AirPods playback controls

[C64]

Specifically about the controls. What we know from Apple:

- Put them both in and they'll start playing
- Take one out and they'll pause
- Take both out and they'll turn off
- Double tap to activate Siri to control play, pause, and volume with a voice command

That's all great, but when people have earphones in, they often don't want to bother people around them. Talking to yourself to control playback can be annoying and embarrassing. You might also just want to pause playback, but leave both AirPods in your ears.

The only thing I could find is this comment from a hands-on review:

Around 0:30 he says: "What I like is that you can press to pause, as well as double tap to activate Siri."

That sounds great. However, I haven't found any other source confirming this.

Did anyone come across anyone talking about more controls than just the Siri double-tap?

 

[matrix07]

Did anyone come across anyone talking about more controls than just the Siri double-tap?

Yep. Apple Watch.

 

[enigma2k]

I can imagine that Apple might allow us to customize the gesture controls. So maybe you can tab the left airpod to lower volume and right airpod to increase volume. double tab to pause. Since they have an accelerometer built it, this shouldn't be a problem.

 

[C64]

Many reviews of the iPhones 7 (oh sorry, iPhone 7 devices) and AirPods. Interesting enough most of them note that Siri is the only control option. However, this is from the Ars Technica review:

Double tap the side of one, and Siri appears as requested (there’s also a setting to change the double-tap shortcut to Play/Pause, but you can either have that or Siri, not both).

Awesome! Bye Siri.

Edit: also noted by Business Insider:

Luckily, you can change the AirPod settings so a double tap enables play/pause for your music instead of launching Siri.

Definitely no volume controls through touch though. Perhaps in the future with a software/firmware update.

 

[bhayes444]

Definitely no volume controls through touch though. Perhaps in the future with a software/firmware update.

The airpods don't have touch controls though, they use accelerometers to determine if you tapped or not. So, unless Apple uses something like a triple and quadruple tap to control volume I don't think they will get a software update for volume controls. Also, because any solution would have to be compatible for one ear listening; which I think is the biggest hurdle.

 

[rstark18]

I wonder if "hey Siri" will work with these. If so then I would change the double tap to play/pause.

 

[C64]

The airpods don't have touch controls though, they use accelerometers to determine if you tapped or not. So, unless Apple uses something like a triple and quadruple tap to control volume I don't think they will get a software update for volume controls. Also, because any solution would have to be compatible for one ear listening; which I think is the biggest hurdle.

Indeed, no actual touch controls makes it more limiting. What might work is a double tap to activate a "change settings" mode (whether that's Siri or something else), and then a gesture, e.g. nod your head up or down twice to increase/decrease the volume. The accelerometers should be able to recognize those movements.