Key Takeaways
- You can turn off noise cancelation on AirPods Pro 2 by enabling the Off option under “Noise Control.”
- Other AirPods models, including AirPods 4, show the Off option by default under “Noise Control.”
- Apple hides the Off option on AirPods Pro 2 as part of a hearing health push to protect users from loud sounds.
You can disable active noise cancelation on your AirPods if it doesn’t work well for your needs, or you prefer to stay completely aware of your surroundings. Apple now hides the “Off”control option for AirPods Pro 2 owners, but you can bring it back easily with these steps.
How to Turn Off AirPods Noise Cancelation
You can disable AirPods noise cancelation in Settings, your Control Center, or via a widget. For AirPods Pro 2, however, you must first enable the option to turn off all noise cancelation.
Select your connected AirPods from the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then scroll down to the bottom and turn on the switch labeled “Off Listening Mode.” You’ll see a message recommending that one of the noise cancelation modes be turned on in order to reduce exposure to loud sounds.
Confirm the prompt to enable the hidden Off option.
You can also enable this option on your Mac. To do so, open the System Settings app and select your connected AirPods near the bottom of the sidebar. On the right-hand side, scroll to the bottom and turn on the switch labeled “Off Listening Mode.”
You can now disable noise cancelation on your AirPods Pro.
The instructions to do so are the same across all AirPods. With the earbuds connected, open the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen, press and hold the volume slider to reveal hidden options, touch the Noise Control button, and choose “Off” to use your AirPods without any noise cancelation features.
On your Mac, hit the volume slider in the menu bar and choose “Off” under “Noise Control.”
AirPods stubbornly keep re-enabling noise cancelation after selecting the Off option? Turning adaptive audio features like Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness, and Loud Sound Reduction off and then back on did the trick for me.
Which AirPods Models Hide the Option to Turn Off Noise Cancelation?
Only the AirPods Pro 2 (2024) model hides the option to turn off noise cancelation completely. Other models, including the new AirPods 4, display the Off option when using noise control.
The “Off Listening Mode” toggle is available with your AirPods Pro 2 connected to an iPhone with iOS 18.1 or later, an iPad running iPadOS 18.1 or later, or a Mac powered by the macOS Sonoma 15.1 software or later.
It’s unavailable when using AirPods as regular Bluetooth earphones on non-Apple devices like Android phones and tablets.
Why Has Apple Made This Change?
AirPods Pro 2 hides this option as part of Apple’s hearing health push. The FDA has approved AirPods Pro 2 as a clinical-grade hearing aid, so Apple wants to ensure owners get adequate hearing protection out of the box. Testing revealed that switching to active noise cancelation can reduce loud sounds by 23 dB at the cost of audio clarity.
By hiding the Off option, Apple has definitely discouraged AirPods Pro 2 owners from using their earbuds without active noise cancelation. Apple wanted to ensure inexperienced people wouldn’t accidentally disable noise cancelation.
Power users and everyone else who knows their way around the AirPods settings can always bring back the hidden option.
Even with active noise cancelation disabled, some external noise still gets blocked thanks to a physical seal your AirPods form with your ear.
“For AirPods Pro 2 on compatible devices, turning off Noise Control also disables Hearing Protection features,” notes Apple’s support page. As the company puts it bluntly, “Your hearing is not protected when listening mode is set to Off,” as loud sound levels and environmental noise are not reduced.
Apple says that AirPods Pro 2 double the effectiveness of active noise cancelation compared to the first-generation AirPods Pro (2019) and the latest AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation (2024). Double the noise cancelation is required for the new AirPods Pro 2 hearing health capabilities.
Technology Can Help Protect Your Hearing
If updating to iOS 18.1 left you scratching your head and wondering why you can’t turn off active noise cancelation on your AirPods Pro 2, this is your answer. I leave the Off option enabled for flexibility’s sake, but I also recommend using noise cancelation whenever possible and limiting the maximum AirPods volume.
Hearing loss happens gradually, over time, without you even realizing it, but Apple’s hearing health features can help us all preserve our hearing, so it would be a shame not to use them.
