Let’s be honest: most of us use our AirPods Pro in a pretty basic way. We pop the case open, stick them in our ears, and press play on our favorite playlist or podcast. And that’s fine! One of the best things about Apple products is that "it just works" magic. Out of the box, the noise cancellation is excellent, and the sound quality is crisp.
However, you paid a premium price for those "Pro" features, and there is a surprising amount of technology packed into those tiny white stems that goes completely unused by the average owner. Apple has buried some of the most useful, life-enhancing capabilities deep within the Settings menu or the Control Center.
Whether you want to focus better in a noisy coffee shop, share a movie on a flight, or answer a call without saying a word, your earbuds can do it. Here are five hidden AirPods Pro features that will change how you use them every day.
1. Turn Your AirPods into a Focus Machine with Background Sounds
We have all been there. You are trying to focus on work, study for an exam, or just decompress after a long day, but the world around you is just too loud. Many of us turn to third-party apps like Calm or search for "Rain Sounds" on Spotify to drown out the noise.
Did you know your iPhone has a high-quality white noise machine built right into the operating system that works natively with your AirPods Pro? It is called Background Sounds, and it is a game-changer for productivity.
Unlike playing a music track, this feature layers soothing sounds underneath other media or plays them on their own. You can choose from Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean, Rain, or Stream. It is incredibly effective when paired with Active Noise Cancellation.
Pro Tip: You don't need to dig through settings every time you want to turn this on. You can add a shortcut directly to your Control Center.
How to set it up:
- Go to Settings > Control Center.
- Scroll down and tap the green + next to the Hearing icon (it looks like an ear).
- Now, swipe down from the top-right of your screen to open Control Center.
- Tap the Ear icon.
- Tap Background Sounds to turn it on, and tap it again to change the sound profile or volume.
2. Conversation Boost: Superhuman Hearing in Crowded Places
AirPods Pro are famous for blocking sound out, but they are equally good at letting sound in. Transparency Mode is great for hearing traffic while walking, but what about when you are at a crowded restaurant and can’t hear the person sitting right across from you?
Enter Conversation Boost. This accessibility feature uses the beam-forming microphones in your AirPods Pro to isolate the voice of the person talking in front of you while dampening the ambient noise of the clattering dishes and chatter around you. It essentially functions as a mild, situational hearing aid.
This feature is somewhat hidden because it is tucked away inside the Accessibility settings rather than the standard Bluetooth menu.
How to enable Conversation Boost:
- Put your AirPods in your ears and go to Settings > Accessibility.
- Scroll down to Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations.
- Toggle Headphone Accommodations to ON.
- Scroll down and tap Transparency Mode (this option only appears if your AirPods are connected).
- Toggle on Conversation Boost.
Once this is set up, you will find that dinner dates in loud bistros become much less exhausting because you aren't straining to hear every word.
3. Control Siri with Silent Head Gestures
Using Siri with AirPods is convenient, but it can also be socially awkward. If you are on a quiet train or in a library, you probably don't want to announce, "Hey Siri, decline call," when your phone starts ringing. Consequently, many users just fumble for their phone to silence it manually.
With the latest iOS updates and AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), you can now interact with Siri completely silently using head gestures. It feels a bit like magic—or telepathy.
If a call comes in, you can simply shake your head "No" to decline it. If you want to pick up, just nod your head "Yes." This also works for incoming notifications. If Siri announces a text message, you can nod to reply or shake your head to dismiss it without saying a word.
How to verify this is on:
- With AirPods connected, go to Settings > [Your AirPods Name].
- Scroll down to the Head Gestures section.
- Ensure the toggle is On.
Why this matters: It allows you to maintain your privacy and not disturb those around you, while still keeping your phone in your pocket or bag when your hands are full of groceries.
4. Share Audio Without Sharing Earwax
Remember the old days of sharing music with a friend on the bus? You would take one wired earbud, give them the other, and you would both get a subpar mono-audio experience while awkwardly tethered together by a cable.
Apple has solved this with a feature called Audio Sharing. This allows you to connect two distinct pairs of AirPods to a single iPhone or iPad. This is perfect for watching a movie together on a plane ride, or listening to the same running playlist while jogging with a partner.
Both of you get your own volume controls and your own noise cancellation settings. It is a seamless experience that feels very futuristic, yet many users assume they still have to physically share one pair of headphones.
How to start sharing:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone and start playing audio.
- Open the Control Center on your iPhone.
- Tap the AirPlay icon (the triangle with circles) in the music control box.
- Tap Share Audio...
- Hold the second pair of AirPods (inside their case with the lid open) close to your iPhone.
- Follow the on-screen prompt to connect.
5. Precision Finding for the Lost Case
If you have the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation), the charging case is significantly smarter than its predecessor. The original case was easy to lose; if the buds weren't inside, the case itself had no way to communicate with your phone. It was just a piece of plastic.
The newer case has a U1 Ultra Wideband chip inside. In plain English, this means your iPhone can point you to the exact location of your case, down to the inch, similar to an AirTag.
Furthermore, the case has its own built-in speaker. If it slips between the couch cushions or you leave it in a jacket pocket, you can make the case itself chirp loudly. This is a massive upgrade from the old model, where only the earbuds could play a sound (which was useless if they were in the case).
Quick Tip: If you are constantly misplacing your case, you can also enable "Notify When Left Behind" in the Find My app. Your iPhone will send you a push notification the moment you walk away from your AirPods at a coffee shop or office.
How to use Precision Finding:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Devices tab.
- Select your AirPods Pro.
- Tap Find.
- If you are close by, your screen will turn into a compass, guiding you with "Far," "Near," and "Here," accompanied by haptic feedback as you get closer.
These features transform the AirPods Pro from a simple listening device into a powerful productivity and accessibility tool. Take five minutes today to set up the Hearing icon in your Control Center or test out Head Gestures. You might find that the best feature of your headphones was one you didn't even know existed.