparency, and Off.
So you decide for yourself what happens when you squeeze the pressure sensor. For the left and right you can indicate whether you want to activate noise reduction or Siri with press-and-hold. As with other AirPods models, you can also set whether you always want to use the left or right microphone, or whether you want to switch automatically.
Of course, with the AirPods Pro you can also still use Hey Siri to play a song, call or request directions, for example. On the AirPods Pro 2022, you can also swipe to adjust the volume.
Don’t have AirPods Pro or AirPods 3 yet? You can buy them at various stores.
