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iOS 11 Lets AirPods Users Change Tracks With a Double Tap

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Apr 12, 2001
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Owners of AirPods will soon be able to skip forwards and backwards between tracks with a simple double tap of either earpiece, thanks to an additional setting Apple is providing in iOS 11.

Currently, AirPods users can only change tracks from the buds by invoking Siri with a double tap and vocally commanding the virtual assistant to do so, an action some people find cumbersome or simply embarrassing to have to perform in public.

Unfortunately the only available alternative to iOS 10 users is to take out their iPhone and perform the track change manually by tapping the lock screen.

Screen-Shot-1-800x488.jpg

However, as demonstrated by YouTuber Appsolutely Tech, in iOS 11 it's possible to customize the Bluetooth settings on the AirPods so that a double tap on one earpiece skips to the next track, with the same action on the other earpiece returning to the previous track.

The Next/Previous track options join the existing settings found on the iOS Bluetooth 'info' screen that let users double tap to activate Siri, play/pause the track, or turn off the AirPods.

(Thanks, Jonathan!)

Article Link: iOS 11 Lets AirPods Users Change Tracks With a Double Tap
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/07/ios-11-airpods-change-tracks-double-tap/
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If you're listening to a podcast in Overcast (maybe other apps, too? Didn't work with Apple's Podcasts app, though), and you set up the AirPods for next/previous track, you can jump forward or back in the podcast with a double tap. It even keep your custom settings for the number of seconds to jump forward/back! So cool.
 
Just discovered an interesting tidbit with this. Yesterday I tried out the new AirPods behaviour, setting the right to next track and the left to Siri. When I used my AirPods with my primary device running iOS 10 today, they had retained this behaviour! There was no option for separate left and right controls in the AirPods settings on my iOS 10 device but they still retained their iOS 11 behaviour. That's one iOS 11 feature that we can enjoy now I suppose (providing that you're running the beta on another device...).
 
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Does it work without turning on the screen?

Siri works somewhat but phone turns on the screen in my pocket and 10 minutes later it's warm in my pocket. Or Siri starts doing things like 'Here are some things you can ask...'
 
YES! I'll be honest when I first watched WWDC I wasn't that impressed, but the more I hear about iOS 11 the more impressed I'm getting.

I will be glad to be able to use my AirPods with this new functionality.
 
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Eliottjames said:
Just discovered an interesting tidbit with this. Yesterday I tried out the new AirPods behaviour, setting the right to next track and the left to Siri. When I used my AirPods with my primary device running iOS 10 today, they had retained this behaviour! There was no option for separate left and right controls in the AirPods settings on my iOS 10 device but they still retained their iOS 11 behaviour. That's one iOS 11 feature that we can enjoy now I suppose (providing that you're running the beta on another device...).
Click to expand...

I just checked that too! I'm going to test if it retains this setting when doing a run with my apple watch (without my iphone)
 
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This is great, changing tracks is one of my major gripes with the AirPods. Having to use Siri was a crappy solution.
 
MacRumors said:
The Next/Previous track options join the existing settings found on the iOS Bluetooth 'info' screen that let users double tap to activate Siri, play/pause the track, or turn off the AirPods.
Click to expand...

I read this as stating this is an existing functionality on iOS 10. Is that true? I looked in Settings>Bluetooth and saw a list of my bluetooth connectable devices, but I cannot find a way to change the double tap functionality of my AirPods. Am I missing something? When clicking the info button, all it gave me the option to do was "Forget This Device".
 
Achiever said:
I read this as stating this is an existing functionality on iOS 10. Is that true? I looked in Settings>Bluetooth and saw a list of my bluetooth connectable devices, but I cannot find a way to change the double tap functionality of my AirPods. Am I missing something? When clicking the info button, all it gave me the option to do was "Forget This Device".
Click to expand...
Are your AirPods connected to your device when you're doing this?
 
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This *is* a nice addition. This was one of the two issues I had with AirPods that were preventing me from buying them. The other is volume control.

Think we can get them to implement triple tap volume before GM?
 
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