Yes, you can use AirPods on planes. The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) has cleared Apple’s wireless headphones on aircraft, with some stipulations.
The FAA is one of two organizations that certify airlines and their equipment for safety. As approved by the federal government, AirPods are permitted to be used on all domestic flights in both ears during all phases of flight (taxiing, ground operations, takeoff, and landing).
They will not work while the plane is at cruising altitude because Bluetooth devices continuously transmit information even when not in use, which could interfere with communication systems inside the aircraft.
AirPods can be used at altitudes lower than ten thousand feet and must remain on at all times in the cockpit. Because of the nature of the technology, AirPods will not work in a portable device such as an iPhone or Android phone while in flight, nor on airplane WiFi.
While AirPods are approved for air travel, they are not endorsed by Apple and should be used only at your own risk. Using AirPods on planes could result in serious injury if the device is dropped or damaged during flight or is exposed to water.
Customers’ safety riding airplanes is paramount, and Apple takes each AirPod incident seriously.
The Pros And Cons of AirPods and Air travel
There are some good and bad things about using AirPods on planes.
The biggest con to using them on a plane is that you can’t use them during takeoff and landing. During those phases of the flight, electronic devices must be turned off. You can’t do anything except prepare for takeoff and landing.
It’s a lot harder with AirPods since they aren’t wired earbuds, so you have to hold your phone in your hands to control music or podcast playback. Fortunately, the battery life of AirPods lasts up to five hours.
Before you fly with AirPods, follow all instructions from your airline. Also, ensure you have all the specific safety information and phone/device details needed.
They are eligible for use on domestic flights, but not international flights (outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) or for private jets that may exceed this height limit.
Using AirPods on plane TV
Can I use my airpods for watching onboard entertainment?
Apple AirPods are designed for listening to music and making phone calls. The pairing behavior is probably set to only accept a single connection at a time. It should not be possible to pair with two computers, two phones, or two audio devices simultaneously (I wouldn’t even try it).
It is a general limitation of Bluetooth, not of AirPods in particular.
However, it would be possible to turn off the music from the first device you listen to and then pair and listen on another device. But I don’t know if this works with all music apps on both devices in all cases.
AirPods Pro or Max For Noise Canceling?
The AirPods come with a feature called noise canceling. AirPods must connect to the same device (device, Mac, or PC) for this to work.
However, if you are already listening to music on your iPhone, it may not work immediately when you try to pair them with another device such as a Mac or PC.
AirPod technology and latency
The AirPods must have good sound quality. They use a total of 24 bits, so they have high-quality sound and clear bass. The latency is less than 40 milliseconds, making it possible to watch videos. The headphones have the AAC H4S technology for high-resolution audio, which gives better quality than regular bluetooth headphones or speakers.
Even though the AirPods are small, they are made to be used for two years before they are replaced. To get this kind of service life out of standard earbuds or headphones, you would need to pay at least $50 or $60 if you were to buy them in a store today.
Using the aircraft WiFi network or App-less AirPod deactivation (a.k.a. remote muting)
You can use the AirPod pairing button on your iPhone or iPad to completely turn off both earbuds if you have paired them and want to prevent others from listening to music temporarily.
You need to check whether the airline you are traveling with allows you to use AirPods and how they have regulated AirPods on a plane. It is the way to follow and get yourself full knowledge of aircraft regulations and the rule of using AirPods on board.
Are Apple Airpods good, or should I use another Bluetooth device?
Apple AirPods are good if you want cordless Bluetooth headphones that you can use during sports, on the road, and at home. They are incredibly convenient, easy to use, and reliable.
How To Connect AirPods
Connecting your AirPods to a non-apple device is quite tricky.
1. Connecting AirPods to Apple Devices
Connecting AirPods to Apple devices is easy. You have to open the Airpods case and enable Bluetooth on your Apple device, and you are good to go.
2. Connecting AirPods to Android
If you prefer to use Airpods with your Android phone, this guide will teach you how to connect Airpods with Android phones in a quick way. You can pair your AirPods with an android phone using Bluetooth or using NFC if the latter is possible in your situation. You can also connect them as regular headphones and not worry about pairing at all!
To do any of these methods, make sure that the connected device has Bluetooth or NFC.
It is a straightforward step, but make sure that you have the latest version of AirPods that can support Android phones. It is an update for all the earphones running the latest iOS.
For Android, you need an updated Google Play Store, here’s a step-by-step solution.
- Go to settings
- Open about phone
- And then system update.
Ensure that you have a good charge on your phone, especially using the NFC connection method.
Now, you’re ready to start connecting AirPods with your Android device. Note that these instructions are for using Bluetooth. Still, if you have other existing wireless connection methods available, such as NFC or Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0), these will be used instead of the pairing mentioned above.
If you’re confused on how many laptops can you take on a plane, here’s a guide i wrote to help you solve the problem