At first, AirPods seem just like any other true wireless earbuds. And that was my impression too, until I discovered a couple of little-known features. Notably, Conversation Awareness and Live Listen have become game-changers in my daily routine.
Stay Aware of Conversations Without Removing AirPods
When you have your AirPods on, you probably just want to enjoy your music or podcast without being disturbed by the surrounding noise. The noise cancellation feature surely helps with that. However, there are times when you need to be aware of what’s happening around you.
Perhaps you want to have a quick chat with someone, or you’re at the airport and don’t want to miss announcements. In such cases, you don’t need to remove your AirPods or keep pausing the media playback repeatedly.
Enabling the Transparency mode on your AirPods lets outside sounds in while keeping your audio playing. This way, you can stay aware of your surroundings without giving up your listening experience.
For instance, if someone calls your name from across the room or an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, you’ll hear it right away without fumbling to remove your AirPods.
Switching to Transparency mode is easy, and you don’t even have to pull out your iPhone for this. Simply press and hold the force sensor on the stem of either AirPod, and it will toggle between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.
While Transparency mode is great for staying aware of conversations, you may not find it ideal for enjoying your music or podcast, especially in places where there’s too much noise. The Conversation Awareness feature on AirPods can solve that.
This mode automatically lowers the volume of your media and amplifies nearby voices when you start speaking to someone. And it does this while reducing other background noise. Once you stop talking, it automatically switches your media back to the previous volume. You can enable Conversation Awareness by heading to AirPods settings on your iPhone.
Conversation Awareness is only available on AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and AirPods 4 (with Active Noise Cancellation).
The convenience of Conversation Awareness is quite remarkable. Imagine waiting in line at a coffee shop. When it’s your turn, you can give your order without pausing your music or removing your AirPods.
Turn Your iPhone and AirPods Into a Makeshift Baby Monitor
AirPods are great for music and calls, but that’s not all they can do. One clever use I’ve found is turning them into a baby monitor. It might sound unconventional, but it works—and, as other parents will know, quality baby monitors don’t come cheap.
When you have a little one napping in another room, you don’t have to stick nearby to make sure they’re okay. With just your iPhone and AirPods, you can keep an ear out while still going about your day. For this, you’ll need the Live Listen feature on your AirPods.
The way it works is simple. Your iPhone’s microphone picks up sounds and streams them directly to your AirPods in real time. To use it as a baby monitor, all you need to do is place your iPhone near your baby’s crib, connect your AirPods, and then enable the Live Listen feature. For the last part, you’ll need to use the Control Center on your iPhone.
- Open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your iPhone’s screen.
- Tap the plus button in the top left corner and choose Add a Control.
- Go to the Hearing Accessibility section and tap Live Listen.
Now, with your AirPods in your ears, tap the Live Listen button in the Control Center to start listening. You’ll hear everything picked up by your iPhone’s microphone, loud and clear. Make sure your iPhone’s volume is turned all the way up.
You can even monitor your headphone audio levels in real time while listening. This feature doesn’t record the audio, but if you happen to miss something, there’s an option to replay the last ten seconds of audio. Live Listen also works when your iPhone is connected to an external wired microphone.
When I first got my AirPods, I had no idea the Live Listen feature even existed. Discovering it has been a game-changer. Now, I can move around the house, finish chores, or read my books, all while keeping an ear on my little one. It’s amazing how a simple feature can add such peace of mind.
It’s important to use the Live Listen feature responsibly. It’s designed to be helpful, not for spying or eavesdropping.
At a glance, most earbuds look the same and get the job done, but inexpensive ones often leave out extra features. If you’ve invested in a pair of AirPods, the real deal isn’t just in the sound quality. Knowing about its hidden features can transform how you use them every single day.
Conversation Awareness and Live Listen are just a couple of examples. AirPods pack in plenty of other features, from spatial audio to built-in hearing tests, that are worth checking out.
