Many users who have switched from iPhone to smartphones running the Android operating system are wondering about the compatibility of their old accessories. The good news is that wireless headphones AirPods work using a standard protocol Bluetooth. This means that they can be easily connected to any modern device, be it Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel or Honor.
However, the pairing process will differ from the usual “automatic” connection in the Apple ecosystem. You'll have to do a manual setup, and some proprietary features, like automatically switching between devices or accurately displaying each earbud's charge in a widget, may not be available without installing third-party utilities. However, the basic functionality of listening to music and making calls works flawlessly.
In this guide we will look in detail at how to correctly put the headphones into pairing mode, find them in the settings of your smartphone and optimize their operation for comfortable use. We will also touch on issues of sound quality and gesture control, which remain available even outside the Apple ecosystem.
Preparing headphones for pairing
The first and most important step is to put yours AirPods in discovery mode. If you just took them out of the box or they were previously connected to an iPhone, they may try to pair with the old device while ignoring the new Android phone. To begin, place both earbuds in the charging case and leave the lid open.
On the back of the case you will find a small round setting button. It is she who is responsible for activating the visibility mode. Press this button and hold it for a few seconds. The status indicator located inside the case (between the headphone compartments) or on the front panel (depending on the model) will begin to flash white.
- 🔘 Make sure that the case is charged at least 20% so that the process is not interrupted.
- 👁️ A white flashing indicator means that the device is ready for use. search.
- 📱 Keep the case as close to the smartphone as possible (within a radius of 10-15 cm).
As soon as the indicator flashes white, you can go to the smartphone settings. It is important not to close the case lid at this moment, otherwise the pairing mode will turn off and the procedure will have to be repeated again. If the indicator flashes amber (orange), this indicates an error or low battery, and connection is impossible.
Search and connect in Android settings
The settings menu interface may differ slightly depending on the shell of your smartphone manufacturer (MIUI, One UI, ColorOS, etc.), but the logic of actions remains the same for the entire platform. You need to open the main settings menu and find the section responsible for wireless connections.
Go to the section Settings → Connected Devices or Bluetooth. Make sure the Bluetooth switch is turned on. The system will automatically begin scanning available devices within range. After a few seconds, the name of your headphones should appear in the “Available Devices” list, for example, “AirPods Pro” or simply “AirPods.”
⚠️ Attention: If you see several devices with similar names in the list or old entries about your headphones, be sure to click on the gear icon next to them and select “Unpair” or “Forget device” before attempting a new connection.
Click on the name of your headphones in the list. The smartphone initiates the connection process. After a couple of seconds, the status will change to “Connected”, and you will hear a characteristic sound signal in the headphones themselves, confirming successful synchronization. Now the audio stream will be switched to the headset.
Setting up sound quality and codecs
After successful connection, you should pay attention to the technical parameters of audio transmission. By default, Android can use a basic codec SBCwhich provides acceptable quality, but does not reveal the full potential of modern headphones. To improve the sound, it is recommended to check the available codecs in the developer menu or in the advanced Bluetooth settings.
To access these settings, sometimes you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the item Build number seven times in a row. After the “You have become a developer” notification appears, return to the main settings menu, find the section For developers and scroll down to the “Network” block.
| Codec | Sound quality | Latency | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC | Basic | High | Universal |
| AAC | High | Medium | Optimal for Apple |
| aptX | High (HD) | Low | Android only |
| LDAC | Maximum | Variable | Sony and flagships |
Find the item Bluetooth audio codec and try switching it to AAC. Since AirPods the hardware supports this particular codec, selecting AAC in the Android settings will provide the most stable connection and the best sound clarity. If your smartphone supports more advanced codecs like aptX, they may not work with Apple headphones, since the latter do not support them.
If the sound is interrupted or you hear noise, try turning off the “Absolute volume” option in the Bluetooth settings. This can solve the volume control conflict between the phone and the headphones.
Gesture and function control
One of the main problems of using AirPods with Android is the lack of native support for double tapping or setting up gestures through the system menu. Gestures previously programmed when used with an iPhone are usually saved in the memory of the headphones themselves and continue to work. However, it is impossible to change them without an Apple device using standard means.
Basic functions, such as pause when removing the earphone from the ear (for models with proximity sensors) and play when putting it on, often continue to function correctly. This is due to the fact that the sensors operate autonomously. But calling the Siri voice assistant with a double tap will be useless, since Android does not have built-in support for Siri.
To expand the functionality, you can use third-party applications from the Google Play Store, such as MaterialPods or Capod. These utilities emulate iOS system widgets, allowing you to see the charge level of the case and each earphone in the notification shade. Some of them also allow you to reassign actions to touches, shifting the processing of gestures to the software level of the smartphone.
- 👆 A single touch often works as pause/play by default.
- 📞 A double touch can be configured to answer a call (if configured previously).
- 🎤 Holding the touch (for AirPods Pro) activates noise cancellation, which also works on Android.
⚠️ Attention: Third-party applications for controlling AirPods require constant permissions to run in the background and access Bluetooth. This may slightly increase the battery consumption of your smartphone.
☑️ Checking the operation of gestures
Solving problems with the microphone and calls
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where music is playing excellent, but interlocutors complain about a low voice or complete absence of sound when making calls. This happens because the Bluetooth profile switches from A2DP (high quality stereo) to HFP (low quality handsfree profile), and the system may make an error in selecting the input device.
To fix this, go to the Bluetooth settings, click on the gear next to connected AirPods and make sure that the checkbox next to "Input audio" or Microphone is active. In some versions of Android, you must explicitly select the headphones as your calling device when making a call by tapping the audio routing icon on the dial screen.
If the problem persists, try disabling the Absolute Volume feature in the Developer menu as mentioned earlier. A complete reset of the network settings on your smartphone also helps, although this is an extreme measure and will delete all saved Wi-Fi passwords and paired devices.
Why does the microphone work poorly in some applications?
Some applications (for example, voice recorders or instant messengers like WhatsApp) may ignore the system Bluetooth settings and try to use the phone's built-in microphone. Check the settings of a specific application.
Reset settings and reconnect
If the headphones stop connecting, the sound becomes monophonic, or one of the headphones does not work, a hard reset may be required. This procedure returns AirPods to factory settings and clears the memory of all previous pairings.
To perform a reset, place both headphones in the case and close the lid. Wait about 30 seconds, then open the lid. Press and hold the setting button on the back of the case for 15 seconds. The status light should flash amber several times and then turn white. This is a signal that the reset was successful.
AirPods reset procedure:1. Place in case -> Close (30 sec)
2. Open the cover
3. Press the button at the back (15 sec)
4. Wait for the blinking: Amber -> White
5. Remove the device from your phone's Bluetooth settings
After the reset, you will have to repeat the pairing procedure described in the second section of this article. Remove the old headphone entry from the Bluetooth list on your Android smartphone before attempting a new connection to avoid device address conflicts.
Full reset of the headphones solves 90% of problems with the left and right channels being out of sync or one of the headphones refusing to work.
Why is the exact percentage of charge not displayed in the curtain?
Android does not have a built-in driver for the battery data protocol used by Apple. To display the exact charge percentage of each earbud and case, you need to install third-party companion applications from Google Play.
Can you use only one AirPods with Android?
Yes, you can use the left or right earphone separately. Simply remove the desired earphone from the case and leave the second one inside. The connection will occur in mono mode.
Does noise reduction work on AirPods Pro with Android?
Yes, active noise reduction and transparency mode work, since switching between them is done by physically holding the sensor on the earphone leg, which does not depend on the phone's operating system.
How to update the AirPods firmware if I only have Android?
Officially, you can update the firmware only by connecting the headphones to Apple device (iPhone, iPad or Mac) near the charger. It is impossible to run the update from Android.
Why does sound in games have a delay?
Sound delay (latency) is a feature of the Bluetooth protocol and the AAC codec. To minimize latency in games, make sure there are no sources of interference nearby (Wi-Fi routers, microwaves) and use low-latency codecs if your phone and headphones support them (although this is limited for AirPods).