Go further with AirPods

Discover the very clever things your AirPods can do

- CARRIE MARSHALL

YOUR AIRPODS, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max aren't just greatsounding headphones.

They're very clever too, with lots of customization options and some very smart features. That's particularly true of the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3, which have spatial audio for more immersive sound something that's great for live and acoustic music, TV and movies.

AirPods Pro 2 and Max add noise cancellation into the mix, and that's where things get even smarter. In addition to noise canceling, you can use Transparency mode to let some outside sound in - useful in cities so you can hear traffic and public transport announcements.

All AirPods also have Live Listen, which enables you to hear people more clearly by using your iPhone as a microphone: that sends the sound of their speech to your AirPods. It's really useful if you struggle to hear people in busy places, and as we'll discover it couldn't be easier to set up or use.

HOW TO Get set up and start customizing

1 Find AirPods settings

The settings for AirPods only appear when you've taken them out of the case, at which point you'll get an onscreen notification and an AirPods section will appear in Settings. Tap on that and you can access the customization features.

2 Change the taps

One of the most useful customization options is changing what happens when you tap a specific AirPod. For example, you can decide which noisecanceling options you want to cycle through, or have a squeeze call up Siri.

3 Chill out