[ZOFOURTWENTY]

Not sure when it started but my AirPods no longer are displayed in my battery widget which is annoying when I need to see battery levels. In order for me to see battery levels I have to bring down control center, tap on Airplay (top right corner) of the Now Playing Tile to get battery info. Anyone else see this? Is this a glitch with latest update or is this the intended function now?

[Tartarus]

Not sure when it started but my AirPods no longer are displayed in my battery widget which is annoying when I need to see battery levels. In order for me to see battery levels I have to bring down control center, tap on Airplay (top right corner) of the Now Playing Tile to get battery info. Anyone else see this? Is this a glitch with latest update or is this the intended function now?

I see the AirPods in the battery widget when I have them in.

I recommend you to unpair and repair the AirPods to the iPhone to see if that helps.

[ZOFOURTWENTY]

I see the AirPods in the battery widget when I have them in.

I recommend you to unpair and repair the AirPods to the iPhone to see if that helps.

I’ll give it a shot, thanks

[gnirkatto]

I'm generally dissatisfied with the integration of the air pods into the apple ecosystem.
When a phone call arrives, they sometimes don't connect to my iPhone when taking them out of the case and putting them into my ears. both my Jabra and Plantronics headsets do that instantly.
Sometimes I have to keep the case open for quite a while to make them show in the widget.
Sometimes when wanting to connect them to another ios device, after they were connected to the first device, they don't connect and I have to manually connect them.

This is quite disappointing, considering how well the integration of most other devices works into their ecosystem.

Sound quality is good, but I'm thinking of buying me one of these new Bose or Jabra headphones instead.

[BreakingKayfabe]

I know this might be a dumb question, but have you tapped the “show more” option on the widget?

[gnirkatto]

I've decided to sell my air pods, after the following happened (on top of what I described in my previous post, see above):

wanted to watch a video on my iPad. The air pods were connected many weeks before.
Air pods did not connect after taking them out of the box and putting them into my ears, although the on- (or connect?) sound played.
So far, so good, been there done that. I connected them via "settings" (which, imho, should not have to happen in the first place, with a well integrated external device that was coupled and connected previously).
The iPad says "air pods connected".
I play the video - and the sound is being played loud, by the iPad, rather than by the air pods!?!?
After "rebooting" the air pods and reconnecting them, they decided to work properly and to play the sound.

This is just unacceptable, and a huge disappointment, how come that an ecosystem, which otherwise plays so well with its various components, fails miserably, in case of the air pods.

Yes, both iPad and air pods were almost fully charged.
Yes, the latest firmware is installed on all of my apple devices.
No, the air pods were not connected to any other device when this happened.
No, its not a faulty pair, its the 2nd pair of air pods that I owned, and both misbehaved in the same manner.

So like I said, this is unacceptable, and I will sell the air pods. Bose, here I come.

[Tartarus]

I've decided to sell my air pods, after the following happened (on top of what I described in my previous post, see above):

wanted to watch a video on my iPad. The air pods were connected many weeks before.
Air pods did not connect after taking them out of the box and putting them into my ears, although the on- (or connect?) sound played.
So far, so good, been there done that. I connected them via "settings" (which, imho, should not have to happen in the first place, with a well integrated external device that was coupled and connected previously).
The iPad says "air pods connected".
I play the video - and the sound is being played loud, by the iPad, rather than by the air pods!?!?
After "rebooting" the air pods and reconnecting them, they decided to work properly and to play the sound.

This is just unacceptable, and a huge disappointment, how come that an ecosystem, which otherwise plays so well with its various components, fails miserably, in case of the air pods.

Yes, both iPad and air pods were almost fully charged.
Yes, the latest firmware is installed on all of my apple devices.
No, the air pods were not connected to any other device when this happened.
No, its not a faulty pair, its the 2nd pair of air pods that I owned, and both misbehaved in the same manner.

So like I said, this is unacceptable, and I will sell the air pods. Bose, here I come.

Did you swipe up the control center and choose the AirPods as the source for audio?
Being connected to the device and having been selected as audio source are is the same.

[gnirkatto]

Did you swipe up the control center and choose the AirPods as the source for audio?
Being connected to the device and having been selected as audio source are is the same.

Well, no, but why will I have to, with a product which is supposed to be part of an integrated ecosystem, and therefore to perform “better” than others? For no other BT headsets or headphones that I ever tried with iPhones or iPads I had to do that. And I tried a lot. As soon as they got “connected”, audio got redirected to them, which makes perfect sense imho.

It’s completely pointless to have an “integrated” product, where you have to perform 3 steps (turn on-connect in settings-choose source in CC) to make sure it’s operational, whereas every third party product needs one step only (turn on).

[Tartarus]

Well, no, but why will I have to, with a product which is supposed to be part of an integrated ecosystem, and therefore to perform “better” than others? For no other BT headsets or headphones that I ever tried with iPhones or iPads I had to do that. And I tried a lot. As soon as they got “connected”, audio got redirected to them, which makes perfect sense imho.

It’s completely pointless to have an “integrated” product, where you have to perform 3 steps (turn on-connect in settings-choose source in CC) to make sure it’s operational, whereas every third party product needs one step only (turn on).

Well, depending on the app and your previous use case, the AirPods aren’t always the default audio source.

Anyway, I sense too much negativity in your posts regarding this issue. Enjoy the Bose headsets.

[BreakingKayfabe]

Well, depending on the app and your previous use case, the AirPods aren’t always the default audio source.

Exactly. Expecting the AirPods to be the default audio source is silly. That's not how the AirPods work.

[Lee_Bo]

I do want to try the Beats X, but not ready to give up my Airpods.

[Snoweagle]

I was thinking of getting the B&O E8, but will use it alternatively with my AirPods.

[gnirkatto]

Exactly. Expecting the AirPods to be the default audio source is silly. That's not how the AirPods work.

So why do all other BT Headsets exactly this?
My Boses, Jabras, Plantronics etc. make the iPhone/iPad connect to them instantly, regardless of a potentially previously different selected audio source.

So the air pods “work differently”. Ok, what is the advantage for the user, that compensates for clumsy connection establishment?

And @Tartarus: criticizing an Apple product for performing worse than all others is negativity? Why?

[anony_mouse]

And @Tartarus: criticizing an Apple product for performing worse than all others is negativity? Why?

THIS!!!!

[BreakingKayfabe]

So why do all other BT Headsets exactly this?

They don’t.

[gnirkatto]

They don’t.

I have them all, and they do.
Do you have them all?

[Tartarus]

So why do all other BT Headsets exactly this?
My Boses, Jabras, Plantronics etc. make the iPhone/iPad connect to them instantly, regardless of a potentially previously different selected audio source.

So the air pods “work differently”. Ok, what is the advantage for the user, that compensates for clumsy connection establishment?

And @Tartarus: criticizing an Apple product for performing worse than all others is negativity? Why?

I have never had to manually select the AirPods as my source ever since I got them on launch day.
Why this is happening to you is unknown to me.

Your criticizing as you like to call it is overly negative. That’s what I’m calling out, the ‘overly’ part.

[BreakingKayfabe]

I have them all, and they do.
Do you have them all?

Bose and Jabra. They give me the most trouble. They perform a lot worse for connectivity than my AirPods.

I would never use a product from Plantronics unless I was desperate to not spend a lot of money.

[mogelijk]

So why do all other BT Headsets exactly this?
My Boses, Jabras, Plantronics etc. make the iPhone/iPad connect to them instantly, regardless of a potentially previously different selected audio source.

So the air pods “work differently”. Ok, what is the advantage for the user, that compensates for clumsy connection establishment?

And @Tartarus: criticizing an Apple product for performing worse than all others is negativity? Why?

Most Bluetooth headsets will connect to multiple sources at once. For example, I have some Bose headphones that will connect to two different sources and, if they are in the same room, it will connect to both at the same time. Of course, my Bose (from what I recall) can only remember those two sources -- if I add a third it won't remember the first. As you point out, the advantage is that whenever you use that device you get sound from the device when your headphones are turned on. The disadvantage, if for some reason both are in use and playing at the same time, then I get the sound from both in my headphones at the same time.

Apple, from what I can tell, took a different approach. Since they will "automatically" pair with almost any Apple device on your account, they made it so they only actually "pair" with one device at a time. So, if I use my iPad then my iPhone is typically in the room; and if I last used them on the iPhone, I have to let the AirPods know that I now want to use them on the iPad. The advantage, if someone else is using my iPad while I use my iPhone, I don't hear both audio sources. And, as you point out, the disadvantage is if I am using the iPad and get a phone call, I have to "tell" the AirPods to switch to my iPhone.

Apple, for whatever reason, appears to have decided to go with pairing a single device. I'm not sure if this was a hardware limitation, such as the antenna being so small couldn't pair with two devices at once; a practical consideration, such as pairing with two devices drains the battery faster; or just a design decision.

I personally don't mind it. As others have stated, if I want to use it with my iPad I can go to the control panel, or I can use the Audio button on the phone during a phone call, though typically when I'm pulling my AirPods out, I just put the open case next to the device I'm going to use (I often put it next to the screen) -- and this causes the AirPods to automatically figure out that is the device I want to use the AirPods with.

I accepted the "limitation" of the AirPods and don't have an issue. If you do, then I'll agree that AirPods are not for you.

[gnirkatto]

Most Bluetooth headsets will connect to multiple sources at once. For example, I have some Bose headphones that will connect to two different sources and, if they are in the same room, it will connect to both at the same time. Of course, my Bose (from what I recall) can only remember those two sources -- if I add a third it won't remember the first. As you point out, the advantage is that whenever you use that device you get sound from the device when your headphones are turned on. The disadvantage, if for some reason both are in use and playing at the same time, then I get the sound from both in my headphones at the same time.

Apple, from what I can tell, took a different approach. Since they will "automatically" pair with almost any Apple device on your account, they made it so they only actually "pair" with one device at a time. So, if I use my iPad then my iPhone is typically in the room; and if I last used them on the iPhone, I have to let the AirPods know that I now want to use them on the iPad. The advantage, if someone else is using my iPad while I use my iPhone, I don't hear both audio sources. And, as you point out, the disadvantage is if I am using the iPad and get a phone call, I have to "tell" the AirPods to switch to my iPhone.

Apple, for whatever reason, appears to have decided to go with pairing a single device. I'm not sure if this was a hardware limitation, such as the antenna being so small couldn't pair with two devices at once; a practical consideration, such as pairing with two devices drains the battery faster; or just a design decision.

I personally don't mind it. As others have stated, if I want to use it with my iPad I can go to the control panel, or I can use the Audio button on the phone during a phone call, though typically when I'm pulling my AirPods out, I just put the open case next to the device I'm going to use (I often put it next to the screen) -- and this causes the AirPods to automatically figure out that is the device I want to use the AirPods with.

I accepted the "limitation" of the AirPods and don't have an issue. If you do, then I'll agree that AirPods are not for you.

Thanks for this first answer that went into detail rather than just indicating I might not understand how smart air pods are, compared to other devices.
I think you’re right, they don’t connect to 2 or more devices at a time.
My Bose wireless headset, that I’m using day in day out eg in the gym with my iPad & Netflix, immediately connect to the iPad, when I turn it on. When I forgot to turn off my iPhone which is in the locker room while I exercise, it even connects to the iPhone, despite long distance and doors and exercising machines in between.
I also figured out what you said about keeping the air pod case open next to the device I want them to connect to, however 1. They sometimes still don’t connect without manual intervention and 2nd, and this may sound silly but is true, there seems to be no way to keep the case open, other than holding it in my hand. Whatever way I put it on a table, it will close.
Honestly, I would rather want to turn BT off on my iPad, when somebody else uses it, while I want to listen to music on my iPhone. This happens much less often then myself moving from iPad to iPhone and back. But that seems to be how Apple designed it, and like you said, apparently the air pods are not for me under these circumstances.
I still find it silly how this was implemented. I think my use case (1 Person using 2 devices) is much more likely than the other.

[mogelijk]

Thanks for this first answer that went into detail rather than just indicating I might not understand how smart air pods are, compared to other devices.
I think you’re right, they don’t connect to 2 or more devices at a time.
My Bose wireless headset, that I’m using day in day out eg in the gym with my iPad & Netflix, immediately connect to the iPad, when I turn it on. When I forgot to turn off my iPhone which is in the locker room while I exercise, it even connects to the iPhone, despite long distance and doors and exercising machines in between.
I also figured out what you said about keeping the air pod case open next to the device I want them to connect to, however 1. They sometimes still don’t connect without manual intervention and 2nd, and this may sound silly but is true, there seems to be no way to keep the case open, other than holding it in my hand. Whatever way I put it on a table, it will close.
Honestly, I would rather want to turn BT off on my iPad, when somebody else uses it, while I want to listen to music on my iPhone. This happens much less often then myself moving from iPad to iPhone and back. But that seems to be how Apple designed it, and like you said, apparently the air pods are not for me under these circumstances.
I still find it silly how this was implemented. I think my use case (1 Person using 2 devices) is much more likely than the other.

To clarify one point, you don't need to keep the case open. Just when you take the AirPods out, put the case next to the device you want to use until the AirPods connect, then you can close the case.

If I had to guess, I doubt it was a decision to not have the AirPods connect to more than one device; I suspect it was some type of hardware limitation, possibly because of the smaller antenna but more likely to maximize the battery life.

[gnirkatto]

To clarify one point, you don't need to keep the case open. Just when you take the AirPods out, put the case next to the device you want to use until the AirPods connect, then you can close the case.

If I had to guess, I doubt it was a decision to not have the AirPods connect to more than one device; I suspect it was some type of hardware limitation, possibly because of the smaller antenna but more likely to maximize the battery life.

I know about the case. However, taking them out, putting them into the ears, while trying to keep the case open, is a challenge. At least for me, as on top of all other problems, the air pods have a tendency to fall out of my ears. So for me the whole concept is clumsy, for more than just one reason.

[mogelijk]

I know about the case. However, taking them out, putting them into the ears, while trying to keep the case open, is a challenge. At least for me, as on top of all other problems, the air pods have a tendency to fall out of my ears. So for me the whole concept is clumsy, for more than just one reason.

I'll admit, the way Apple designed AirPods they aren't for everyone -- if only because one size does not fit all. I do suspect there is an issue with your AirPods (at least based on what I understand), the case should stay open until you push the top to close it. But if they don't fit properly, then it would seem AirPods aren't for you.

[gnirkatto]

I'll admit, the way Apple designed AirPods they aren't for everyone -- if only because one size does not fit all. I do suspect there is an issue with your AirPods (at least based on what I understand), the case should stay open until you push the top to close it. But if they don't fit properly, then it would seem AirPods aren't for you.

It stays open, as long as I hold it in my hand. As soon as I put it down, it either lies on the back side, ie on the open flap, and and the cases own weight pushes the flap close. Or, if lying on the front side, the flap falls close due to ist own weight. Can't put it down in an upright position due to its round bottom. I don't think it's a problem with my air pods, as this is my 2nd set, and both cases behaved in the same manner.
So if I could put the case next to the iPod or iPad in an upright and opened state, and it would then do its connectivity thing, while I try to put the pods into my ears and make them stay there, this would work much better.