I can't help but share my happy news with you: I got myself a pair of wireless earbuds!
No more tangled cords and hours wasted on untangling them!
Yay!
But this week, I'm going on a long flight.
So, the question is, "Will my AirPods work on the plane?"
After googling the answer, I was happy to find out that the answer is a solid "Yes"!
The FAA (which stands for the Federal Aviation Administration) won't mind if you switch on
your wireless earbuds onboard the airliner.
Plus, your neighbor is bound to thank you for not tangling your earphone cord around
their appendages, belongings, and armrests.
At the same time, one moment used to confuse to me: when a plane takes off, all passengers
are asked to put their phones into Airplane Mode.
But then, how are my AirPods going to work?
Well, it turns out that during the flight, it's Ok if passengers use short-range Bluetooth
accessories, for example, wireless keyboards AND AirPods!
(However, it doesn't mean that you can (or should, for that matter) switch off the Airplane
Mode after the plane has climbed to cruising altitude.)
So, first, right before take-off, you should go to "Settings" on your smartphone and choose
the Airplane Mode.
Then, you re-enable Bluetooth by choosing "On" in your Bluetooth settings.
What do you know!
You aren't breaking any regulations by ignoring the "Airplane Mode" rule, and, at the same
time, you can listen to your favorite songs or watch movies to pass the hours.
Even better, you don't have to waste precious flight time (just a bit of sarcasm here) AND
your nerves on untwisting the knots of the earbud cord.
Sound off in the comments below if you know how irritating that is!
Anyway, discovering this information made me think: what if there’s something else
I don't know about my new gadget?
Well, I started researching, and look how much useful stuff about AirPods I've found!
- If your AirPods are running low on battery, you can use just one earbud at a time!
Keep one of them in the charging case, and listen to music or whatnot through the other.
It’ll extend the battery life by almost two times.
Besides, AirPods are designed in such a clever way that when you're using one earbud, you
still hear both the left and the right sides of the stereo audio file!
But there’s one condition: one of the earbuds has to be either in the case or in your friend’s
ear!
Usually, stereo recordings have right and left-channel audio tracks.
And if you're wearing just one earbud, you can miss something that's going on in the
other one, for example, a part of a dialogue or some sound effect!
But AirPods automatically convert stereo to mono when you use just one earbud, and you
miss nothing.
- Another problem I had when I got my AirPods was checking who was calling me.
First, I had to nervously fumble for my phone in my bag or pocket, grab it, pull it out,
and only after all this hassle, I could finally make the decision whether I wanted to answer
or not.
Guess I just didn't do my research well.
It turns out that you can find out who's calling you without having to look at the screen of
your phone!
Choose "Phone" in your Settings, and tap "Announce Calls."
After that, pick the option that suits you the most.
For example, I opted for "Headphones Only," but you might find it more convenient if your
smartphone always informs you about the caller's identity.
- Unfortunately, AirPods aren't water-resistant.
So don’t shower with them.
Just sayin’.
What's more, Apple strongly recommends keeping the earbuds away from water.
On the other hand, you can use them during your workouts.
So, I believe that means they can withstand some sweating, but shouldn't be dropped in
water.
If your earbuds have survived a washing machine cycle or an unplanned swim in a bath, count
yourself lucky!
- If your AirPods keep disconnecting from your phone, there might be several reasons
for this problem.
Before everything else, check their battery.
If they have enough charge, make sure that the Bluetooth on your gadget is working properly.
If these attempts haven't been successful, disconnect your AirPods and then connect them
again.
To do it, just put them inside their case, close the lid, and wait for about 15 seconds.
After that, open the lid, press the button on the back of the case, and hold it until
the flashing light inside becomes amber and then white - your AirPods are reset.
You can also try turning off the Wi-Fi on your phone, un-pairing them from your Apple
Watch, or turning off automatic ear detection.
But if none of these methods have worked, try cleaning your earbuds!
The "disconnection problem" may occur because of the dust and dirt stuck inside.
Yep, as simple as that!
- You can set up "Find My AirPods" in the "Find My iPhone" application so that you never
have to rummage around your place trying to locate them.
Plus, by using this feature, you can even find one runaway earbud that’s outside the
case!
In this case, when you choose "Find My AirPods" in the app, it’ll show you only one location
on the map.
You should put the earbud you see in the case and refresh the map.
This way, you'll locate the other.
Plus, if you know for sure that both of your AirPods are somewhere nearby and connected
to Bluetooth, you can play a sound in the application to find them.
This sound will last for 2 minutes, getting louder and louder.
As soon as you spot the missing earbud, you can tap "Stop Playing."
- You can still use your AirPods even if your phone wasn't produced by Apple!
Examine the back of the charging case - see that small, flush button?
You can use it to pair your earbuds to an Android device without any problems!
Just put the earbuds in their case, open the lid, and press the button.
Hold it until the LED light starts to pulse white.
After that, your Android phone, as well as any other device, is supposed to show AirPods
in its Bluetooth-pairing settings.
However, keep in mind that when you pair AirPods with non-Apple devices, you won't be able
to feel all the magic.
For example, music won't stop if you take one AirPod out of your ear.
Playback controls won’t work either.
Also, you'll have to install a special app to be able to check the level of the AirPods’
battery.
- If you have second-generation AirPods, you can chat with them.
Well, not with them, obviously, but with Siri.
Activate this option by saying "Hey, Siri" and then ask your virtual assistant whatever
you need to know.
I'll tell you the truth: I've never been a fan of Siri.
But with AirPods, it turned out to be quite convenient!
Just remember the main commands: "Turn down the volume."
(Or "turn the volume up," for that matter.
Or even "make it 25% louder.")
"Skip this song."
"How is the battery on the AirPods?"
"Call –(insert name here)."
"Play my Weekend playlist."
Or simply - "Play tango."
So, you got the idea, right?
- You can change the name of your AirPods!
Just choose "Bluetooth" in your phone's Settings, find the blue letter "i" with a circle around
it near "AirPods," and tap it.
You'll see the box saying "name" - that's where you can type any name that fits your
earbuds the best.
By the way, renaming your AirPods will make it easier for you to find them when you use
Bluetooth to pair them with your iPhone, Mac, iPad, and whatnot.
- I've already mentioned the AirPods’ status lights inside the charging case.
Understanding what their colors mean can come in handy in different situations.
So, if your AirPods are inside the case, and the lid is open, the green light means that
your AirPods are fully charged, and amber indicates that less than one full charge remains.
If the light is flashing white, they’re ready to get set up with a new device.
And if you see flashing amber, your earbuds are pairing right now, or there’s been some
error.
In this case, you should reset them.
If you've taken the earbuds out of their case, and it's empty, the green light unsurprisingly
means that the case is fully charged.
And if the light is amber, you'll have to feed the case quite soon.
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