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Do AirPods sound the same on Android?

As an Android user, I have often wondered whether AirPods sound the same on my device as they do on an Apple device. Frustrated with the lack of answers, I decided to do some research and testing to find out if AirPods do indeed sound the same on Android as they do on Apple. Here I will share my experiences and the solutions I discovered.

AirPods and AirPods Pro sound the same on Android as with Apple devices. However, AirPods won’t be able to make use of automatic switching, Siri, or Find my iPhone and you won’t be able to see their battery percentage when being used with Android devices.

Tips:

  • AirPods and AirPods Pro sound the same on Android as they do with Apple devices.
  • AirPods won’t be able to make use of automatic switching, Siri, or Find my iPhone and you won’t be able to see their battery percentage when being used with Android devices.
  • It is still possible to use noise canceling and transparency mode on Android when using AirPods Pro.
  • The sound quality of AirPods when being used with Android devices is usually good and most users do not have complaints of the sound quality.
  • If your AirPods sound bad on Android, it could be due to having the Bluetooth quality set to low, needing to reconnect the AirPods, the volume being turned down, or because the AirPods are dirty or broken.

Do AirPods sound the same on Android?

AirPods sound the same on Android as they sound with Apple devices. The reason for this is that AirPods connect to devices via Bluetooth and all information is passed to the AirPods via Bluetooth.

However, some people say that AirPods sound worse on Android because Android devices cannot process audio codecs fast enough.

But, this does not seem to be such an issue, especially with newer Android devices with lots of processing power and updated software.

Sometimes, AirPods can sound different on Android, but this will usually be due to a fault such as a bad connection as mentioned below.

Read more: How to make AirPods more comfortable

AirPods
AirPods

Do AirPods Pro sound the same on Android?

AirPods Pro also sound the same on Android as they sound on Apple devices. This is because AirPods Pro connect to devices via Bluetooth.

Read more: Can you break AirPods by playing music too loud

Can you still use noise-canceling mode on Android with AirPods Pro?

You can still use noise-canceling mode on Android when using AirPods Pro. To activate noise canceling mode all you need to do is to squeeze on the stem until you hear a ding sound.

The noises around you should become a lot less noticeable. If they do not, it is likely that the ear tips are too small and you should get some larger ear tips.

However, when using AirPods Pro with Apple devices, it is possible to activate noise canceling mode through the device itself. It is not possible to activate noise canceling mode on an Android phone.

But, this is not such an issue because you can simply squeeze on the stem.

Can you still use transparency mode on Android with AirPods Pro?

It is still possible to use transparency mode on Android when using AirPods Pro.

To activate transparency mode, you just need to squeeze on the stem, of one of the AirPods, until you hear a ting sound. Afterward, the noises around you should become a lot more clear.

It is not possible to activate transparency mode directly through your Android device like you can on Apple devices. However, this is not an issue because you can just squeeze on the stem of one of the AirPods.

How good is the sound quality of AirPods on Android?

The sound quality of AirPods, when being used with Android devices, is usually good and most users do not have complaints of the sound quality.

If you are thinking of getting AirPods and you use an Android device, it won’t be the case that you will get to make use of a lot of the features that AirPods have when used with Apple devices such as automatically switching between Apple devices, tracking abilities, and being able to see their battery percentage.

When used with Android phones, AirPods work as regular earphones and there are a lot of alternatives that you may want to consider.

The Sony Wf-1000xm4 earphones are widely praised and you may want to consider getting them instead of AirPod Pros especially if you want the best noise-canceling.

Why do my AirPods sound bad on Android?

TopicDetails
Sound QualityAirPods and AirPods Pro sound the same on Android and Apple devices
Automatic Switching & SiriNot available on Android
Find my iPhone & Battery PercentageNot available on Android
Noise Canceling Mode (AirPods Pro)Available on Android, activated by squeezing the stem
Transparency Mode (AirPods Pro)Available on Android, activated by squeezing the stem
Sound Quality IssuesPossible reasons: Bluetooth quality set to low, need to reconnect AirPods, volume turned down, dirty or broken AirPods

If your AirPods do sound bad on Android, here are some likely reasons.

You have the Bluetooth quality set to low

If you click on the Bluetooth settings of your AirPods and scroll to the bottom, you should see “AAC” which you can switch on to get the highest possible audio quality.

You need to reconnect your AirPods

It might also be the case that you need to reconnect your AirPods and it would help to try reconnecting them to your phone.

To reset and reconnect your AirPods, do the following:

  1. Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
  2. Put your AirPods in the case
  3. Press the button on the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes orange then white
  4. Wait 30 seconds
  5. Open the lid and hold the button on the case
  6. Reconnect your AirPods to your phone

Volume turned down

It might also be the case that you have the volume turned down on the websites or apps that you are using.

It would help to check that you do not have the volume turned way down (although, you should try and avoid listening to loud music to protect your hearing).

It should be noted that there are other possible causes if it is not only your Android device that your AirPods sound bad on.

If your AirPods sound bad on other devices as well, it could be due to the AirPods being dirty or because they are broken.

Faulty AirPods

If the sound quality has become bad since dropping your AirPods or getting them wet, it might be the case that they have become damaged. In this case, the only option would be to take them to an Apple store.