How to Change AirPods Pro Tips: A Complete Guide to Getting the Right Fit
AirPods Pro come with interchangeable silicone ear tips — and swapping them out is one of the most impactful things you can do for both comfort and sound quality. Whether your tips feel loose, cause discomfort after extended wear, or you've noticed your active noise cancellation isn't performing the way it should, changing your ear tips is often the fix.
What Are AirPods Pro Ear Tips and Why Do They Matter?
Unlike standard AirPods, AirPods Pro use an in-ear design with a soft silicone tip that creates a seal inside your ear canal. That seal does two critical things:
- Improves passive noise isolation — physically blocking external sound before ANC even kicks in
- Improves bass response — a proper seal keeps low frequencies from escaping, so audio sounds fuller and more balanced
Apple includes three sizes in the box: small, medium, and large. Most people come with medium tips installed by default. A fourth extra-small size was introduced with AirPods Pro (2nd generation).
Getting the right size isn't just a comfort preference — it directly affects how well the ANC and Transparency modes function.
How to Remove AirPods Pro Ear Tips
Removing the tips is straightforward, but it helps to know the mechanism so you don't force anything. 🎯
- Hold the AirPod firmly in one hand with the speaker mesh facing you
- Pinch the silicone tip at its base — where it attaches to the stem
- Pull straight out with a gentle but firm motion — the tip is held on by a small oval connector that clicks into place
- The tip should release cleanly without requiring significant force
If it feels stuck, don't yank. Reposition your grip closer to the base and try again. Forcing it at an angle can deform the silicone or damage the connector.
How to Attach New AirPods Pro Ear Tips
- Align the oval opening on the replacement tip with the oval connector on the AirPod stem — orientation matters, so match the shape before pressing
- Press the tip firmly straight onto the connector until you feel or hear a soft click
- Give it a light tug to confirm it's seated securely — a properly attached tip won't pull off easily
The click is subtle but distinct. If the tip feels wobbly or spins freely, it hasn't snapped into place properly.
Using the Ear Tip Fit Test on iPhone
Apple built a fit test directly into iOS, and it's worth using after every tip change. Here's how to run it:
- Connect your AirPods Pro to your iPhone
- Go to Settings → Bluetooth
- Tap the info icon (ⓘ) next to your AirPods Pro
- Select Ear Tip Fit Test
- Tap Continue, then Play
The test plays a short audio sample and uses the AirPods' microphones to measure how much sound is leaking around the tip. You'll get a result for each ear — either a Good Seal confirmation or a suggestion to try a different size.
This test is significantly more reliable than guessing by feel alone, because each ear can require a different size — and that's more common than most people expect.
Choosing the Right Size: What to Look For
| Tip Size | Best For |
|---|---|
| Extra Small (XS) | Smaller ear canals, sensitivity to pressure |
| Small (S) | Moderately small ear canals, lighter feel preference |
| Medium (M) | Most common fit, ships pre-installed |
| Large (L) | Wider ear canals, those who find medium tips loose |
Beyond size, pay attention to how the AirPod sits in your ear. If it requires constant repositioning, if you feel more pressure in one ear than the other, or if the stem points at an uncomfortable angle, the tip size may be contributing — but so might ear anatomy, which varies significantly between individuals.
Cleaning and Replacing Worn Tips
Silicone tips degrade over time. Signs that a tip needs replacing rather than just cleaning:
- Visible tears or cracks in the silicone
- Loss of elasticity — the tip no longer snaps back to its original shape
- Discoloration or buildup that won't clean off
- Reduced seal quality despite using the correct size
To clean tips without replacing them, remove them from the AirPods and rinse with fresh water only — no soaps, alcohol, or cleaning products on the silicone. Dry completely before reattaching.
Apple sells replacement ear tip sets separately, and third-party silicone and memory foam tips are available in a wider range of sizes and materials. Memory foam tips in particular are popular among users who find silicone tips too firm or prone to slipping — they compress to fit the ear canal and expand to maintain a consistent seal.
Where Individual Situations Start to Differ
This is where the straightforward part of the process ends. The mechanical steps — remove, attach, test — are the same for everyone. But whether a given tip size or material will work well for you depends on factors specific to your anatomy and how you use your AirPods:
- Ear canal shape and size vary significantly and aren't always correlated with external ear size
- Activity level matters — tips that hold during seated listening may shift during workouts
- Extended wear sensitivity — some users find silicone tips uncomfortable after an hour; others have no issues after four
- ANC performance expectations vary depending on your environment and hearing baseline
- AirPods Pro generation affects which third-party tips are compatible, since the 1st and 2nd gen have slightly different stem dimensions
The fit test gives you a starting point, but what feels right across a full day of wear, across different activities, and in your specific acoustic environment is something only real-world use can confirm.