New AirPods features for iOS 14: spatial audio, better automatic device switching, battery notifications, and more

Spatial Audio (‌AirPods Pro‌ only)

When Apple announced the spatial audio during the World Developers Conference, it was a feature that came as a big surprise and sounded like something out of a science fiction movie.

With spatial audio, Apple uses dynamic head tracking and positioning of the iPhone to bring a cinema surround sound experience to the irAirPods Pro‌. Through the use of directional audio filters and subtle adjustments to the frequencies each ear receives, spatial audio can place sounds anywhere in space for an immersive audio experience when watching TV shows and movies.

Spatial audio can take advantage of the gyroscope and accelerometer on the PAirPods Pro‌ and ‌iPhone‌ to track head movement and device location, compare motion data, and remap the sound field on the fly so that it stays tethered to the ‌iPhone‌ even when his head to move. .

The spatial audio implementation in the irAirPods Pro‌ requires a firmware update that has not yet been released, so this may be a feature that we will not be able to test until ‌iOS 14‌ sees a public release. It doesn’t work right now.

Automatic device change

IrAirPods‌ and ‌AirPods Pro‌ already have a quick and easy device switch for devices where you are logged in with your iCloud account, but ‌iOS 14‌, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, watchOS 7 and macOS Big Sur make the device switch even more easier.

With updates installed, ‌AirPods‌ and ‌AirPods Pro‌ automatically switch between their devices that are paired with the same ‌iCloud‌ account. So if you are listening to music on your PiPhone‌ but switch to watching a video on your Mac, your irAirPods‌ will connect seamlessly to the Mac.

Right now, you can swap quickly, but on most devices you need to access the Bluetooth settings for your secondary device if the irAirPods‌ are already paired with a primary device.

Automatic device switching requires an ‌iCloud‌ account and works on ‌iPhone‌, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple Watch with the latest software versions installed. Automatic switching works with the second generation irAirPods Pro‌ and ‌AirPods‌, and is not compatible with the original original ‌AirPods. It also works with Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and Beats Solo Pro.

Battery notifications

If your irAirPods‌ are running low on battery and need to be charged, your PiPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ will notify you with a notification so you can charge them before they are completely drained.

Optimized loading

To maximize the longevity of the irAirPods‌, Apple added a new optimized battery charging feature in ‌iOS 14‌. Optimized battery charging allows irAirPods‌ to learn their daily charging routine and will wait to finish charging more than 80 percent until needed.

Apple uses a similar battery optimization feature for iPhones and Mac to extend the total battery life of devices. Avoiding having a fully charged lithium ion battery continuously can better preserve the condition of the battery over time.

Headphone housing

Headphones Headphone is an accessibility feature for those with hearing problems, and can amplify soft sounds and adjust frequencies to make music, movies, calls and more sounds clearer and clearer.

You can access the Headphone Fit functionality in the Accessibility section of the Settings app by tapping ‌AirPods‌> Audio Accessibility Settings> Headphone Fit.

From there, you can access all the different options available, such as tuning audio for balanced tone, vocal range, or brightness, or adjusting the volume of soft sounds to be louder.

There is also a custom audio setup that shows a test with soft voice and different music to determine if you have specific audio preferences that should be compensated with the Headphone Fit feature.

Headphone adapters also work with Transparency mode in PAirPods Pro‌, making quiet voices louder and tuning in to surrounding sounds to meet your audio needs.

Hearing health

Apple expanded hearing health protections on OSiOS 14‌ and ‌watchOS 7‌ and ‌iPhone‌ now sends notifications to ‌Apple Watch‌ when listening to music too loud and can reduce the volume of their headphones to a safe level once it has reached the World Organization recommended Health safe dose of weekly listening.

Reduces loud sounds, a new Sounds and Haptics feature, can be enabled to analyze headphone audio and reduce any sounds that exceed a certain decibel level, which you can configure yourself.

These features work with the irAirPods‌ and ‌AirPods Pro‌, along with other headphone options.

Control center volume monitor

If you have the “Hearing” feature added to the Control Center when listening to music with PAirPods‌ or other headphones, you can view a live volume level meter to make sure the decibel level is safe.

Just swipe down from the Control Center and tap the ear icon (after you’ve added it to the Control Center) to see the live reading.

PAirPods Pro‌ Motion API

Apple designed a motion API for the irAirPods Pro‌ that developers can take advantage of. Motion API allows developers to access guidance, user acceleration, and turnover rates, which is useful for fitness games and apps.

Developers can build the API in applications that irAirPods Pro‌ owners can download.

Guide Comments

Do you have any questions about the new capabilities of OSiOS 14‌ PAirPods‌, know of a feature we are missing, or want to comment on this guide? Email us here.