Michael Grothaus 16/05/2017 - 3:14pm

Apple's AirPods Have LOADS of Cool Features – check out all the things you can do with them below

Perhaps Apple’s biggest hit product of 2016 was also one of its smallest. While 2016 saw lackluster updates to the Mac, iPhone, and iPad lines, which disappointed many, the company’s new AirPods earphones were praised by both consumers and the press. Apple’s AirPods are wireless earphones with the brand new Apple W1 chip, which Apple says “produces extremely efficient wireless for a better connection and improved sound.”

But while people generally love their AirPods, Apple’s tiny earphones actually have a number of hidden features many people don’t know about--features which are cool enough to make using them as your primary earphones worth it. Here’s a list of some of the hidden features Apple’s packed into its AirPods that will make you think they’re the best earphones you’ve ever owned.

The Easy Way To Pair With Your iPhone

Apple has several ways you can pair your new AirPods to your iPhone, but most people look over the easiest. Simply make sure they are charged and inside the charging case. Then place the charging case with your AirPods inside right near your iPhone. Open the case and the iPhone will automatically detect the nearby AirPods. It will ask you to tap a button on the iPhone screen to pair them. That’s it.

Easily Check Out How Much Battery Life Is Left

Again, the tip here involves using the case right near your iPhone. Simply open the case and a battery status menu will appear on your iPhone telling you how much juice each AirPod has left.

Pair AirPods With Android Phones

While the big wireless feature of the AirPods is Apple’s new Apple W1 chip, which is how it connects to iOS devices, the AirPods also have your standard Bluetooth technology. This means that they can connect to any device that supports Bluetooth audio technology—like Android phones and Windows PCs. To do this, open the charging case and then press and hold the button until the indicator light blinks white. Now on your Bluetooth device, go into Bluetooth settings and tell it to connect to the AirPods via Bluetooth.

Charge Your AirPods From Other Devices

You normally charge the AirPods by placing them in the charging case and then plugging in a Lightning cable into it and a power source. However, you can also give juice to the case by docking it in other Lightning charging devices like iPhone docks and wireless speakers with built-in dock slots.

Change The Name Of Your AirPods

You can name your AirPods anything you want. While this is kind of pointless if you only have one pair, it’s helpful if you have more than one pair—so you can distinguish between the two—or if you live in a household where everyone has their own pair. To change the name of your AirPods on the iPhone go to Settings > Bluetooth and then tap your AirPods from the list of devices. On the next screen type in any name you want.

Disable Automatic Ear Detection

AirPods are smart enough to know when they are in your ears and turn on. However, you can disable this feature by going to Settings > Bluetooth and then tap your AirPods from the list of devices. Now set automatic ear detection to “Off”.

Change The Double Tap Settings

The AirPods also have features that let you tap them to activate Siri, so you don’t need to take your iPhone out of your pocket to do so. But you can change the action a double tap initiates. On the iPhone go to Settings > Bluetooth and then tap your AirPods from the list of devices. Now tap the double tap setting and choose between a double tap initiating Siri or Play/Pausing music. You can also disable the double tap feature by setting it to “Off”.

Assign The Mic To A Specific AirPod

Each AirPod has a built in mic and the devices are smart enough to know which mic to enable if you only put on AirPod in your ear. However, if you want to disable this feature for some reason go to Settings > Bluetooth and then tap your AirPods from the list of devices to find the option to turn it off.