How to Use Noise Cancellation on AirPods
Turn on noise cancellation on AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods 5, switch to Transparency or Adaptive, and fix noise cancellation that sounds weak.
You will end up with noise cancellation switched on, a way to change listening modes from the AirPods themselves or from your iPhone, Mac, or Apple Watch, and a checklist for noise cancellation that sounds weak. The steps cover AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, and AirPods Max.
These AirPods have up to three listening modes, and Apple's page on Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency describes each one. Active Noise Cancellation counters outside sound with anti-noise before you hear it. Transparency lets outside sound in. Adaptive, on the newer models, adjusts the noise cancellation to your surroundings. On an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, Active Noise Cancellation is labeled Noise Cancellation.
We checked every path and label against Apple's support pages and the AirPods User Guide for iOS 27 and macOS 27 in October 2026.
AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods 4 with ANC, or AirPods 5 iPhone, iPad, or Mac with current software
Check that your AirPods support noise cancellation
Active Noise Cancellation is available on AirPods Pro (all generations), AirPods Max, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and both models of AirPods 5. AirPods 1, 2, and 3 and the base AirPods 4 do not have it. To check your pair, put the AirPods in your ears, open Settings on your iPhone, and tap your AirPods name near the top of the screen. That screen shows the model name, and on a model with noise cancellation it lists the listening modes. Adaptive is on fewer models and, Apple says, needs the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Step 6 lists the models. If Adaptive is missing on one of them, update the iPhone first (Settings, then General, then Software Update), then check the AirPods firmware (step 8).
Get a proper seal with the ear tips
AirPods Pro use silicone ear tips that seal your ear canal, and Apple says Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency work best when AirPods Pro fit well. AirPods Pro come with three to five sizes of ear tips, depending on the model, with the medium size attached. AirPods Pro 3 come with five, from XXS to L. Start with the medium tips. Apple's ear tip guidance is to adjust the AirPod or move to a larger tip if you cannot get a good seal, and to move to a smaller tip if the tip feels too large or uncomfortable. The right fit feels snug and secure without excessive pressure. Then run the seal test. Wear your AirPods Pro, open Settings, and tap your AirPods name near the top of the screen. On AirPods Pro 1 and 2, tap Ear Tip Fit Test. On AirPods Pro 3 the test is the Acoustic Seal Test, and Apple's pages show its button as either Test Acoustic Seal or Acoustic Seal Test. Follow the onscreen instructions. If the test suggests a change, adjust the AirPods in your ears and test again before you change sizes. You might need a different size in each ear.
Good to know: The seal test is for AirPods Pro, the models with ear tips. AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 have no ear tips to change. Apple's fitting instruction for them is to press them gently into your ears and rotate them toward your face until they feel snug and secure. On AirPods Max, seat the ear cushions fully over your ears.
Turn on noise cancellation from Control Center
On an iPhone, put the AirPods in your ears and open Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen, or on an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. Touch and hold the volume slider until the additional controls appear. Tap Listening Mode, then tap Noise Cancellation. A chime plays when the mode changes. If the noise around you barely drops, go back to step 2 and check the seal. You can also choose the mode in Settings. Tap your AirPods name near the top of the screen, then tap the listening mode you want. On a Mac, click the AirPods icon in the menu bar and choose a listening mode, or open System Settings, click the name of your AirPods in the sidebar, and choose the mode there. On an Apple Watch, press the side button to open Control Center, tap the AirPods icon while audio is playing, and choose a listening mode.
Switch modes from the stem or the listening mode button
You can change modes without your phone. On AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods 5, press and hold the stem of either AirPod until you hear a chime. By default, Apple's settings page says, the press switches between Noise Cancellation and Transparency. On AirPods Max, press the listening mode button on the right headphone. A chime confirms the change. The button switches between Noise Cancellation and Transparency, and on AirPods Max 2 it can also switch to Adaptive. Step 7 shows how to change which modes the press moves between.
Use Transparency mode to hear your surroundings
Transparency mode lets outside sound in, so you can hear what is going on around you without taking your AirPods out. Use it when you are ordering coffee, walking near traffic, or talking to someone. Switch to it the same way you turned noise cancellation on, from Control Center (step 3) or with the stem or the listening mode button (step 4). On AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, the listening modes also reduce your exposure to loud sounds around you. FAQ 5 below covers what that protection does and where it stops.
Good to know: For a quick pause, take one AirPod out. Apple says AirPods pause playback when you remove one and resume when you put it back. That is Automatic Ear Detection, which is on by default and has its own switch in the AirPods settings.
Use Adaptive mode on newer models
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max 2 have a third mode called Adaptive. Apple describes it as a blend of Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency that controls the level of noise you hear as the noise around you changes. To turn it on, open Control Center, touch and hold the volume slider, tap Listening Mode, and tap Adaptive. If Adaptive is not listed, update your iPhone and check your AirPods firmware (step 1). You can set how much outside sound Adaptive lets in. In Settings, tap your AirPods name, tap Adaptive below Listening Mode, and drag the slider toward more Transparency or more Noise Cancellation. The same models have Conversation Awareness. With it on, your media volume drops when you start speaking and returns to its previous level after the conversation ends. Spoken audio such as a podcast pauses after a few seconds. To turn it on, open Control Center, touch and hold the volume slider, and tap Conversation Awareness. To end it yourself while other people are still talking around you, press and hold the stem.
Customize which modes the stem cycles through
The stem press from step 4 moves between two modes until you change them. You can choose which modes are in the cycle. Open Settings and tap your AirPods name near the top of the screen. Under Press and Hold AirPods, tap Left or Right and make sure Listening Mode is selected. If you do not see Press and Hold AirPods, tap Controls & Gestures first. Then select the two or three listening modes you want the press to use. To put Adaptive in the cycle, select it here. On AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, Off is a choice only after you turn on Off Listening Mode, which FAQ 1 below covers. Each ear can do a different job. Tap Left or Right and select Siri to give one AirPod to Siri and keep the other for listening modes. If both AirPods are set to listening modes, a change to the modes on one applies to both. On AirPods Max, the same Settings screen lets you select the modes the listening mode button cycles through.
Fix weak or uneven noise cancellation
Work through Apple's checklist for Active Noise Cancellation that is not working as expected in order. It covers AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods 5. First, update. Install the latest software on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then check the AirPods firmware. Open Settings, tap Bluetooth, tap the Info button next to your AirPods, and scroll down to the About section. Firmware updates arrive automatically while the AirPods charge in their case within Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that is on Wi-Fi. Second, check the settings. Make sure the listening mode is Noise Cancellation and not Adaptive, which changes the level of noise control with your surroundings. Keep the external microphones uncovered. Apple says blocked or covered microphones can cause temporary squeals, chirps, feedback, and other audio problems. Then play audio and take one AirPod out of your ear. If the audio does not pause, Apple's fix is the reset at the end of this step. Third, on AirPods Pro, run the seal test from step 2. If one ear sounds weaker than the other, change the tip size in that ear. Fourth, clean them. Apple says a loss of bass or more background sound with Active Noise Cancellation on is a sign the AirPods might need cleaning. Read the limits in Apple's cleaning instructions for AirPods Pro before you start. Do not run AirPods Pro under water, and do not use sharp objects or abrasive materials on them. On AirPods Pro, pull off the ear tips, rinse the tips with water and no soap, wipe them with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth, and let them dry completely before you click them back on. For the meshes on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, Apple's method uses a soft-bristled children's toothbrush dipped in micellar water. Brush the mesh in circles for about 15 seconds, blot it on a paper towel, and repeat twice more. Then go through the same routine with distilled water to rinse. Apple's separate cleaning page for AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 gives the same mesh method for those models. Last, reset the AirPods. On cases with a setup button, hold the button for about 15 seconds until the light flashes amber then white. AirPods 4, AirPods 5, and AirPods Pro 3 have no button, and Apple's reset for them is a series of double-taps on the front of the case, which our guide on resetting AirPods walks through. If noise cancellation still does not work after a reset, Apple says the AirPods might need service.
Heads up: Let cleaned AirPods dry completely, for at least 2 hours, before you put them back in the charging case or use them. That is Apple's rule after cleaning the meshes or the body.
If the noise around you barely changes when you switch to Noise Cancellation, check the seal first (step 2), then work through the checklist in step 8. If the stem press does nothing, check that Listening Mode is still assigned to that AirPod (step 7). A camera app that is set to use the press takes it over while the app is open. If Adaptive lets in more sound than you want, move its slider toward Noise Cancellation (step 6). Run the seal test again whenever you change ear tips, and clean the AirPods when you notice a loss of bass. To use the AirPods with a computer, our guide on how to connect AirPods to a laptop covers pairing with a Mac, a Windows laptop, and a Chromebook.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
On AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, the listening modes include Off only after you enable it. Open Settings, tap your AirPods name near the top of the screen, and turn on Off Listening Mode. If you do not see that switch, tap Audio & Routing first. After that, Off appears with the other listening modes. Apple warns that your hearing is not protected while the listening mode is set to Off, because Off also turns off the Hearing Protection feature (FAQ 5 below).
Yes, and Apple publishes the size of it. Apple's specifications for AirPods 5 list up to 4 hours of battery life on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation on and up to 6 hours with noise control off. For AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case the figures are 5 and 7 hours. Those are Apple's own test results at 50% volume, and Apple notes that battery life depends on settings, environment, and usage. To stretch a charge, set the listening mode to Off (FAQ 1 above covers AirPods Pro), and put the AirPods back in their case when you are not using them.
Yes, after you turn on a setting. On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap Accessibility. Below Accessories, tap AirPods, tap the name of your AirPods, and turn on Noise Cancellation with One AirPod. Then press and hold the stem to switch listening modes as usual. Apple gives this setting for AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods 5.
Yes on AirPods Max. Apple's AirPods Max setup page says that with a non-Apple device you can listen, talk, and use Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, though not Siri. On the other models, you switch modes with a press and hold on the stem, which happens on the AirPods and not on the phone. Apple's pages for those models do not mention non-Apple devices either way. What you lose on Android is everything that is set from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which includes the choice of modes in the cycle (step 7), the Adaptive slider, and the seal test.
On AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 it helps, within limits. Apple's Hearing Protection feature is on by default in all three listening modes and reduces your exposure to loud sounds around you. How much it reduces depends on how well the AirPods fit, how loud the surroundings are, and the mode. Apple's advice is Noise Cancellation for a consistent amount of protection, and Transparency or Adaptive when you need to stay aware of what is around you. In those two modes the reduction increases as the environment gets louder. The feature is off when the listening mode is Off and when the AirPods have no charge. Apple says it is not suitable for extremely loud impulse sounds such as gunfire, fireworks, or jackhammers, or for sustained sound louder than 110 dBA. It is not available in every country or region, so check Apple's list for yours on the same page.
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