Siri interactions: Control AirPods with head gestures

One of the best ways to control the AirPods when you’re on the go is using Siri. Saying “Hey Siri” can perform a variety of tasks, but you still have to speak. With Siri interactions, Siri Interactions in English, Apple has come up with a solution for this and you can respond to Siri with head gestures.

If you have AirPods Pro 2nd generation or AirPods 4th generation, you can only respond to Siri announcements by nodding yes or gently shaking your head no. This is useful in a busy or quiet environment where you prefer not to talk out loud.

Siri interactions for AirPods

Thanks to machine learning on the H2 chip, Siri interactions let you take or reject calls, respond to messages, manage notifications and more. All this without saying a word.

As soon as Siri makes an announcement, you can respond using head gestures. It is sufficient to perform the gesture gently, so you do not have to shake violently back and forth.

  • Nodding yes (moving head up and down): confirming an announcement. For example, answer a phone call, start reading a message, etc.
  • Shaking no (moving head left and right): rejecting an announcement. For example, rejecting a phone call, declining a notification, etc.
Siri interactions: Control AirPods with head gestures
photo Apple

Thanks to Siri Interactions, you can respond to Siri announcements by simply nodding yes or gently shaking your head no. This is especially useful in a busy or quiet environment where you prefer not to talk out loud. This can also be useful during exercise, as you do not have to touch the AirPods or speak out loud.

Customize AirPods main gestures for Siri

  • Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad
  • Go to ‘Settings’
  • Open the Settings of your AirPods
  • Tap the ‘Main Gestures’ option
  • Enable or disable the feature
  • If necessary, change the actions linked to the main gesture
  • At the bottom you can test out the head movements

On a Mac you can consult the AirPods settings via  â–¸ System settings â–¸ Bluetooth â–¸ Click on the i button next to the AirPods â–¸ Choose ‘AirPods settings’. Adjust the desired settings.

Siri Interactions Terms and Conditions

If you want to use Siri interactions with head movements, you must meet a number of conditions.

  • Only available on AirPods Pro 2nd generation or AirPods 4th generation
  • iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia or newer must be installed on the paired iPhone, iPad or Mac
  • AirPods must have the latest firmware
  • Caller Announcement with Siri must be enabled
  • Announce messages and have Siri read out notifications must be enabled

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