All controls and movements, explained

The AirPods Pro 2 they might not look too different from the original AirPods Pro, but this new pair brings enough improvements — better sound, active noise cancellation, and slightly longer battery life — that they’re destined to be a big hit.

The new AirPods Pro 2 also get new gestures for volume control, as well as ear scanning (using the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera system) for “personalized surround sound.” Add them to the already existing controls and those new to AirPods Pro can be confused. We are here to help. Here’s our complete guide to all the controls and gestures you can do with AirPods Pro 2.

It’s all in the stems

When the original AirPods were introduced, many joked about its design, but as usual, Apple got the last laugh since many wireless headphones over the years sported that look. There is a clear advantage to having stems. They free some of the hardware components from the core of the headset so they can be less bulky; they can accommodate microphones that are closer to our mouths; and allow for easier control as the stems can accommodate touch capacitive plates.

The touch panels on each side do the same thing by default:

• One press starts or pauses audio playback
• A long press toggles between active noise cancellation (ANC) or transparency
• A double tap skips to the next song
• A triple press returns to the previous track

These controls have been in place since 2019’s AirPods Pro, but the new 2022 second-generation models add a new action:

Go to settings and you can assign specific actions to long presses. For example, I set it up so long pressing the left stem panel activates Siri instead of switching between noise canceling modes. In the settings, you can also add a neutral listening mode that is neither ANC nor transparent mode.

Voice commands also work

You can also access Siri by voice by saying “Hey Siri” out loud. Thanks to the three microphones on each belly button, I found that even when I was out on the city streets, the AirPods could pick up my command and summon Siri accordingly.

Head tracking

This isn’t a specific control feature per se, but the AirPods Pro 2 can also detect head movements, which is used for listening sessions with Spatial Audio. When music is playing and surround sound is enabled, you can hear the sound move from one side of your ear to the other if you turn your head, as if the music source were in the real world in front of you.

Call controls

You can answer and reject phone calls when wearing AirPods Pro 2.

• One press/squeeze of the handle answers the phone call.
• A double press/squeeze on the handle rejects an incoming phone call.

After you have answered the call, you can also end the call with one press/squeeze on the holder.

One thing that sets the AirPods Pro 2 apart from many other headphones is that all of these gestures work very well and have little improvements in hardware or software. For example, the haptic motor inside the stems is excellent, giving a tactile click every time you press it. Swipes will also make an audible and satisfying click as if you’ve physically flicked a switch.

Throw in excellent sound quality and seamless connectivity with iOS devices, and it’s easy to see why these are so popular. If you’re not sold on the AirPods Pro 2, there are plenty of others great wireless headphones available.