If you’ve observed that the “Off” toggle is missing from your AirPods Pro settings, you’re not alone. Here’s a guide on how to restore the “Off” option for managing AirPods Pro noise control settings.
Traditionally, AirPods Pro enabled users to switch among four distinct listening modes.
- Off: Disables all noise control modes.
- Active Noise Cancellation: Utilizes outward-facing microphones to detect external sounds, which are then countered with anti-noise to eliminate those sounds before they reach you.
- Transparency Mode: Allows external sounds in so you can be aware of your surroundings.
- Adaptive Audio: Merges Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode to adjust the level of noise you experience in your headphones based on the surrounding conditions.
However, with the release of iOS 18, Apple removed the “Off” option from the default selections, so users could only see Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Adaptive Audio in the Settings app and Control Center.
As highlighted this week by Spencer Dailey on his Key Discussions blog, this alteration has caused frustration among AirPods Pro users.
Fortunately, there is a simple method to reintroduce the “Off” option to your AirPods Pro listening settings:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone
- Open the Settings app
- Select your AirPods Pro at the top of the list
- Scroll down and toggle on the “Off Listening Mode” option
After following these steps, the “Off” option will be restored, permitting you to switch between it and other noise control modes through Control Center and the Settings app.
With the launch of iOS 18.1, Apple introduced various new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2, including a hearing protection option. Tied to this update, users of AirPods Pro 2 encountered another behavioral change.
As Dailey points out in his blog post, even after re-adding the “Off” option through these steps, AirPods Pro 2 automatically switch from “Off” to Transparency mode whenever they are placed in your ears.
This behavioral change correlates with the new hearing protection feature for AirPods Pro 2. According to Apple, when the “Off” mode is enabled, “your hearing is not protected,” which likely explains the aggressive switching from “Off” to Transparency mode in iOS 18.1.
Interestingly, there is another toggle available to change this behavior.
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone
- Open the Settings app
- Select “Accessibility”
- Scroll down and tap “AirPods and Beats”
- Scroll down and select “Turn Off Loud Sound Reduction”
Once this adjustment is made, you can set your AirPods Pro to the “Off” noise control option, and it will remain in that mode until you decide to alter it. It’s important to remember that while in “Off” mode, your AirPods Pro will not attenuate harmful environmental noises.
The reasons for wanting to use the “Off” setting for AirPods Pro noise control ultimately depend on your personal preferences. Disabling all noise control options can lead to battery benefits, but naturally, many find Apple’s combination of Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode to be exceptionally effective.
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