How to get the most out of your gift

If you were received Apple‘s new second-generation AirPods Pro as a holiday gift, you made out well. These new AirPods were my favorite gadget Apple released this year. If you’re new to AirPods, or if you have an older generation, there are plenty of new features you’ll want to take advantage of with these earbuds.

Here are some AirPods Pro tips and tricks to get you started.

There’s a built-in speaker in the new AirPods Pro that plays a sound so you can locate them.

• Open the Find My app.
• Tap the name of your AirPods (mine says Sofia’s AirPods Pro).
• Tap Play sound to help you find them.
• You can also see the location of your AirPods on a map by tapping Find.

The new AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe charging case. This means you can simply plop your AirPods down on a MagSafe wireless charging pad and your headphones will start charging. They can also charge on an Apple Watch charger. Simply put your case face up on top of the Apple Watch charger to juice up.

Touch control on the new Pros allows you to lower or raise the volume by lightly swiping up or down on the stem of the AirPods.

When your finger is on the stem of the AirPods, you’ll feel an area where the material is no longer slippery but a bit indented. That’s the pad where you’ll swipe up or down to control the volume. This is great for when you’re listening to something while exercising, or cleaning and you don’t have easy access to your phone to control the volume.

You can switch between noise cancellation mode, which blocks a lot of outside noise, and transparency mode, which amplifies some noises around you. The transparency mode on the new AirPods Pro is better than on the previous generation. You can hear more of what’s going on around you.

To change your AirPod settings on your iPhone:

• Open Settings.
• Tap your AirPods name, which will appear at the top of the menu.
• Swipe between Noise Cancellation Off or Transparency Mode.

When you open up your new AirPods, you’ll notice there are a few different ear tip sizes. To make sure you’re using the right ones, you can conduct a fit test.

• Open Settings.
• Tap Ear Tip Fit Test.
• Tap Continue.
• Place your AirPods in both ears so they’re comfortable. It’s best to do this test in a quiet environment.
• Press the Play button.
• Music will play for a few seconds and then you’ll receive the results which will let you know whether you have a good seal.

Those two silver holes on the side of your case are another nifty feature that will help you make sure you don’t lose your new AirPods. You can attach a lanyard to these holes so you can wear your AirPods on your wrist or even your neck. The lanyards aren’t included, so you’ll have to buy them separately. Here’s a pair on Amazon.

Connecting two AirPods to one device doesn’t just work for the new AirPods. You can try this trick with any generation of AirPods, and it’s great for holiday travel. Imagine both your kids want to watch the same movie on the iPhone or iPad, each using their own set of AirPods.

Here’s how to connect two headphones to one Apple device:

• Connect your AirPods or Beats to your iOS device and start playing the content you’re hoping to share.
• Tap the AirPlay button in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad, on the Lock Screen, or in the app that you’re using to watch content or stream music.
• Tap Share Audio.
• If you’re sharing with someone who has AirPods or AirPods Pro, have them keep their AirPods inside the case and open the lid while they’re close to your Apple device. If the person you’re sharing with has AirPods Max, these don’t need to be inside the case. If you’re sharing with a Beats user, put those Beats in sharing mode and hold them close to your device.
• You should see your friend or family member’s headphones appear on your screen.
• Tap Share Audio again.

That’s it! To stop sharing content, simply tap the check mark next to the headphones you want to disconnect.