Under what circumstances do Airpods Pro microphones switch automatically?

[davehutch]

Hi everyone. I've recently bought APP and have been running a few tests just to make sure I understand them fully.
I've come across an odd issue which I was hoping you might be able to explain to me...If Is et my microphones to be either 'Always Left' or 'Always Right' everything appears to work correctly. By tapping each APP mic I can tell that the only one being used is the one I've selected.
However, when I set them to switch Automatically I can only ever get the right one to work. If I cover up my left ear and speak, the sound is correctly picked up by the right mic. But if I cover up my right ear, they do not switch to the left microphone.
Under what circumstances would they switch mics and use the left one?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

If you only have the left Airpod in your ear > left, if you only have the right Airpod in your ear > right.

 

[davehutch]

Ah, I see. I thought it was so that they could choose the mic that was picking up your voice most clearly, for example when walking next to a road. After some further testing I can now see that the following is true, when set to Automatic switching:

1. Starting from scratch and putting both APPs in, the mic is defaulting to the right
2. Taking out the right APP, the mic does indeed switch to the left as you describe
3. Replacing the right APP the mic stays with the left APP
4. Taking out both APPs and then replacing them, forces the mic back to the right APP

Such a shame though that the mic does not switch automatically to the side which has the best SNR of your voice. Apple missed a trick there possibly?

 

[ouimetnick]

Ah, I see. I thought it was so that they could choose the mic that was picking up your voice most clearly, for example when walking next to a road. After some further testing I can now see that the following is true, when set to Automatic switching:

1. Starting from scratch and putting both APPs in, the mic is defaulting to the right
2. Taking out the right APP, the mic does indeed switch to the left as you describe
3. Replacing the right APP the mic stays with the left APP
4. Taking out both APPs and then replacing them, forces the mic back to the right APP

Such a shame though that the mic does not switch automatically to the side which has the best SNR of your voice. Apple missed a trick there possibly?

Might require advanced processing power that would drain the battery faster...?

 

[davehutch]

Might require advanced processing power that would drain the battery faster...?

I did find though, that is you remove either one, the mic switches to whichever one remains in your ear. You can then put the other one back and the mic remains where it was.