How to adjust AirPods audio settings for a much better experience

Many people use their Apple earbuds straight out of the box without changing anything. But you do not have to stick with the basic factory setup. Learning how to adjust AirPods audio settings can make your music, podcasts, and phone calls sound much better.

You can customize these settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It only takes a few taps to tweak how your earbuds work. This allows you to block out distracting traffic noise or hear people talking without taking your earbuds out of your ears.

Control What You Hear Around You

AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro have sensors on their stems. You can pinch these stems to switch between noise cancellation and transparency mode. Transparency mode lets outside noise in so you stay safe while walking on busy streets. You can also choose adaptive audio. This smart setting automatically changes how much background noise you hear depending on your current surroundings. You can change these options in the settings menu on your Apple device while your earbuds are connected.

Helpful Audio Tools

Your earbuds can do more than just play music. You can turn on conversation awareness, which lowers the volume automatically when you start speaking to someone. There is also a feature called personalized spatial audio. This creates a 3D sound experience that makes music feel like it is playing all around you. If you have mild hearing loss, you can even set up your earbuds to work as a hearing aid. This feature amplifies nearby voices after you take a quick, built-in hearing test.

Custom Equalizer Coming Soon

Right now, adjusting treble and bass directly is limited. However, Apple is launching a new tool called Custom EQ with the iOS 27 software update this fall. This tool is an equalizer, which is a built-in program that lets you manually change low, mid, and high sound frequencies. If you want to try it early, you can install the beta version of the iOS 27 software on your phone today.

Quick Questions Answered

A: Open the Settings app on your Apple device while wearing your earbuds or keeping their charging case open, then tap on your AirPods name.

A: Yes, you can set them up to amplify voices by completing a built-in hearing test in your device settings.

A: You can do this when Apple releases the iOS 27 update this fall, or right now by downloading the beta version.