Do AirPods have a mic? That’s a reasonable question if you’re spending hundreds of dollars on new wireless earbuds. Owning earbuds that feature microphones is definitely better than owning those that do not. So, do AirPods have a mic? The short answer is yes – all of Apple’s AirPods have mics.
These devices have had mics since they were first launched in 2016. In the past six years, second & third generations of these wireless earbuds have been launched. All of these AirPods have amazing wireless sound capabilities & they feature microphones. Let’s assess the features, capabilities, & drawbacks of AirPod microphones.
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Do Apple AirPods Have a Microphone?
Yes. All AirPods from Apple feature microphones. Some have two, and some more. Apple currently sells three different generation wireless earbuds – the AirPods 2nd-Generation, the AirPods 3rd-Generation, & the brand-new noise-canceling AirPods Pro 2nd-Generation. You can also buy older versions of AirPods from third-party websites like Amazon.
The number of mics varies from generation to generation. Bellow is a definitive list of Apple AirPods & the number of microphones they feature.
AirPods 1st & 2nd Generations
These entry-level AirPods have two microphones in total. That’s one microphone on each side of each AirPod. These microphones are located at the end of the earbud’s stem. They can be used for interacting with Siri (Apple’s virtual assistant). These mics can be activated with the code phrase “Hey Siri.”
The 1st & 2nd generations of AirPods have the same design. They also feature the same number of mics – one on each earbud. AirPods microphone quality is very good because these devices have Active Noise Canceling (ANC) features.
AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro (B298AP) & the AirPods Pro 2nd generation (B698AP) feature multiple mics. Each AirPods Pro earbud features two mics. That means you have four microphones when you buy a pair of these earbuds. The two standard microphones on these earbuds have the same features as the 1st & 2nd AirPods generations.
You can use them to send voice commands to your iOS devices, interact with Siri, & for answering phone calls. There are two AirPod pro mic locations. The first two are located at the end of the earbud’s stem (just like with the 1st & 2nd generations of AirPods). The two extra microphones are located on the inner section of the earphones.
Don’t worry – Apple isn’t listening to your conversations or spying on you via these microphones. They simply pick up on any audio that the first set of mics miss. The AirPods Pro fine-tunes the audio you feed into the device via these two extra mics. In addition, this AirPods microphone noise canceling feature makes the audio quality extra crisp & clear.
Apple’s 3rd Generation AirPods
If you want a pair of Apple AirPods with microphones, it doesn’t get better than Apple’s third-generation AirPods. That’s because these wireless earbuds have six built-in microphones in total – three in each earbud! So you get the two microphones per earphone, just like the AirPods Pro & the AirPods Pro 2nd generation.
You also get an extra mics with adaptive EQ (equalizer) features. According to Apple, the adaptive EQ feature enables these mics to adjust the frequencies of the audio you’re feeding the device. As a result, the adaptive EQ feature makes the audio quality much clearer & more consistent. That’s why the best mics on AirPods come with Apple’s 3rd generation AirPods.
Which AirPod Has the Mic?
Although both AirPods and AirPods Pro have multiple high-quality mics, Apple’s 3rd generation AirPods definitely have the best mics. The third set of extra mics comes with the adaptive EQ feature. This feature makes the audio quality far superior.
Where is The Microphone on AirPods?
The main microphones on all AirPods are located at the end of the earbuds’ stems. The two extra microphones that come with the AirPods Pro & the AirPods Pro 2nd generation are located on the inner sections of the earbuds. Apple’s 3rd generation AirPods has an extra set of inward-facing microphones located on the earbuds’ inner side.
These AirPods microphones can be used to send voice commands to iOS devices, interact with Siri, & answer phone calls. In addition, the microphones on AirPods Pro earbuds also have automatic adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) features.
Are AirPod Microphones Good?
Yes. Compared to most wireless earbuds worldwide, all AirPods from Apple have good microphone quality. The mics are great at picking up the audio – even in windy or noisy conditions. However, the AirPods Pro & the 3rd Generation AirPods have multiple sets of mics, so the audio quality they offer is very hard to match.
AirPod microphones are also very easy to clean. The microphone ports on all AirPods are very prominent. They do get clogged & blocked by dirt from time to time. But cleaning them is very easy. You can use small cotton ear picks to get rid of all the grime that accumulates on them every 4-5 days.
How to Use AirPods as Microphone?
The microphones are active if your AirPods are connected to your iPhone or any other iOS device. That’s the default setting. If only one of the two AirPods is connected, then the mics on that one will be active. You can also set your mic to “Always Right” or “Always Left.”
How do AirPods Mic Work?
Apple AirPods mics work just like any other new-age mic. They pick up audio waves in real-time & transmit them to whatever Apple device you use. Their quantity makes Apple AirPods with microphones different from the mics of other wireless earbuds. AirPods Pro & Apple’s 3rd Generation AirPods have multiple microphones.
These mics converge to give users amazing audio recording capabilities. You can even use AirPods to record audio for videos. Here’s a helpful video guide on using Apple AirPods mics to record professional-quality audio for videos or movies.
Are AirPods Recording at All Times?
No. Don’t worry – your AirPods’ mics only record audio when they are active. They’re not spying on you all the time. Apple has one of the best track records regarding respecting user privacy. So, you don’t have to worry about your AirPods unsuspectingly recording audio when they’re not supposed to.
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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