Are Airpods capable of canceling noise?

By: Emmanuel

Are my Airpods Noise canceling?

Yes, Airpods are Noise canceling. However, Apple added this feature to its Airpods in later models, such as the Airpods Pro. It is known as the ANC or Active Noise Cancelation, one of the two noise control designs that the Airpods.

The noise canceling feature reduces the ambient noise you hear while on your Airpods. In other words, with this feature activated, your Airpods will eliminate the noise in your surroundings. This feature is available to only Airpods Pro and Airpods Max users.

How does the noise canceling feature on Airpods work?

The noise canceling feature on the Airpods max and Airpods pro is made possible through the two microphones and the H1 chip in the Airpods.

The first microphone is on the outside and is used to detect external sounds. Once the external sound has been detected, the H1 chip synthesizes an anti-noise which cancels out the external noises before the user gets to hear them. The second microphone is faced inwardly and works similarly to the external microphone by detecting internal noise and canceling them.

The H1 chip also helps the microphones to make adjustments by making continuous adjustments to noise so that the user can listen to the incoming audio with excellent sound quality and no distractions.

Note: Users with Airpods Pro and Airpods Max will also need to upgrade their devices to iOS 15 to enjoy this feature.

How to turn on the noise canceling feature on my Airpods?

There are different ways to turn on the noise canceling feature on your Airpods. Choose the method you prefer:

Turn on the Airpods Noise canceling feature through the control center

Connect your Airpods to your Apple device.
Go to the control center on your connected device by swiping from bottom to top or top to bottom, depending on your device model.
Press hold the volume slide until you see your Airpods icon.
Select Noise Control.
Then tap on Noise Cancellation.

Turn on the Airpods Noise canceling feature through your settings

You can turn on the noise canceling feature on your Airpods through your device settings. Follow the steps listed below:

Connect your Airpods to your Apple device.
Go to the settings app on your connected device.
Open the Bluetooth section.
Click on the “i” information icon next to the Airpods max or Airpods pro.
Go to the noise control section.
Then select Noise Cancellation.

Turn on the Airpods Noise canceling feature through your Airpods

You can also turn on the Airpods Noise canceling feature without going through your phone. All you need to do is press and hold either of your earbuds (the sensor is the same area you tap when you want to pause and play music or answer and end calls). You have to press hold the sensor till you hear a chime sound. You move from one noise control feature to another for every chiming sound you hear. i.e., Transparency mode, Noise Cancellation, and off. Release the sensor once the Noise Cancellation feature is activated.

Turn on the Airpods Noise canceling feature with Siri

You can still turn the noise canceling feature on when your hands are busy. All that is required of you is:

Ensure your Airpods are connected to your ios device.
Then ask your device assistant “Siri” to turn it on by saying, “Hey Siri, Turn on Active Noise Cancelation.”
Siri will then turn it on automatically.

How to turn off my Airpods noise canceling feature?

You can turn on the noise canceling feature on your Airpods by following the first two sets of instructions listed above. When you get to the Noise cancellation section, select off. You can also do this hands-off by making use of your mobile assistant. Say, “Hey Siri, Turn off the Active Noise Cancellation mode,” and Siri will do just that.

How to turn on the noise canceling feature on my Mac?

While using your MacBook with your Airpods, you can still access the noise canceling feature. The difference between the iPhone and MacBook is that the MacBook doesn’t have a control center, but you still get access to this feature just as iPhone users do. All you need to do is:

Connect your Airpods to your MacBook.
Go to your Mac’s menu bar and click on the volume control button.
Select your Airpods Pro or Airpods max from the list.
You will see three options: Off, Noise Cancellation, and Transparency.
Select Noise Cancellation.

You can also make the process easier by turning on this feature:

Connect your Airpods to your Mac and go to the System preference.
Select Bluetooth.
Then select your connected Airpods Max or Pro and next to your Airpods, click on Options.
Choose Noise Cancellation and Off from the Noise Control Toggles section.
Select done.
You can turn the noise canceling feature on your Airpods by pressing the force sensor.

What to do when the noise canceling feature on my Airpods is not working?

There are different reasons why your Airpods Noise canceling feature may not work. This section will list them out and also provide solutions to them.

Check Your Airpods model

As mentioned earlier, not all Airpods models are configured with this feature. So be sure to check your Airpods model to see if it fits into the two noise-canceling supported Airpods models, i.e. the Airpods Pro and the Airpods Max.

Check Your iOS version

Earlier, this article mentioned that the noise canceling feature is only available to ios devices that are updated to iOS 15. The iOS version on the device you intend to connect your Airpods Pro or Airpods Max also plays a major role in activating this feature. Ensure you check if your device is updated to the latest iOS version to enable this feature.

If you are the noise canceling feature on your Airpods is still not working after checking the points listed above, then you should keep reading for more points.

Restart your iPhone

Hold your power button until a notification pops up to switch off or restart your phone. Select the Restart. Once your phone comes up, repeat the above process to activate noise cancelation. In most situations, this will resolve any issues you have.

Disconnect your Airpods

Go to your list of Connected Devices in the Settings App.
Search for your Airpods name.
Click on it, then select forget.

Afterward, place your Airpods back into the charging case and reconnect them to your device. Then try to activate the noise cancelation feature.

Frequently Asked Questions about Airpods Noise Canceling feature

Q. How does the first, second, and third generation of Airpods cancel noise?

A. Although the first, second, and third generation Airpods do not have the noise canceling feature, they still have a way of giving the user a better sound quality.

The first and second-generation Airpods were given superior sound quality that overshadows background noise.

The third-generation Airpods have a noise-blocking acoustic mesh cover in each earbud to help block out background noise. The mesh blocks some sounds like the wind while you are outside so that you can hear your audio clearly, and the person on the other line can listen to you clearly while on a call.

Q. How to turn off the noise canceling feature on my Mac?

A. Turning on this feature is as easy as turning it off. You need to follow the steps mentioned above to turn on the feature. When you get to the three options, select Off to turn it off. If you have activated the second process listed above to make the activation and deactivation of this mode easier, then use your force sensor to turn it off.

Q. How much noise does the noise canceling mode block?

A. Using the Airpods pro, you get 23 decibels of noise blocked. Whereas with the Airpods max, you get 26 decibels of noise blocked.

Wrap Up

Most Airpods users find it hard to turn on the noise canceling feature on their Airpods. If you are one of them, follow the above steps. This article explained everything you need to know about Airpod’s Noise canceling feature.

If you have any questions about whether Airpods are Noise canceling, kindly comment below. Thanks for reading.

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