Inside each iPhone box, you will find a pair of simply wired earplugs. It is convenient for Apple to include them in every new phone, but they are undoubtedly unmistakable-cheap earplugs that allow you to listen to music in a personal way immediately after setting up the phone.
However, in 2016, Apple introduced AirPods-high-quality all-wireless Bluetooth earbuds, which redefines people’s expectations for such audio accessories.
If you upgrade to AirPods they need to be purchased as an accessory, the good news is that they are easy to set up and use.
How to pair AirPods to your iPhone
1. Turn on your iPhone and go to the Home screen.
2. Position your new AirPods very close to the phone and then open the case.
3. You’ll see a setup message appear on the iPhone. Tap “Connect,” and then tap “Done.”
Your AirPods are now paired with your phone and ready to use. In fact, your AirPods are automatically connected to any other devices in your iCloud account, including your Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch.
How to pair AirPods to another iPhone
If you’re looking to pair your AirPods with an iPhone that isn’t the original phone you’ve paired them with, you’ll have to go one step further.
1. Open your AirPods case near the new iPhone.
2. Tap “Connect.”
3. Press and hold the small “pairing” button on the back of the case for several seconds, until it starts blinking white.
How to pair AirPods with non-Apple devices
Although it is exclusively sold by Apple and has special features that only run on iOS devices, AirPods are still simple Bluetooth earbuds. This means you can choose to pair them with any Bluetooth-compatible device, such as an Android phone or a Windows computer.
You simply need to put your AirPods in “Pairing” mode.
1. Make sure your AirPods are in the case.
2. Open the lid.
3. Press and hold the “pairing” button on the back of the case for several seconds, until it starts blinking white.
4. Start the pairing process on the other device in the way you would ordinarily connect to any Bluetooth device.
How to use your AirPods
- If you have first-generation AirPods, double-tap either earbud to wake Siri. If you want to control music playback, Siri can do this for you. You can ask Siri to “lower volume by X percent,” for example, “go back to the previous song,” or to “skip a song.”
- If you have second-generation AirPods, double-tap either earbud to skip to the next track. To wake Siri, just say “Hey Siri.” You can also re-configure your AirPods so that the double-taps perform other functions.
- For all AirPods, you can accept and end phone calls by double-tapping an earbud.
How to configure the way your AirPods work
1. Make sure that your AirPods are connected to the iPhone – either wear the AirPods or open the case near the phone.
2. Open the Settings app and then tap “Bluetooth.”
3. Find the entry for the AirPods and then tap the “i” on the right side of the screen. You should see a screen full of options.
