AirPods work with Android, but some caveats might have you thinking twice about using them. You can connect every model of AirPods to practically any device that supports Bluetooth audio. However, some features only work on iOS, potentially making using the headphones with non-Apple devices a more barebones experience.
What AirPods features don’t work with Android?
The basic functions of AirPods work with Android. So, they’ll playback audio as expected, and the mics work. However, things like seamless switching between devices, ear detection, easy battery detection, and pairing don’t work. You also can’t use Google Assistant with them without third-party software.
The biggest pain when using them with Android is that you can’t see how much battery each earbud has or how much charge the case has left. Most phones will give a general battery percentage, but that’s all you have to go on to know when you need to charge them.
If possible, Android users would be better served grabbing some headphones built with that operating system in mind, like:
All of the above earbuds have an Android app available and don’t have reduced functionality when connected to a non-iOS device.
