This Free App Unlocks AirPods Features on Android Devices

[djphat2000]

They want to sell iPhones and lock you into their ecosystem. Yes it would be nice to sell 10x (just an example) more AirPods but these smaller/cheaper products are to push you to Apple.

Let's not forget Apple is also a fashion/brand company. If you want to be seen wearing Airpod's/Apple Watch then you need an iPhone. Or maybe you're looking for a TV box so pick up an Apple TV and start building a library on that. When you see someone wearing Airpods you'd think "they have an iPhone". It's there to almost subconsciously let you know what product they have. If you are in a room and 8/10 people are using their iPhone that looks good for Apple. Airpods is an extension of that.

Once they get their hook in you then it makes it harder for you to leave once you've invested in them.

Opening up their products to work with Android/Windows means they have less of control over you.

When I first got my iPhone 12 five years ago I had Sony earphones. They worked perfectly fine and sounded great but the experience was clunky and I needed an app. Eventually I got Airpods because they "just work" with iOS.

When I was wanting to upgrade my phone I considered going back to Android and I could've but I decided not to because I can't live without my Apple Watch. Yeah, Android has smart watches but I don't think they're as good as Apple Watch and anyway I had built up ~5 years worth of purchases in Apple's ecosystem so didn't want to start over again in Google's ecosystem.

Maybe some people feel the same about Airpods. They'd leave iPhone but they know they'd not get the same experience on Android with them. Opening up Airpods to Android means people would be less likely to stay with iPhone when upgrade time comes.

Nothing is making anyone purchase anything Apple makes. Only those that have chosen to do so are spending on Apple products. No one is locked in. Photos, documents, texts, and music can be moved over to any other handset manufacturer. Apps can be resubscribed to on another platform. You can move about the cabin as you like. This myth needs to stop.

Apple makes products that work "better" with other Apple products. It's just what any decent business would do if they made multiple products that can work well together. Are we getting on Google for its earbuds, or Sony for its headphones and their mobile phones? Google makes watches, Apple makes watches. I'm sure the Google watch will work better with a Google phone than an iPhone. It's not the end of the world if it does.

 

[MrSnirf]

Small example would be say purchasing a butter knife and using it to cut into a steak. It may work, but it's not exactly the right tool for the job. Is that some forced limitation of planned obsolescence and "lock in to the ecosystem" forethought by the maker of the knife?? Some insidious plot by those in power to force poor me, the consumer to buy yet,,... Another knife!!!!???

As proven in this instance yes, a free app developed by 1* person enabled all these functions
(yes i know there are more people who contributed to the project but the vast majority was contributed by 1 person).

It is a forced limitation, they actively block certain functions that are built into the airpods when not connected to iPhone. It doesn't work "better" with iPhones, they block the functions when not connected to an iPhone or other Apple products. There is nothing preventing airpods from having the same functions on Android as this article have shown. Is it up to Apple to make it work? No but they don't need to go out of their way to prevent it but we all know they will update airpods to block it in a firmware update. Planned obsolescence is a word because companies do employ that practice that is why laws must exist to force these companies to support devices for an extended amount of time otherwise they will stop support as soon as possible.

There are people who own both iPhones and Android phones and it would be nice for me to be able to use my airpods on my Android phone and retain at least some of the functionalities.

 

[djphat2000]

So the EU being Robin Hood is taking from Apple the tyrannical overlord in your analogy, to give to the poor 3rd party services.

I'd like to know more about these bankrupt, cash strapped, broke 3rd party services. That can't seem to make any money on the AppStore because of that 30% cut.

 

[MrSnirf]

I'd like to know more about these bankrupt, cash strapped, broke 3rd party services. That can't seem to make any money on the AppStore because of that 30% cut.

Don't ask me, ask the person making the Robin Hood analogy.

 

[I7guy]

[…]

Basically you are anti-freedom and consumer right? You are for trillion dollar companies being free to do whatever they want with no laws preventing them from taking advantage of people and preventing freedom of choice.

Correct. I’m for less regulation not over regulation. As long as a company is not a monopoly let the market decide and Apple is not. I’m for a trillion dollar corporation who is acting within the framework of existing laws to make a vertically integrated platform and for consumers to not buy their products.

The eu is the tyrant, Robin Hood. Apple is the rich person and the others who reap the benefit are “poor” people. Some redistribution going on from one one side to the other..

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The eu is the tyrant, Robin Hood. Apple is the rich person and the others who reap the benefit are “poor” people. Some redistribution going on from one one side to the other..

So Robin Hood is the tyrant and the villain in your view, I take it?

 

[MrSnirf]

Correct. I’m for less regulation not over regulation. As long as a company is not a monopoly let the market decide and Apple is not. I’m for a trillion dollar corporation who is acting within the framework of existing laws to make a vertically integrated platform and for consumers to not buy their products.

Well the framework has changed so now the trillion dollar company must adjust. The laws are intentionally designed to change with the people once the existing laws stop serving the people it was made to serve. Has iPhone stopped being vertically integrated? Did Apple stop making billions in profit?

The eu is the tyrant, Robin Hood.

Robin Hood is not a tyrant in the folk law.

Apple is the rich person and the others who reap the benefit are “poor” people. Some redistribution going on from one one side to the other..

You still don't make any sense. The people are paying for goods from Apple who is happily selling those goods, the people are demanding that the goods be made better. Apple makes money, the consumer get their choice and freedom protected. Your analogy makes no sense.

 

[djphat2000]

As proven in this instance yes, it is a forced limitation, they actively block certain functions that are built into the airpods when not connected to iPhone.

They don't block anything. This statement starts from the wrong premise. As in the AirPods "had" full functionality with Android devices, and Apple took it away. It was never there to begin with. Apple made the AirPods specifically to work a specific way with other Apple products. Features that exist because they could develop it on a platform "they" control so they know how it works. And how it will work in the future. And they can support it as it was intended to be.
Apple doesn't owe it to anyone to make that same product work for any 3rd party device. But, they still gave you bluetooth connectivity. Because that standard will work as expected for the foreseeable future. With little to no effort on their part. And to deal with the rest, you have Beats.

It doesn't work "better" with iPhones, they block the functions when not connected to an iPhone or other Apple products.

Incorrect. They did not take it away, you never had it. It wasn't something that existed and "then" Apple said "Oh wait, nah I didn't mean to do that". And then blocked it from working. It does work better on an Apple device because that is how it was built to begin with.

There is nothing preventing airpods from having the same functions on Android as this article have shown.

Yes there is. And that reason is Apple doesn't want to. They don't want to support it on Android. And they are fully within their rights to make that decision. Since it didn't work there to begin with.

Is it up to Apple to make it work? No but they don't need to go out of their way to prevent it but we all know they will update airpods to block it in a firmware update.

So we come to the same conclusion, but then want to twist it back to "they gonna go blocking things.... etc."
The app being free may keep it alive. But, the risk to the end user trying to make it work is most likely enough for Apple to not even bother. Unless there is a security issue that allowed it to work in the first place. For which I would fully expect a firmware update to patch.

Planned obsolescence is a word because companies do employ that practice that is why laws must exist to force these companies to support devices for an extended amount of time otherwise they will stop support as soon as possible.

Sometimes products simply can't be made anymore. And support has to end because they can't get a part made to fix a broken one. Software can only go so far as well. Only so many patches can be made before it's not worth patching and needs something "new" to replace it. Should Apple have an infinite supply of M1 chips so 10 years from now, we can still repair our M1 macs? Should macOS "Hollywood" of 2030 still run on an M1 chip? Or do you think tech will have advanced enough that maybe that version of macOS will use features simply not available to the M1, and your experience using it will suffer greatly. Say nothing of an intel mac.

There are people who own both iPhones and Android phones and it would be nice for me to be able to use my airpods on my Android phone and retain at least some of the functionalities.

You can hear perfectly with them no? Volume control doesn't work?
It would be nice. But, what would also be nice is if we all just purchase the product that works best for what it is going to be used from. I literally have 4 headsets. One for gaming (Logitech). One for my mac mini (Sony WH-CH720N). One for my iPhone and work MacBook pro (Air Pods Pro 3). And an older pair of AirPods (gen 2 maybe). That I have as a backup, since they still work and are in another back pack with all my tools. Buy what works best for you for the purpose it's going to serve.

 

[MrSnirf]

They don't block anything. This statement starts from the wrong premise. As in the AirPods "had" full functionality with Android devices, and Apple took it away. It was never there to begin with. Apple made the AirPods specifically to work a specific way with other Apple products. Features that exist because they could develop it on a platform "they" control so they know how it works. And how it will work in the future. And they can support it as it was intended to be.
Apple doesn't owe it to anyone to make that same product work for any 3rd party device. But, they still gave you bluetooth connectivity. Because that standard will work as expected for the foreseeable future. With little to no effort on their part. And to deal with the rest, you have Beats.

This app enables features that otherwise are blocked because they trick the airpod into thinking it is connected to an iPhone. The features are built into the airpods themselves, they don't need an iPhone to work, Apple blocks those features when airpods are not connected to an iPhone. It only works "better" on an iPhone because Apple prevents those functions. Again this app is not doing anything special but changing the bluetooth vendor ID to Apple vendor ID.

Changing VendorID in the DID profile to that of Apple​

Turns out, if you change the VendorID in DID Profile to that of Apple, you get access to several special features!

You can do this on Linux by editing the DeviceID in /etc/bluetooth/main.conf. Add this line to the config file DeviceID = bluetooth:004C:0000:0000. For android you can enable the act as Apple device setting in the app's settings.

When AirPods connect, they check the device's Bluetooth "Vendor ID." If it sees 004C (Apple), it unlocks the proprietary data channels. If it sees a generic ID (Android/Windows), it behaves like a "dumb" speaker. Locking all other features. Seriously that's it, they don't need to lock those features but they do because they want to create the illusion that airpods work best on iPhones which they don't.

 

[I7guy]

Well the framework has changed so now the trillion dollar company must adjust.

Absolutely. It’s over regulation after the fact. Bad decisions that won’t be felt for some time, imo.

The laws are intentionally designed to change with the people once the existing laws stop serving the people it was made to serve. Has iPhone stopped being vertically integrated? Did Apple stop making billions in profit?

Not the point. The point is the over regulation and the construction of laws targeted at one company.

Robin Hood is not a tyrant in the folk law.

Robin Hood(EU) is the tyrant here.

You still don't make any sense. The people are paying for goods from Apple who is happily selling those goods, the people are demanding that the goods be made better. Apple makes money, the consumer get their choice and freedom protected. Your analogy makes no sense.

This is very basic. The DMA is over regulating, imo. We all have our points of view. Needless to say we’re off the beaten path here. It will be interesting to see apple’s response if any.

 

[MrSnirf]

This is very basic. The DMA is over regulating, imo. We all have our points of view. Needless to say we’re off the beaten path here. It will be interesting to see apple’s response if any.

Realistically, they can't because that would require them changing the vendor ID which again can be easily gotten because to connect Bluetooth you have to broadcast your ID. They can try to require a secondary handshake but that breaks functionality for other devices who maybe are not eligible for updates anymore. What is left is sue because of course Apple will sue and try to do a DMCA takedown which won't fly in the EU.

Reverse engineering is not illegal as much as some people would like that to be true.

 

[djphat2000]

Don't ask me, ask the person making the Robin Hood analogy.

No, I'm just asking. Anyone that believes or more importantly knows. Which one of these companies are going broke being on the AppStore. Which one or ones had to layoff staff because of the 30% cut. Had to do without over the holidays because of the 30%. Show me how Netflix has lost customers because of Apple's 30% cut. How Spotify wasn't able to cut the check to Joe Rogan because of the 30% Apple tax. Couldn't pay Taylor Swift her royalties because of the 30% fee. Tell me. Someone, anyone.

 

[MrSnirf]

No, I'm just asking. Anyone that believes or more importantly knows. Which one of these companies are going broke being on the AppStore. Which one or ones had to layoff staff because of the 30% cut. Had to do without over the holidays because of the 30%. Show me how Netflix has lost customers because of Apple's 30% cut. How Spotify wasn't able to cut the check to Joe Rogan because of the 30% Apple tax. Couldn't pay Taylor Swift her royalties because of the 30% fee. Tell me. Someone, anyone.

I did not make any such claims so perhaps find someone else who has.

Moreover, I simply don't want Apple increasing the cost of things i buy by 30% just because they want a cut of everything i buy on my device. They don't get a cut when i buy things using my Macbook and they shouldn't when i buy things using my iPhone, i paid for those devices. Now if i choose to use Apple pay then by all means they should add 30% to that.

 

[mike2q]

What makes you think they would sell substantially more than it costs to support android?

Support Android? A dude made this by himself just for fun. If Apple can't sustain something that simple then should close down and give up.

The fact Apple won't just come out and say these type of choices are for customer lock in instead of lying and claiming something about security or user experience should tell you everything you need you know about them. If they can't tell the truth then they're not on your side.

 

[mike2q]

None sense. Giving away apples intellectual property to third party is theft, not innovation. There is today other smartphone platforms that are “open” and provide what you want.

What was stollen? Apple doesn't need to use proprietary "intellectual property" to have a seamless Bluetooth connection but they spent time and money blocking you and everyone else from using your property how you'd like. If they had it their way you wouldn't own your phone or laptop either. You'd just pay a subscription forever and have a license to use under their terms.

Quit standing up for anti Apple consumer practices and start to recognize these policies are not in your best interest. Or at least not unless you're on their payroll that is.

 

[maxoakland]

That’s not only not a better argument but it’s patently false.

So I take it you’re not an apple customer.

Of course I’m an Apple customer. That’s how I know their software quality has gone down

 

[maxoakland]

The eu is giving it away, playing Robin Hood.

Robin Hood is the good guy in the movie. As is the EU

 

[maxoakland]

Nothing is making anyone purchase anything Apple makes. Only those that have chosen to do so are spending on Apple products. No one is locked in.

You’re not clear on the definition of lock in

The point is if you decide to buy AirPods and an iPhone but then want to switch to Android, Apple put extra effort into making the AirPods incompatible with Android

That’s lock in. It’s designed to make it hard, unpleasant, or expensive for users to move to a different ecosystem

 

[artifex]

When a single developer can do this despite Apple, it really shows Apple’s priorities for what they are. Lock-in is the name of the game.

They would sell a ton more watches if they didn't require an iPhone. But they don't even want you to set them up with an iPad. So it's clear it's not just lock-in to a general Apple product and services ecosystem but specifically to the iPhone. As far as I know they don't let you do with any Mac, either, which really makes it clear what the most important line to Apple is.

As for me personally, a pair of under-$40 Soundcore earbuds with ANC work fine, and if I don't want to use BT I have a few non-ANC IEMs and some ANC headphones because a lot of my gear has headphone jacks. The only feature attracting me to Airpods is the hearing aid use, which I don't need yet, but would be nice to give an elderly family member. I'm not going to give them something that requires sideloading and rooting, but I'd be interested in taking the risk myself with one of my retired Androids, if there aren't cheaper and more open options by the time it does become a need.

edit: according to this article at Apple I can actually use my existing iPad to set up the hearing aids feature. So I don't have to go through all the steps on an Android device. It's still good to have that option as a fallback, however.

 

[svish]

Good to know about this. Apple will definitely not be happy seeing this. However many Android users will be having other earbuds/earphones and don’t think they will go through this just to have all the features of AirPods.

 

[Dj64Mk7]

Haven’t apps like this existed for a while now? I remember using something to get my AirPods to work before Pixel Buds existed? What's different about this app?

 

[mpuk]

Like cotton bath robes in a luxury hotel, AirPods exist to ensure that $1,000+ iPhone buyers feel pampered.

...and that they are more likely to become iPhone buyers in the first place.

 

[sunapple]

No one said anything about poor Apple. You don't have to buy anything from Apple. There is almost no requirements in life that you need to purchase anything from Apple. You choose to do so. If they make something you like. You purchase it. If your expectations are that it will work perfectly with other things you bought. By now, one would know that to be a mistake. And should do a touch a research to find out for sure.

Small example would be say purchasing a butter knife and using it to cut into a steak. It may work, but it's not exactly the right tool for the job. Is that some forced limitation of planned obsolescence and "lock in to the ecosystem" forethought by the maker of the knife?? Some insidious plot by those in power to force poor me, the consumer to buy yet,,... Another knife!!!!???

We are talking about Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth is universal. Apple designed them to have some of its features integrated in iOS Settings rather than having a separate app like the rest of the industry. This is on purpose. This makes for an artificial ecosystem lock.

Now I personally don't find it necessary to dream up reasons why they would have to support Android or Windows. I don't choose to defend the trillion dollar company. The consumer is getting the short end of the stick. You want to switch to Android so you loose some of the features of your headphones. You used to have wired headphones that worked with any product and lasted a decade. AirPods are designed to be replaced.

But I understand how it is, we love Apple and have money and love to consume. I have owned three pairs of AirPods, even upgraded despite persistent issues with previous gen. I have owned a fair bit more Apple stuff than most people on here. Now I changed my mind and switched to Fairphone. Easy transition, little compromise. I knew I would loose use the fancy features of my AirPods but I'm better off in other regards.

 

[Happy_John]

These are your words

Robin Hood is not the tyrant in the folk law.

That makes no sense, Apple still owns their IP, still sells their phones on the EU market. Regulation is not theft, when the government tells a restaurant they must have fire exits and can't serve spoiled food, they aren't "stealing" the restaurant. They are setting standards for operation. The DMA is simply a building code for digital platforms.

You want to know what is theft? Apple extracts a 30% tax from developers for digital goods sold on a device the user already paid for now that is theft. They didn't work on the app but they want to collect 30% tax on goods sold in the app.

The sentiment breeds isolationism and as we all know historically, it doesn't work. The world advances because we share ideas across borders. If Apple pulls out of the world market, they seize to be the trillion dollar corporation they are today and even in your fantasy Apple disagrees.

You think nobody has tried? This isn't a toaster, it is the most complex machine in human history. Canon and Nikon spent billions trying to build EUV machines and gave up. There is no "another" without stealing IPs from other countries.

Open your platform so other 3rd party services can thrive is not over regulation. The market is the people and the market through its elected officials have decided they want these platforms to be more open.

False. In 2009, the EU didn't pass a law, they asked the industry to voluntarily pick a standard. The industry (including Apple, Samsung, Nokia) signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" to use Micro USB. That didn't stop Apple from making the lighting port and didn't prevent Apple from co-designing the USB-C. And guess what if another standard that is better comes they will happily switch to that one.

Basically you are anti-freedom and consumer right? You are for trillion dollar companies being free to do whatever they want with no laws preventing them from taking advantage of people and preventing freedom of choice.

After a point, there’s not much point treating these „EU is bad” thread diversions seriously. It’s not an argument in any rational sense, it’s just a slogan to be shouted.

It’s very clear that many governments around the world are pushing back on large tech companies’ overreach. But it will only be „EU is bad”

Many essential technologies originated in Europe (before being bought out by US tech companies in many cases) but „EU is bad”.

The EU ( or EC or EP - they don’t really know who they mean when they say EU) has not forced Apple not to provide chargers with products to both EU and non EU countries while maintining the same price point, that was a decision Apple took upon themselves, but „EU is bad”.

“EU is bad” is simply a content-free meme for type of man baby self-describes as a „tech bro”. This crowd do not understand the organisation and structures of the EU, nor understand that having governments and corporations in each other’s pockets, or corporations (or governments for that matter) without any regulation is a far worse situation for the end user and average person than a situation where governments and Corporations acts check and balances for each other. It’s not perfect, but it’s better.

And as for anyone saying that the EU (w.g. EC an EP are unelected) that’s the signal that this person is simply wrong. It’s like saying that the G7 is gang of unelected bureaucrats because „I never voted in an election for the G7” The EU is NOT a federal structure. The top level IS the nationally elected governments of the member states. Additionally, there is a European Parliament where members are elected by the Citizen of the member states.

The „EU is bad” trend in tech is a result of tech companies being able to buy favour with the US administration for big wads of cash, the current US administration not kicking the EU very much and the „buying favour” stratega does not work quite as well in the EU fot tech companies as it does in the USA.

Governments should push back against Corporations. Corporations should push back against governments.

„Sunscreen is useless because I never get sunburnt- down with sunscreen!” but you don’t get sunburnt because you wear sunscreen, stupid.

 

[Happy_John]

We are talking about Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth is universal. Apple designed them to have some of its features integrated in iOS Settings rather than having a separate app like the rest of the industry. This is on purpose. This makes for an artificial ecosystem lock.

Now I personally don't find it necessary to dream up reasons why they would have to support Android or Windows. I don't choose to defend the trillion dollar company. The consumer is getting the short end of the stick. You want to switch to Android so you loose some of the features of your headphones. You used to have wired headphones that worked with any product and lasted a decade. AirPods are designed to be replaced.

But I understand how it is, we love Apple and have money and love to consume. I have owned three pairs of AirPods, even upgraded despite persistent issues with previous gen. I have owned a fair bit more Apple stuff than most people on here. Now I changed my mind and switched to Fairphone. Easy transition, little compromise. I knew I would loose use the fancy features of my AirPods but I'm better off in other regards.

This. Buying and using Apple products shows loyalty and general satisfaction to the products. It doesn’t oblige the user to be loyal to the business practices of the company or agree with „lock in” or monopolistic practices.

And everyone has a choice to mix and match the technology they buy, insofar that it can be mixed and matched.

Despite the messaging on the packaging, you DON’T have to use Sony-branded AA batteries in a Sony product that needs AA batteries ( if Sony still brand AA batteries or release products that take AA batteries).

Treating a product/service provider as if it is a religion or football team that requires adherence and belief is a very odd idea. They just make stuff and provide services. Buy the stuff that suits your needs, don’t buy the stuff that doesn’t.