How to use noise cancellation in a single AirPods Pro

AirPods Pro, like the ears they reside in, typically come in a set of two. One in the left ear, the other in the right ear. It has always been so. (This is what makes AirPods Pro one of the best headphones on the market today.)

It’s not uncommon to see someone wearing just one earbud. Maybe it’s just their preference. Perhaps they need to be aware of their surroundings and want to keep one ear open. Or maybe they only have one ear. But ultimately, you don’t need a reason. If you want to wear just one AirPod, go for it. We are not here to judge.

However, if you’re using a single AirPod Pro and want to enable active noise cancellation (ANC), it’s off by default and won’t turn on with the usual press of the stem.

Enable ANC for a single AirPod Pro earbud

Disabling ANC when using only one AirPod Pro is intentional. But if you really want to have one ear open while the other has ANC turned on and the world is tuned out, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Turn on your AirPods Pro either by opening the case or inserting at least one into your ear.

2nd step: On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings menu.

Step 3: Select your AirPods Pro.

Step 4: Scroll down (at the bottom) and head to the Accessibility section.

Step 5: Halfway through (you may need to swipe depending on the size of your text) you will see Noise cancellation with an AirPod. Enable the toggle.

And that’s it. You will now have an ear with active noise cancellation. The other ear is left free to roam the world, overwhelmed by the noise.

There’s probably a very good reason why this option is disabled by default: it’s definitely a bit weird. But it’s better to have an option than not to have one, so you can enable it if you want.

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