AirPods work well with Android, but the experience may be less satisfying or convenient compared to Apple’s ecosystem. Certain features are unavailable such as customizing double-tap functionality and access to Siri voice assistant.
To pair AirPods with your Android device, open their case and press and hold the “Setup” button until an LED flashes, followed by following instructions on your phone to connect.
Earbuds
Have you made the switch from iPhone to Android or received AirPods as a gift? You’ll be pleased to know that they work seamlessly across Google and Samsung devices – provided they support Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity on each phone. Once connected, you can play music through Bluetooth 5.0 compatible phones as well as access their microphone for calls or voice assistant commands.
One of the best features of AirPods is Siri, Apple’s assistant that’s always listening and ready to accept requests. She can read your messages and provide information about your battery life, events and the weather – plus much more. On older AirPods models, such as first and second generations, there was a double tap gesture to activate Siri; for newer ones, however, a single tap pauses/resumes audio playback, double squeeze skips to the next track while a triple squeeze reverses it all backwards!
AirPods with the Apple Watch offer another helpful feature: switching between two Apple devices to answer calls quickly or switch podcasts on the fly. In addition, using AirBattery for iOS can allow you to check the battery life of AirPods more accurately than using Android alone.
Case
The case provides a convenient and hassle-free solution for keeping AirPods or AirPods Pro charged up and ready to go, offering multiple charges with long battery life, multiple colours and designs to choose from and an attached silver carabiner clip to attach them to bags or keys easily.
AirPods work well with Android phones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. However, you must manually pair them instead of following Apple’s iPhone-style setup process to connect. As a result, features like quick pairing and active noise cancellation may not work correctly on Android devices, and Siri won’t be available as part of your AirPod experience either.
If your AirPods or AirPods Pro have difficulty connecting to an Android phone, restart the device first. If that does not resolve the issue, disable and reenable Bluetooth before trying again. If the issue continues, please get in touch with the manufacturer for additional support.
In most instances, problems arise from improper connection between your phone and earbuds. When this is the case, solving it should be relatively straightforward:
- Reset both.
- Open up the lid of the case while holding down its button until its LED lights flash white.
- Re-pair both with Android devices.
Microphone
AirPods and AirPod Pro feature built-in microphones that allow for hands-free calls, using Siri or talking directly to Alexa or Google Assistant voice command services, listening to music or podcasts without your phone and taking hands-free calls without using Siri or Alexa voice services. You may also experience background noise pick-up – the noise cancellation feature is designed to reduce this effect.
Android users can connect AirPods just like any other Bluetooth headphones. To find them in Settings > Connections > Bluetooth on an Android tablet. Upon first use, make sure Bluetooth is activated on both devices before opening them for the first time; entering a four-digit passcode may be requested to ensure safe pairing.
AirPods have one of the most convenient features, automatically pairing with Apple devices via W1 chip technology. When opening their case and tapping Connect on an iPhone, AirPods are detected instantly – not working for Android phones though!
The AirPods’ double-tap feature allows you to pause or play music without touching your smartphone, with customizable effects when double-tapping any earbud, such as skipping songs or activating Siri – although these Apple-exclusive features won’t work on Android phones.
Controls
The AirPods are wireless earbuds designed by Apple that work with most Bluetooth devices – including Android phones – but features exclusive to their ecosystem, such as Adaptive EQ and an ear tip fit test, which is only accessible through third-party apps and may affect sound quality when activated via third-party apps. Furthermore, an ear detection feature that automatically pauses playback upon removal does not function on non-Apple devices.
iOS-exclusive features such as Siri allow users to control music or ask questions. In order to use this feature, a smartphone must be connected with AirPods or their case in order to gain access to it; you can customize what a double-tap on their case will do – such as play/pause music or open Siri App – while AirPods Pro and Max also include Spatial Audio which automatically adjusts audio playback based on head movements for a cinema-like experience.
Audio Sharing is another beautiful feature of AirPods that lets you share songs or podcasts with someone else, making listening perfect for libraries or lecture halls. Furthermore, they feature a built-in microphone, which makes answering phone calls hands-free!