AirPods Accessibility Menu: Adjust Settings Guide

This guide shows you how to use the Accessibility menu on your iPhone or iPad to fine-tune your AirPods settings, such as adjusting the volume balance, setting a louder tone for notifications, and enabling features like Headphone Accommodations. You’ll need your AirPods paired with your iOS device and the device running iOS 14 or later.

What You’ll Need

AirPods (any model, including AirPods Pro and AirPods Max) paired with your iPhone or iPad.
An iPhone or iPad running iOS 14 or later (the exact menu names may vary slightly by version).
The AirPods should be connected to the device (they don’t need to be in your ears, but it helps for testing).

Step-by-Step

Open Settings: On your iPhone or iPad, tap the Settings app (the gear icon).
Go to Accessibility: Scroll down and tap Accessibility. This is a dedicated section for adjusting how your device and accessories work for your needs.
Find Audio/Visual: Under the Hearing section, tap Audio/Visual. This is where you’ll manage audio-related accessibility options.
Select your AirPods: At the top of the Audio/Visual screen, you’ll see a section called Accessory Audio. Tap on your AirPods’ name (e.g., “John’s AirPods Pro”). If you don’t see them, make sure your AirPods are connected (put them in your ears or open the case near your device).
Adjust Balance: Under Balance, drag the slider left or right to adjust the left-right volume balance. Dragging it fully left mutes the right side; fully right mutes the left. This is useful if you have hearing differences between ears.
Enable Headphone Accommodations (AirPods Pro and Max): If you have AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, you’ll see Headphone Accommodations. Tap it, then toggle it on. This lets you customize audio for your hearing profile.
Choose a Tuning: Inside Headphone Accommodations, you can select Balanced, Vocal, or Brightness to change the sound signature. You can also use Custom Audio Setup to run a short test that creates a personalized profile.
Adjust Tone and Amplification: After choosing a tuning, you can further adjust Tone (boosting or cutting specific frequencies) and Amplification (making quiet sounds louder). Use the sliders and listen to the sample audio to find what works best.
Set Notification Tones (AirPods Pro and Max): Back on the Audio/Visual screen, under Accessory Audio, you’ll find Notification Tones. Toggle this on to make alerts like text messages and calendar reminders play a louder, more noticeable tone through your AirPods.
Test Your Settings: Play music or a podcast and adjust the sliders to confirm the changes feel right. You can always return to this menu to fine-tune later.

Common Mistakes

Looking in the wrong place: The Accessibility menu is not in the Bluetooth settings. It’s a separate section under the main Settings app.
Not selecting your AirPods: If you don’t tap your AirPods name under Accessory Audio, you’ll be adjusting settings for the iPhone’s speaker, not your AirPods.
Forgetting to toggle Headphone Accommodations on: Just opening the menu doesn’t apply the settings. You must flip the switch to enable the custom tuning.
Assuming all AirPods have the same options: Headphone Accommodations and Notification Tones are only available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Standard AirPods (2nd and 3rd gen) only offer the balance slider.
Setting the balance too far: Dragging the balance slider all the way to one side will completely mute the other ear, which can be disorienting and unsafe in traffic.

Tips

Use the Custom Audio Setup: For AirPods Pro/Max, run the Custom Audio Setup inside Headphone Accommodations. It plays a series of tones and asks you which sounds better, creating a profile tailored to your hearing.
Combine with Transparency Mode: On AirPods Pro, Headphone Accommodations also affects Transparency Mode. You can adjust the transparency balance separately by going to Settings > Bluetooth > (i) next to your AirPods Pro > Accessibility.
Use the slider for phone calls: The balance slider also affects phone calls, so if you have one ear that’s better for calls, you can shift the balance slightly toward that side.
Check your device volume: The Accessibility settings don’t change the overall volume; they adjust the relative balance and tone. Make sure your device volume is set to a comfortable level first.
Reset if needed: If you want to start over, go back to Headphone Accommodations and tap Reset at the bottom to clear all custom settings.

Troubleshooting

Your AirPods don’t appear under Accessory Audio: Make sure they are connected. Put them in your ears or open the case near your iPhone. If they still don’t show, try forgetting the device in Bluetooth settings and re-pairing them.
Changes don’t seem to take effect: Check that you’ve actually selected your AirPods under Accessory Audio, not just the default speaker. Also, if you’re using an app that has its own equalizer, it may override the system settings.
Headphone Accommodations is grayed out: This feature is only available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. If you have standard AirPods, you won’t see it. Also, ensure your AirPods are connected and not just in the case.
Notification Tones don’t sound louder: This feature works with supported apps (like Messages and Calendar). If you’re using a third-party app, it may not support the louder tone. Also, check that your iPhone’s notification volume isn’t set to zero.
Balance slider doesn’t move: Try restarting your iPhone or resetting your AirPods (press and hold the button on the case until the light flashes amber, then re-pair).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I adjust the volume balance on standard AirPods?

Yes, the balance slider is available for all AirPods models. It’s located in Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > (your AirPods).

What does Headphone Accommodations do?

It customizes the sound of your AirPods Pro or Max to match your hearing. You can choose a tuning (Balanced, Vocal, Brightness) or run a custom audio test to create a personalized profile.

Will these settings affect phone calls?

Yes, the balance slider and Headphone Accommodations settings apply to phone calls, music, and other audio. The Notification Tones feature only affects system alert sounds.

Do I need to keep my AirPods in my ears to change these settings?

No, you can change the settings without wearing them, but you’ll need them connected to your device. For testing the audio, it’s best to have them in your ears.

Can I set different settings for left and right AirPods?

No, the balance slider adjusts the relative volume between the two sides, but you can’t apply a different frequency tuning to each ear individually.

Why don’t I see Notification Tones on my AirPods?

Notification Tones are only available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. If you have standard AirPods, this option won’t appear.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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