The quickest way to disable noise cancelling

Open Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Press and hold the volume slider until you see audio options appear. Tap the noise control icon — it looks like a circle with sound waves — and select Off. The icon cycles through three modes: Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and Off. Tap it once or twice until Off appears.

On AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and newer, you can also press and hold the stem of either earbud for about two seconds to cycle through the same three modes. This works without opening your phone.

On older AirPods Pro (1st generation), press and hold the force sensor on either earbud to toggle between Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency only — these models do not have an Off setting built into the physical button, so you must use Control Center to disable noise cancelling entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Control Center on your iPhone or iPad is the most reliable way to turn noise cancelling off on any AirPods model.
  • AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and newer let you press and hold the stem to cycle through Off, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency without touching your phone.
  • AirPods Pro (1st generation) do not have an Off button on the earbud itself — you must use Control Center.
  • Once you turn noise cancelling off, it stays off until you change it again, even if you remove and reinsert the earbuds.

Using Control Center on iPhone and iPad

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (iPhone X and newer) or up from the bottom (iPhone 8 and earlier). Look for the audio or volume card. Press and hold the volume slider until the full audio menu expands. You will see the noise control icon — a circle with concentric sound waves. Tap it to cycle through your options.

The order is always Active Noise Cancelling, then Transparency, then Off. Tap once to move to the next mode. When Off is highlighted, noise cancelling is disabled. Your AirPods will now pick up all ambient sound without filtering.

Using Control Center on Mac

Click the Control Center icon in the top-right corner of your menu bar. Look for the audio or sound card. Click the noise control icon and select Off from the dropdown menu. On Mac, the menu shows all three options at once, so you can select Off directly without cycling through.

If you do not see a noise control option in Control Center, make sure your AirPods are connected to your Mac. Open System Settings, go to Bluetooth, and confirm your AirPods appear in the list.

What happens when you turn noise cancelling off

When noise cancelling is off, your AirPods stop actively filtering sound. You will hear your environment — traffic, voices, background noise — at normal volume. This is different from Transparency mode, which amplifies ambient sound so you can hear your surroundings while still wearing the earbuds.

Turning noise cancelling off does not drain your battery faster or slower than using it. The power consumption is roughly the same across all three modes. Your AirPods will remember your last setting, so if you turn off noise cancelling and then remove the earbuds, they will stay in Off mode the next time you put them in.

Troubleshooting when noise cancelling won't turn off

If the noise control icon does not appear in Control Center, your AirPods may not be connected. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap Bluetooth, and look for your AirPods in the list. If they show as connected but the icon is still missing, try disconnecting and reconnecting them.

On older AirPods models (AirPods 2, AirPods 3, or AirPods Max), noise cancelling may not be available at all. Only AirPods Pro models have active noise cancelling. If you have a different model and do not see noise control options, this is normal — your earbuds do not support the feature.

If noise cancelling turns back on by itself, check whether you have Automatic Switching enabled. This feature can switch your AirPods between devices and sometimes resets audio settings. Go to Settings, tap Bluetooth, select your AirPods, and turn off Automatic Switching if you want to keep noise cancelling off permanently.

Keeping noise cancelling off by default

AirPods do not have a setting to make Off the permanent default mode. Each time you connect your AirPods to a new device, they may start in Active Noise Cancelling mode. You will need to turn it off manually using Control Center or the stem button.

If you use the same device most of the time, your AirPods will remember the last mode you selected on that device. So if you turn off noise cancelling on your iPhone and then disconnect and reconnect later, they should stay in Off mode. This memory does not carry over to other devices — your iPad or Mac may remember a different setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off noise cancelling without opening Control Center?

Yes, if you have AirPods Pro (2nd generation) or newer. Press and hold the stem of either earbud for about two seconds to cycle through the modes. Older AirPods Pro (1st generation) only cycle between Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency, so you must use Control Center to reach Off.

What is the difference between Off and Transparency mode?

Off means noise cancelling is completely disabled and your AirPods play sound normally. Transparency mode actively amplifies ambient sound so you can hear your environment clearly while still wearing the earbuds. Transparency uses more processing power than Off.

Will turning off noise cancelling make my battery last longer?

No. Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and Off all use roughly the same amount of battery power. The difference in battery life between modes is negligible. Your battery drain depends more on volume level and how long you wear them.

Do I have to turn off noise cancelling every time I put my AirPods in?

No. Once you turn noise cancelling off on a device, your AirPods remember that setting for that device. The next time you connect to the same iPhone or iPad, they should stay in Off mode unless you change it.

Why does my noise cancelling turn back on when I switch devices?

Each device remembers its own audio settings for your AirPods. Your iPhone might be set to Off, but your iPad could be set to Active Noise Cancelling. When you switch devices, the settings change to match what you last set on that device.