How to enable noise cancelling on your AirPods

Noise cancelling on AirPods works through a swipe gesture on the stem or a menu in your iPhone settings, depending on which model you own. The fastest way is to swipe down on the stem of your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, which cycles through three modes: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency, and Off. If you want to skip straight to noise cancelling without cycling, you can set it up in Settings so that swiping activates only the mode you want.

AirPods Pro (both generations) and AirPods Max have active noise cancelling built in. Standard AirPods and AirPods Pro Max do not have this feature — they can only use Transparency mode, which lets outside sound in. If you have a different model and are not sure which you own, check the Settings app on your iPhone: go to Bluetooth, tap the information icon next to your AirPods, and look at the model name.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe down on the stem of AirPods Pro or AirPods Max to turn on noise cancelling, or hold the swipe to cycle through modes.
  • You can customize what each swipe does in iPhone Settings under Bluetooth, so you can make one swipe activate noise cancelling directly without cycling through other modes.
  • Noise cancelling drains the battery faster than normal listening, so expect shorter listening time when it is on.
  • Standard AirPods and the original AirPods Pro do not support noise cancelling, only the Pro models and AirPods Max do.

Swipe controls on the stem

The stem is the thin part below the speaker on AirPods Pro and the touch-sensitive area on AirPods Max. A single swipe down activates the mode you have set as your primary control. By default, this cycles through Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Off in order — swipe once for ANC, swipe again for Transparency, swipe a third time to turn both off.

If you want to change what the swipe does, open Settings on your iPhone, go to Bluetooth, find your AirPods in the list, tap the information icon (the small circle with an i), and scroll to "Press and Hold AirPod" or "Swipe Up/Down on Stem" depending on your model. You can set it to activate only noise cancelling, only Transparency, or leave it cycling through all three. This is useful if you always want noise cancelling on and do not want to swipe multiple times to get there.

Using Control Center to switch modes

You can also change noise cancelling from Control Center without touching your AirPods. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen (or up from the bottom on older models), find the audio card showing your AirPods, and press and hold it. Three buttons appear at the bottom: one for Active Noise Cancellation, one for Transparency, and one for Off. Tap whichever you want.

This method is slower than using the stem, but it is useful if your AirPods are in a case or if you want to see which mode is currently active before you switch. The Control Center also shows the battery level of your AirPods and your device at a glance.

Noise cancelling and battery life

Active noise cancellation uses extra power because the AirPods are constantly listening to outside sound and generating counter-sound to cancel it. With ANC on, AirPods Pro last about 4 to 6 hours on a single charge, compared to 6 hours with ANC off. AirPods Max last about 20 hours with ANC on and up to 30 hours with it off, though real-world time varies based on volume and how much bass-heavy content you listen to.

If you are running low on battery and need your AirPods to last longer, turning off noise cancelling is the fastest way to extend listening time. You can also put them in Low Power Mode through your iPhone settings, though this does not affect AirPods directly — it only reduces power use on your phone.

Transparency mode vs. noise cancelling

Transparency mode is the opposite of noise cancelling. Instead of blocking outside sound, it amplifies it so you can hear your surroundings while still wearing your AirPods. This is useful when you need to hear someone talking to you, listen for traffic, or stay aware of your environment. You cycle to Transparency by swiping down on the stem a second time (after ANC), or you can customize the swipe to jump straight to it.

Some people use Transparency instead of taking their AirPods out when they need to talk to someone. Others switch to it when they are walking or cycling to stay safer. Unlike noise cancelling, Transparency does not drain the battery significantly faster, so you can leave it on without worrying about losing charge.

Troubleshooting noise cancelling that is not working

If you swipe on the stem and nothing happens, first check that you are swiping on the right part. On AirPods Pro, the stem is the thin rod below the speaker — swipe up or down along its length, not across it. On AirPods Max, swipe on the digital crown (the circular area on the right ear cup). If you are swiping correctly and nothing changes, try restarting your AirPods by putting them in the case for 15 seconds, then taking them out.

If noise cancelling is on but you still hear a lot of outside sound, check the fit. Noise cancelling only works if the AirPods seal properly in your ear. Try a different size ear tip — AirPods Pro come with three sizes (small, medium, large). You can test the fit in Settings by going to Bluetooth, tapping your AirPods, and selecting "Ear Tip Fit Test." If the test shows a poor seal, switch to a different size. Earwax or debris can also block the seal, so clean the tips with a dry cloth if they have been in your ears for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all AirPods have noise cancelling?

No. Only AirPods Pro (2nd generation and 1st generation) and AirPods Max have active noise cancelling. Standard AirPods and AirPods 3 do not. All models support Transparency mode, which lets outside sound in instead of blocking it.

Can I use noise cancelling while on a phone call?

Yes. Noise cancelling stays on during calls, and it helps reduce background noise so the person you are talking to hears you more clearly. You can also switch to Transparency mode during a call if you need to hear your surroundings.

Does noise cancelling work with all audio apps?

Yes. Noise cancelling is a hardware feature of the AirPods themselves, not tied to any specific app. It works with music, podcasts, calls, videos, and any other audio source on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Why does noise cancelling sound like it is making a hissing noise?

Some people hear a faint hissing or white noise when noise cancelling is on, especially in very quiet environments. This is the sound of the counter-frequency the AirPods generate to cancel outside noise. It is normal and usually goes away once you start playing audio or move to a noisier space.

Can I turn off noise cancelling to save battery?

Yes. Swipe down on the stem to cycle to the Off mode, or customize your swipe in Settings to turn off both ANC and Transparency at once. This extends battery life by 2 to 4 hours depending on your model and listening habits.