We haven’t really written about AirPods that much here in Kibbles & Bytes because as soon as we get a few in stock they sell out. I expect a good quantity of them next week so I thought I would pass along a few AirPod tips. You probably have seen the AirPods sticking out of peoples ears, and, if you are like me, you wonder what the big deal is. Why have these been selling so fast, why can’t Apple make enough of them and why do those they use them love them?
AirPods are breakthrough wireless headphones that finally make wireless listening effortless and magical. Automatically on and always connected, AirPods are ready to go whenever you are. They’re powered by the custom Apple W1 chip and packed with technologies that bring power and simplicity to an amazingly small and light device. Industry-leading battery life and an always-ready charging case means you get more than 24 hours of listening in your pocket. And high-quality, efficient wireless combined with beam-forming, voice detecting microphones means AirPods sound fantastic whether you’re listening to music or doing the talking.
This instant automatic pairing with your devices is one of the coolest features. They sense when they are in your ear and pair instantly. Music pauses when you take one or both out of your ears and resumes when you put them back. You can listen to one or both or share with a friend.
It also puts Siri right in your ear. Double tab the AirPod and ask Siri to play Bob Marley, to crank up the volume or to get directions to that next meeting on your schedule. You can hear your incoming callers announced and simply double tap to answer or end the call.
Setting up the AirPods could not be simpler. One-tap setup with iPhone—just open the lid to the AirPod Case and hold it next to iPhone. After AirPods are connected to your iPhone, they’re automatically set up for your Apple Watch and for your iPad or Mac signed in to your iCloud account. Your iPhone and Apple Watch are simultaneously connected, and AirPods will automatically switch between them. You can also listen to audio on your Mac or iPad with a single click or tap.
The AirPods are very secure in your ear but should you lose them, you can use Find My iPhone to locate your AirPods, too.
Here are a few tips:
Pairing your AirPods to your Apple TV 
At the main Apple TV screen, hold down on the Play/Pause button on the Siri Remote to bring up an interface that lets you select an audio source. Swipe down to your AirPods, click the main button on the remote, and a connection is established. If you’re using the Apple Remote app or the Control Center Apple TV Remote, you can long press on the Play/Pause button to bring up the audio menu.
Checking your battery
Information about the battery life of each earbud, as well as how much juice you have left in the charging case, can be immediately displayed by opening the case within a few inches of your phone. Once opened, a battery status menu indicates how much power you’ve got to work with. Or, let’s say you want to check it out on your Apple Watch. When using AirPods, open Control Center on your Apple Watch and tap the battery icon. In addition to displaying battery stats for your watch, you will also find stats for your AirPods.
Pairing AirPods with a New iPhone
Okay, so you bought that set of AirPods off of Craigslist and they are paired to some other person’s iPhone. How do you set them up for your iPhone. It is easy. Hold your iPhone near the AirPod case, open the case and you will be presented with a screen that tells you that these AirPods are not paired to your iPhone. You can click the “connect” button and it will tell you to press the button on the back of the AirPod case to pair them and just like that you are connected.
Use Siri to Play Music
To use Siri, double tap the AirPod. This wakes up Siri on the phone and the phone listens for your commands or questions through the AirPod mic. Users can also change the settings to make it play or pause music instead.
Here’s a list of some useful commands that you might want to use while listening to music.
Play “song name” or “podcast name”
Play “playlist names”
Lower or Raise volume 10% (or any percent you like)
Skip back/forward/to the next song
Skip back/forward 10 seconds or any number of seconds you want
Make a phone call
Sure Siri will announce your calls but what if you just want to call someone without taking your iPhone out of your pocket and dialing. AirPods have you covered. Simply double tap the AirPod and, just like with Apple CarPlay, you can ask Siri to “call the office” and you will be connected.
I really like the AirPods but they are not so practical for me since I wear hearing aids. On the other hand, if I want to watch TV while Grace is sleeping, the AirPods make that a cinch. Now, if Apple would just combine that hearing aid function….