Ultimately, the way you control the volume will vary between different AirPods generations. Here’s how you can easily control the volume with any pair of AirPods!
Control Volume With AirPods 1st Generation
You can do more with your AirPods than just listen to music and make phone calls; you can even control volume using your AirPods.
If you own a pair of first-generation Apple AirPods, you can control your volume directly through your AirPods by following these steps. To do this, you will need to ensure your AirPods double-tap settings are correct.
Step One: Open Your AirPods Charging Case
Firstly, you’ll need to open your AirPods charging case so that your iPhone or iOS device is able to detect it.
Step Two: Go To Bluetooth Settings
With your 1st-generation AirPods charging case still open, navigate to the settings of your iOS device. In the settings, you want to select the Bluetooth tab.
Step Three: Select Your AirPods
In your Bluetooth settings, you’ll find a list of all your Bluetooth devices. Find your AirPods in this list, and then tap on the ‘More Info’ symbol on the right-hand side. This will allow you to review and adjust your AirPods settings!
Step Four: Adjust Double-Tap Settings
The setting you need to find is the double-tap setting. Of course, this refers to the response when one of your AirPods is double-tapped. You need to ensure this double-tap is set to activate Siri. Unfortunately, first-gen AirPods aren’t compatible with ‘Hey Siri,’ and this is the only way to activate Siri.
Step Five: Use Siri To Alter AirPods Volume
Once you’ve double-checked your AirPods’ double-tap settings, you can now activate Siri and ask her to control the volume of your AirPods. Once you’ve double-tapped one of your AirPods, you can ask Siri to raise or lower the volume.
Control Volume With AirPods 2nd Generation
If you own a pair of second-generation AirPods, you might know they look identical to first-generation models. However, don’t let appearances fool you: there are more ways to use your 2nd-gen AirPods to control the volume.
Firstly, you’ll be able to double-tap your second-generation AirPods to activate Siri. The steps from the previous section can be used to ensure your double-tap settings are correctly adjusted. However, you can also control 2nd-gen AirPods volume with just your voice – no double-tap necessary.
Step One: Open iOS Settings
To use your voice to control the volume of your second-generation AirPods, you’ll need to ensure your settings are correctly adjusted. To do this, navigate to the settings tab of your iOS device. This time, you won’t be navigating to the Bluetooth tab!
Step Two: Select Siri & Search
In your settings tab, find the ‘Siri & Search’ option and select it. Once you’ve selected this, you’ll see many Siri-related settings.
Step Three: Enable “Hey Siri”
The first option listed in ‘Siri & Search’ is Listen For “Hey Siri,” – which is the setting you’re looking for! You need to ensure this is toggled on. You can always turn this feature off if you choose to.
Step Four: Ask Siri To Alter AirPods Volume
Now that you’ve enabled the “Hey Siri” feature, you can use your voice alone to control the volume of your second-gen AirPods. To do this, you need to start by saying, “Hey Siri,” which will activate Siri. You can then simply ask Siri to raise or lower your AirPods’ volume as desired.
Control Volume With AirPods 3rd Generation
If you have a pair of 3rd generation AirPods, there are two main ways you can control your volume without the default slider on your iPhone!
Use Siri To Control AirPods Volume
The first method is to use Siri to control the volume of your AirPods. However, with the third-generation models, double-tap is no longer a feature. Instead, you’ll need to use the force sensor to activate Siri. This force sensor was introduced for third-gen models and is located on the stem of each AirPod.
To activate Siri using the force sensor, you’ll need to press and hold either force sensor. You may need to go to your Bluetooth settings and double-check all your AirPods settings are correctly adjusted regarding Siri. Press and hold your force sensor and then simply ask Siri to alter the volume of your AirPods!
Use ‘Hey Siri’ To Control AirPods Volume
Instead of using the force sensor to activate Siri, you could simply use your voice! With the “Hey Siri” setting activated, you’ll be able to call on Siri to change your AirPods volume whenever you want. However, you’ll need to ensure that you have this setting activated on your iOS device.
To do this, you’ll need to navigate to the ‘Siri & Search’ section of your Settings. The first setting you’ll see listed is Listen For Hey Siri. You need to ensure this is toggled on. You can now use your voice to control the volume of your third-generation AirPods!
Control Volume With AirPods Pro
With the AirPods Pro, there are two ways you can control the volume of your AirPods without reaching for your phone! You guessed it: both involve Apple’s virtual super-assistant Siri!
Use Siri To Control AirPods Pro Volume
The AirPods Pro was the first model to utilize the force sensor. Of course, this was adopted by the third-generation AirPods we looked at above. To activate Siri on your AirPods Pro, you’ll need to touch and hold the force sensor. Once again, this force sensor is located on the stem of each AirPod. You may need to adjust your AirPod settings within the Bluetooth tab to do this.
Use ‘Hey Siri’ To Control AirPods Pro Volume
Once again, you can use ‘Hey Siri’ to control the volume of your AirPods Pro. Luckily, due to the improved microphone in the AirPods Pro – which allows for better noise cancellation and transparency mode – this is more seamless than ever.
You’ll need to ensure you have the “Hey Siri” setting enabled on your iOS device. This setting can be found by going to the ‘Siri & Search’ section of your iPhone’s settings. The first setting you’ll see listed is Listen For “Hey Siri” – this should be toggled on. You can now greet Siri and ask her to change the volume of your AirPods Pro.
Control Volume With AirPods Max
The AirPods Max may just be Apple’s most advanced listening experience to date. Unlike the other AirPods generations discussed in this article, the AirPods Max is designed like over-ear headphones. It truly is the AirPods experience reimagined – even in the way you control the volume of your AirPods Max!
Use Digital Crown To Control AirPods Max Volume
On your AirPods Max, there’s a digital crown installed on the top of the right ear cup. By turning the digital crown, you can seamlessly adjust the volume of your AirPods Max headphones. In your iOS settings, you’ll be able to adjust the directional controls of the digital crown. Of course, this means you can adjust which direction lowers or raises the volume. With the digital crown, you can do more than adjust your volume; you can fine-tune it!
Use Siri To Control AirPods Max Volume
With the AirPods Max, you can still use Siri to control your volume. To do this, press and hold your AirPods Max’s digital crown. You’ll hear a chime, indicating Siri is listening. You can now use Siri to control the volume. However, you can even use her to answer questions and control other apps!
Use ‘Hey Siri’ To Control AirPods Max Volume
Finally, you can use the “Hey Siri” setting to control the volume of your AirPods Max. This means you can simply say “Hey Siri” and ask her to lower or raise your volume. You can even ask Siri to activate transparency mode, which allows you to hear your surroundings. To use this method, you need to ensure Listen For “Hey Siri” is activated in your Siri & Search settings.
Control AirPods Volume With Apple Watch
If you own your Apple Watch, you’ve just unlocked a unique way to adjust the volume of your AirPods. When you connect your AirPods to your Apple Watch, you’re also able to adjust the volume using the digital crown on your watch. Of course, this is like using the digital crown on the AirPods Max!
However, this feature also works if you have your iPhone connected to your AirPods. Given that your Apple Watch and iPhone are always connected, you’ll be able to see what you’re listening to directly from your Apple Watch. However, you can also use the digital crown to adjust the volume of your AirPods, even though they’re connected to your phone!
Conclusion
There are many ways to control the volume of AirPods without reaching for your phone! You could activate Siri and ask her to raise or lower your volume. This can even be done using the “Hey Siri” feature! However, AirPods Max models also have a digital crown that can be used to adjust the volume.