How do I get AirPods Pro to control volume?
The AirPods Pro are Apple’s premium wireless earbuds that come with advanced features like active noise cancellation and transparency mode. A key feature of the AirPods Pro is the ability to control volume directly on the earbuds themselves.
There are a few different ways to adjust the volume on AirPods Pro depending on what device you are using them with. You can use the physical volume buttons on an iPhone or iPad, volume controls on an Apple Watch, or voice commands with Siri. The earbuds have sensors that automatically detect when they are in your ears, and you can customize options like noise cancellation as well.
This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the various methods available for controlling volume on AirPods Pro across Apple devices. It will cover the touch controls on the earbuds themselves as well as integration with iOS devices, Macs, and the Apple Watch.
Physical Volume Buttons
Unlike traditional headphones, the AirPods Pro do not have physical buttons or controls for adjusting the volume. There is no volume rocker or dedicated up/down buttons on the AirPods Pro earbuds themselves. This is by design, as the AirPods Pro utilize an innovative touch-sensitive stem and software controls for managing volume and audio playback.
The smooth, minimalist design of the AirPods Pro means there are no protruding buttons that could be accidentally pressed. Instead, you adjust volume using iOS devices like your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac computer that the AirPods Pro are paired with. You can also use voice commands with Siri to control volume hands-free.
While the lack of physical volume buttons may seem limiting at first, it allows the AirPods Pro to have a seamless, futuristic design. Once you get used to the alternative volume control methods, you likely won’t miss having dedicated buttons on the earbuds.
Adjust Volume with iPhone/iPad
One of the easiest ways to control the volume on your AirPods Pro is directly from your paired iPhone or iPad. As long as your AirPods Pro are connected to your iPhone or iPad, you can use the volume buttons on the side of the device to turn the volume up or down.
When pressing the buttons, the volume slider will appear on the screen showing the volume level. You can press the buttons repeatedly to increase or decrease the volume incrementally.
This method gives you precise control over the volume level. It’s very convenient since you don’t need to touch the AirPods Pro themselves and can adjust from your iPhone or iPad anytime.
You can also adjust volume in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. Just swipe down from the top right of your screen to open Control Center, then use the volume slider to adjust your AirPods volume. This works the same way as using the physical buttons.
So whether you want to use the hardware volume buttons or Control Center, your paired iPhone or iPad gives you an easy way to control the listening level on your AirPods Pro.
Source: https://support.apple.com/guide/airpods/airpods-controls-devb2c431317/web
Adjust Volume with Siri
One way to adjust the volume on AirPods Pro is by using Siri voice commands. By saying “Hey Siri” you can activate Apple’s voice assistant and then ask Siri to turn the volume up or down on your AirPods Pro.
To turn the volume up, you can say “Hey Siri, turn up the volume” or “Hey Siri, turn the volume up to 50%”. To turn the volume down, you can say “Hey Siri, turn down the volume” or “Hey Siri, lower the volume”.
You can also set the volume to a specific level by saying “Hey Siri, change the volume to 30%” or whatever percentage you want. Siri will respond by changing the volume on your AirPods Pro to the requested level.
According to The Mac Observer, you can also tell Siri to speak louder or quieter, by saying “Speak louder” or “Speak quieter” after activating Siri. This will adjust the volume of Siri’s voice on the AirPods Pro.
One thing to note is that the “Hey Siri” feature needs to be enabled on your paired iPhone or iPad in order to work with your AirPods Pro. As long as “Hey Siri” is turned on, you can use voice commands to conveniently control the volume without having to touch your device.
Adjust Volume with Apple Watch
One way to control the volume on your AirPods Pro is directly from your Apple Watch. Since the AirPods are paired to your iPhone, which is also paired to your Apple Watch, you can use the Watch as a remote to control playback and adjust volume.
To change the volume on your AirPods Pro from your Apple Watch, first double tap one AirPod to pause playback. Then open the Now Playing app on your Apple Watch – this will display playback controls for whatever audio is currently playing on your iPhone. You can then use the digital crown or volume buttons on the side of the Watch to turn the volume up or down. Press play to resume audio and the new volume level will take effect.
This method essentially uses your Apple Watch as a remote control for your iPhone’s volume. The volume level change gets passed from the Watch to the iPhone to the AirPods. It’s a convenient way to tweak the volume without having to grab your iPhone.
One tip is that you may need to first initiate playback from your iPhone before the Now Playing app on your Apple Watch will display AirPods controls. But once it’s up and running, you can easily fine tune the volume right from your wrist.
Sources:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7982869
Adjust Volume with Mac
You can easily adjust the volume of your AirPods Pro when they are connected to a Mac computer. The volume buttons on your Mac keyboard will control the volume of audio playing through the AirPods Pro.
To turn the volume up or down, press the volume up (F11) or volume down (F12) keys on your Mac’s keyboard. You can also click on the volume icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and drag the slider left or right to adjust the volume.
Additionally, you can use the volume keys on an external keyboard if you have one connected to your Mac. The volume keys should control the AirPods Pro volume whether you are adjusting system audio or audio in a specific app like Music or Podcasts.
This method provides a quick and easy way to modify the playback volume of your AirPods Pro while using your Mac. Just use the handy keyboard volume controls to turn the audio up or down as needed.1
Volume Limit Feature
The volume limit feature allows you to control the maximum volume level on AirPods Pro to help protect your hearing. This can be useful if you want to avoid blasting loud music directly into your ears.
To enable the volume limit on AirPods Pro when using an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Music > Volume Limit. From here you can drag the slider to your desired maximum volume level. The default setting is 85 decibels which is about as loud as heavy city traffic [1]. For a quieter maximum, you can lower it to around 75 decibels which is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner.
Once you set the volume limit, your AirPods Pro will not be able to exceed that level even if you try to turn the volume up higher. This prevents accidentally blasting loud music that could potentially damage your hearing over time. It’s a simple way to add a safety barrier and enjoy audio at safe volumes.
Automatic Ear Detection
The AirPods Pro feature Automatic Ear Detection which allows the earbuds to automatically pause audio playback when you remove one or both earbuds from your ears. This helps to save battery life and prevent audio from continuing to play when you can’t hear it.
Here’s how the Auto-Pause feature works on AirPods Pro:
- Each AirPod Pro has an optical sensor that detects when the earbud is in your ear versus out of your ear.
- When you remove one or both AirPods Pro from your ears, audio playback will automatically pause after a brief delay.
- Taking out just one AirPod will pause playback while leaving the other AirPod active so you can still hear audio in one ear.
- Once you re-insert the AirPods back into your ears, audio playback will automatically resume after a short delay.
- You can disable Automatic Ear Detection in your Bluetooth settings if you don’t want this feature enabled.
The Auto Pause capability makes it easy to pause your audio just by taking out an AirPod Pro, without having to tap any buttons. It’s a convenient way to quickly pause music, podcasts, or calls when needed.
Noise Cancellation
The AirPods Pro have a noise cancellation feature that helps block out external noise. This can impact the volume you hear in your AirPods. There are a few different noise cancellation modes:
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) blocks out external noise by creating counteracting anti-noise. This allows you to hear your content more clearly even in noisy environments. With ANC turned on, you may need to turn the volume down since there is less background noise competing. Turn ANC on or off by pressing and holding the force sensor on the AirPod stem until you hear a tone. You can also enable it from Control Center on your paired iPhone or iPad 1.
Adaptive Noise Cancellation uses the outward-facing microphones to adapt the level of noise cancellation in real-time based on your environment. This provides a more customized noise blocking experience. Enable this feature in your Bluetooth settings when paired with your AirPods Pro 2.
Transparency Mode allows external sounds to pass through the AirPods so you can hear your surroundings. This is useful for hearing traffic or announcements. Transparency Mode can be enabled via the force sensor or in Control Center. With Transparency Mode, you may need to turn the volume up to hear clearly.
So in summary, the level of noise cancellation impacts the volume you need to listen comfortably. Turning noise cancellation features on or off will change the amount of external noise let in, affecting your ideal listening volume.
Conclusion
The AirPods Pro offer a variety of ways to control volume, providing flexibility and convenience for users. By using the physical volume buttons on a connected iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the volume can be easily adjusted as needed. Voice commands via Siri allow for hands-free volume changes by simply asking Siri to turn the volume up or down. The Apple Watch also enables quick volume adjustments through the Digital Crown or app screen. The volume limit feature helps prevent excessive volume, while automatic ear detection pauses audio when the AirPods are removed. Noise cancellation settings allow users to control ambient sound. Ultimately, the AirPods Pro provide seamless integration across Apple devices for personalized volume control.
