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It’s no secret that AirPods perform their best when paired with other Apple devices, and rarely do you need to make extreme changes to maximize their audio performance. However, I recommend reviewing your AirPods and Apple Music settings (if you’re subscribed) to make sure every dollar spent is worth it.
Also: You should clean your headphones and earbuds as soon as possible (and this goes beyond hygiene reasons)
Some features you won’t find unless you search in your device settings, especially if you looked into the initial AirPods setup. Here are my favorites that helped me improve my AirPods experience.
1. Sleep detection goes beyond the bed
In September’s iOS 26 update, AirPods received a sleep detection feature. This feature enables your AirPods to detect when you have fallen asleep and pauses media on your device. Users with AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4 can access this feature, which is disabled by default. To enable it you have to go to your settings.
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To turn it on, connect your AirPods to your iOS device, tap your AirPods settings below your Apple account name card, and scroll down to “Pause media while sleeping.” This is helpful when you are sleeping amid white noise and when you are dozing off in flight.
2. Head gestures are subtle and useful
Head gestures are my favorite AirPods feature. If you’re like me and always carry your AirPods, accepting hands-free notifications is the best way to stay on top of time-sensitive alerts while your hands are full.
If you get a phone call while wearing your AirPods, you can nod your head “yes” to accept it or shake your head “no” to reject it. You can also respond to message notifications by nodding “Yes” and then saying your reply, or by nodding “No” to dismiss it.
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To use head gestures, you must first enable “Announce calls” or “Announce notifications.” In your device settings, find “Apple Intelligence & Siri.” Then, scroll down to “Announce calls” and “Announce notifications.”
I prefer to use head gestures only to accept or reject phone calls, not to acknowledge text messages or other notifications. I don’t like it when my YouTube video, music, or TV show is interrupted by even the most important notifications.
Once you’ve decided what notifications you want Siri to announce through your AirPods, return to your AirPods settings, under your Apple account name card, and scroll down to “Head Gestures.”
3. An equalizer actually exists
Although the AirPods don’t have a native equalizer feature, you can tweak their sound with select Apple EQ presets. However, you need an Apple Music subscription for this feature to work. To find presets, open your device’s Settings and scroll down to “Apps.” Find “Music”, then scroll down to “EQ”. Apple’s audio presets are genre-specific, allowing users to toggle between modes that Apple has tuned for specific music genres, such as Latin, jazz, pop, or electronic.
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When I first opened my AirPods Pro 3, they didn’t have enough bass for me, so I adjusted my Apple Music settings to “Enhanced Bass,” which helped solve the problem. Despite the feature changes, I think my ears have become accustomed to the sound profile of the AirPods over time.
Ultimately, in my eyes, the AirPods are a passive listening device, and their best features lie in their integration with your iPhone rather than their music-playing capabilities.
