You Can Tap Your Ear to Activate Your AirPods - MacRumors
Skip to Content

You Can Tap Your Ear to Activate Your AirPods

by

Apple's first-generation and second-generation AirPods feature accelerometers and other hardware that allow them to respond to a double tap, and these gestures can be customized to your liking.

airpodsinear
What many users don't realize however is that you don't actually have to tap directly on either of your AirPods to use these double tap gestures.

Next time you want to activate a gesture control, try tapping softly on the back of your ear instead, a method that many seasoned AirPods users have come to prefer for using the tap gestures. It's a little less audibly jarring and you'll find it works just as well as a tap on the AirPod itself.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 blue

Apple Offers 10% Off AirPods and More for Earth Day Device Recycling

Thursday April 16, 2026 6:19 am PDT by
Apple is offering 10% off AirPods, Beats, or accessories to customers who recycle an eligible iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac at a participating Apple Store through May 16. The discount applies when the recycling and purchase are completed in the same transaction. The promotion runs from today, April 16, through to May 16. Products brought in for recycling undergo screenings, with eligible ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...