How to connect airpods to another phone

Thanks to the "special magic" of the W1 or H1 chip, Apple's AirPods connect automatically to iPhone and, from there, to Apple Watch, and even iPad and Mac via iCloud. To pair with an Android phone or tablet, or Windows PC or tablet, you need to pair manually. The good news is, AirPods can pair with any devices that support Bluetooth headphones. Here's how!

• How to pair your AirPods with Android, Windows, or other devices
• AirPods vs Android: How Apple's headphones work cross-platform

How to pair your AirPods with Android, Windows, or other devices

The procedure for pairing your AirPods with your Android phone or tablet, with your Windows PC or tablet, or with any other device or gaming system, is the same as pairing any set of Bluetooth headphones.

1. Pick up your AirPods charging case and open it.
2. Press and hold the pairing button on the back of the case.
3. Launch the Bluetooth settings on your device.
4. Select AirPods from the list.
5. Confirm the pairing.

AirPods vs Android: How Apple's headphones work cross-platform

AirPods are pretty great for iPhone users — but what if you have Android devices in your midst?

I live in an all-Apple household with iPhones, Macs, iPads, and Apple TVs in my home. But I'm not exactly most people.

Many of my friends are in a different bubble: They may like their Macs and iPads, but they also use Android phones on a daily basis. It's easy to see why a product like Apple's AirPods appeals to people completely in Apple's sphere, but it's a harder sell to folks who live between device lines.

So Android Central managing editor Daniel Bader did just that, looking at how Apple's headphones interact with Android phones.

For example, if you're listening to music on your iPhone, then walk to the living room and pick up your iPad to watch a video, the AirPods can automatically switch to the iPad without making you do anything.

At least that's the way it's supposed to work. But it can be a little finicky.

Sometimes when I'm sitting at my desk, for example, my AirPods randomly switch over from my iPhone, where I'm playing music, to a nearby iPad, which isn't playing anything.

So I've found I prefer to just use the old method of manually choosing my AirPods when I switch devices. If you're having similar issues, here's how to turn off the auto-switch and go back to the old method.

How to stop your AirPods from automatically connecting to your other Apple gadgets.

Todd Haselton | CNBC

• Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad as you normally would.
• Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
• Choose Bluetooth.
• Tap the "i" (information) button next to the name of your AirPods.
• Scroll down to "Connect to this iPhone'" and tap it.
• Change the option from "Automatically" to "When Last Connected to This iPhone."
• Repeat these instructions on your other devices.

That's it. Now your AirPods should stay connected to the last device you used. But you'll have to open Bluetooth and tap your AirPods to manually connect them each time you change gadgets.

I recently spoke with Apple about its second-generation AirPods and, during the conversation, Apple told me something I never knew: once connected to your iPhone, they're paired with your Apple account. That means, as long as you're logged-in to other devices like your Mac or iPad, you can easily switch to using your AirPods for audio.

You don't have to manually re-pair them with each device. Instead, you just need to pop into the Bluetooth settings on each device and choose the AirPods. And the second-generation AirPods do this faster than the first model, allowing you to switch from music on one device to audio on another in less than two seconds.

This is extremely simple, and will save you some time and fumbling with menus and the AirPods, as I had been doing.

Just make sure you've paired them with an iPhone first, by opening the AirPods case and tapping the pop-up menu. After that, follow these simple steps to switch to a Mac or iPad.

While there are many earbuds you can use with your iPhone, Apple's own AirPods have become the go-to option for many people because they are completely wireless, have good (if not best-in-class) sound quality, and are incredibly simple to set up. 

Whether you have AirPods or AirPods Pro, it only takes a few minutes to pair and customize your earpods.  

How to connect AirPods to an iPhone

1. On your iPhone, go to the Home screen.

2. Position your new AirPods very close to the phone and then open the AirPods case.

3. You'll see a setup message appear on the iPhone. Tap Connect, and then tap Done.

4. If you don't see the connection message, keep the case open, but press and hold the button on the back of the case for about five seconds, until you see the message appear. 

Quick tip: You can also connect Airpods to an Android phone.

How to customize AirPod controls

1. Make sure your AirPods are connected to your iPhone by putting them in your ears, or just by opening the case.

2. On your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Bluetooth. 

3. Find the AirPods in the list of paired devices and tap the "i" icon to the right. 

Once on the AirPods details page, you can customize their settings and controls:

• Change the Airpods name. Tap Name at the top of the screen and enter whatever name you prefer.
• Turn on Automatic Ear Detection. If it's not already enabled, swipe the button to the right to turn this feature on. It'll pause audio when you remove an AirPod from your ear and turn off the AirPods if you remove both of them.
• Select a microphone. Tap Microphone and select Automatically Switch AirPods to let the AirPods pick the best microphone when you're talking. If one of the AirPods isn't working properly, you can manually select Always Left AirPod or Always Right AirPod. 

First- or second-generation AirPods custom controls

If you have first- or second-generation AirPods, you can customize what happens when you double tap either pod. Follow the steps in the previous section to get to the AirPods details page. Then, in the Double-tap On AirPod section, tap Left or Right. Here you can choose which action you want to happen on a double tap, such as start Siri, play/pause audio, go to the next or previous track, or do nothing. 

AirPods Pro custom controls

If you have AirPods Pro, you have a couple additional controls not found in other AirPods. Follow the steps in the previous sections to get to the AirPods details page. Then you can make these changes:

• Noise cancelling controls. In the Noise Control section, you can choose whether you want the AirPods Pro to use full noise cancellation, transparency mode (which lets some outside noise in so you can hear conversations and announcements), or if you want noise cancellation turned off entirely.
• Press and hold options. You can press and hold the stem of your AirPods Pro to control audio. In the Press And Hold Options section, tap Left or Right and choose what action you want the press and hold to do — you can choose to customize noise cancellation or to start Siri.  

How to do the ear tip fit test

If you have AirPods Pro, there's an option on the AirPods details page that lets you find which of the included ear tips will work best for you. Follow the steps in the previous sections to get to the AirPods details page. Then tap Ear Tip Fit Test and follow the on-screen instructions to compare each of the tips. 

Quick tip: If you're using AirPods Pro, you can also enhance your listening experience through turning on spatial audio. When enabled, this delivers surround sound instead of standard stereo. 

How to charge AirPods

There are several ways to charge your AirPods:

• With a Lightning cable. Place the AirPods in the charging case and plug it into a Lightning cable that's connected to a computer, AC adapter, power bank, or some other power source. Both the AirPods and the charging case itself will charge at the same time. You can also charge the case on its own if you're actively using the AirPods. Note that you can charge the case on its own, but you cannot charge the AirPods without the case.  
• From the charging case's battery. When the AirPods are in the charging case, the AirPods will charge automatically from the battery in the charging case (until the charging case is depleted). If the charging case starts out fully charged, you can recharge the AirPods several times from the case. 

Quick tip: If your AirPods case supports wireless charging (AirPods Pro and some AirPods cases), you can place the charging case on a charging pad. Both the AirPods and the charging case charge at the same time.