Play audio on AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max (2024)

1. Wear one or both AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.

2. Go to an audio app, then play something—for example, a song in the Music app or an audiobook in the Books app .

3. To pause or stop the audio, do one of the following:

   • AirPods1 or 2: To pause audio while listening with both AirPods, remove one. When you return it to your ear, playback resumes automatically.

     See Also

     Adjust the volume of sound effects for AirPodsTouch Controls Not Working on AirPods and AirPods Pro? 9 Ways to Fix ItHow to use AirPods' volume limiter to save your long-term hearing, no matter your agePlay audio on AirPods Pro (all generations)

     Note: You can also set either of your AirPods to pause when you double-tap it, then resume playback when you double-tap it again. See Change settings for AirPods1 and 2.

   • AirPods3, AirPods4 (both models), or AirPodsPro (all generations): To pause audio while listening with both AirPods, remove one. You can also press the stem to pause audio.

     When you return it to your ear or press the stem again, playback resumes.

   • AirPodsMax: Press the Digital Crown. Press it again to resume playback.

     You can also remove AirPodsMax from your head.

If you don’t want AirPods to automatically play and stop the audio, you can turn off automatic ear detection. If you don’t want AirPodsMax to automatically play and stop the audio, you can turn off automatic head detection.

• AirPods or AirPodsPro: Remove both AirPods from your ears, or if you’re wearing just one, remove it.

• AirPodsMax: Remove AirPodsMax from your head.

If you don’t want AirPods to automatically play and stop the audio, you can turn off automatic ear detection. If you don’t want AirPodsMax to automatically play and stop the audio, you can turn off automatic head detection.

You can use your AirPods to skip to another track in many audio apps. For example, you can skip to the next song in AppleMusic, or skip to the previous episode in the Podcasts app .

• AirPods1: You can set your AirPods to skip forward or backward when you double-tap. See Change settings for AirPods.

• AirPods2: Your AirPods are automatically set to skip to the next track when you double-tap.

  To customize the double-tap action, see Change settings for AirPods.

• AirPods3, AirPods4 (both models), or AirPodsPro (all generations): Double-press the stem on either of your AirPods to skip to the next track.

  To skip backward, triple-press the stem.

• AirPodsMax: Double-click the DigitalCrown to skip to the next track.

  To skip backward, triple-click the DigitalCrown.

With Touch control, you can lightly swipe up or down on the stem to adjust the volume.

If you don’t want to control the volume by swiping on the stem, you can turn off that setting. See Change forcesensor, Touch control, or button settings for AirPods.