Do AirPods Work with Android?

By Suraj Giri, reviewed by Suraj Giri on September 26, 2026
Published September 26, 2026. 5 min read.

Yes. AirPods work with Android phones as a Bluetooth headset: you can listen and talk, but you can't use Siri. Features that rely on an Apple Account, such as automatic switching, only work between Apple devices.

Apple's own AirPods guide has a page for this: "You can use AirPods as a Bluetooth® headset with a non-Apple device." On an Android phone they pair and connect like any other Bluetooth headphones, so the difference between pairing and connecting Bluetooth headphones applies to them too: you pair once, then they reconnect from the saved list. The limits are Apple features that Apple documents only for its own devices.

For step-by-step pairing on Samsung, Pixel and other Android phones, plus fixes when it fails, use How to Connect AirPods to Android. This page answers what works once they're paired.

Open white earbud case with two earbuds beside a dark smartphone on a wooden kitchen table in morning light — Earbuds and a phone from different brands, side by side on the kitchen table. Illustration: Gadget247News, generated with Runway

What Works and What Doesn't on Android

The table compares AirPods on an iPhone and on an Android phone, feature by feature. "Not listed" means Apple's support page for that feature names only Apple devices; Apple doesn't say it fails on Android, and it doesn't document Android use either.

Feature	On iPhone	On Android	Source
Listening and calls	Yes	Yes	Apple: non-Apple device guide
Siri	Yes	No: "You can't use Siri"	Apple: non-Apple device guide
Automatic switching	Yes, between Apple devices on the same Apple Account	Not listed	Apple: Switch your AirPods
Live Translation	iPhone 15 Pro or later with iOS 26 or later and Apple Intelligence turned on	Not listed	Apple: Live Translation
Hearing Aid (AirPods Pro 2 and 3)	iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later; also a Mac with macOS Sequoia or later	Not listed	Apple: feature availability
Personalized Spatial Audio setup	iPhone with iOS 16 or later and the TrueDepth camera	Not listed	Apple: Personalized Spatial Audio
Battery level on the phone	Settings, then Bluetooth, then your AirPods	Not documented; the case light still works	Apple: Charge your AirPods
Firmware updates	Automatic while charging, near an iPhone, iPad or Mac on Wi-Fi	Not listed	Apple: firmware updates

Sound and calls are the parts Apple confirms for Android. Everything else in the table is an Apple-device feature on Apple's own pages.

Automatic switching is the clearest example. Apple says AirPods 2, 3 and 4, all AirPods Pro and all AirPods Max "can switch automatically between your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro," when each device is signed in to the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication. An Android phone isn't on that list, so you move AirPods to it by selecting them in its Bluetooth settings.

Which AirPods Work With Android?

Every AirPods model pairs with Android. Apple's page for non-Apple devices gives pairing steps for AirPods 1, 2 and 3, AirPods Pro 1 and 2, AirPods 4 and 5, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max. Only the pairing-mode control changes by model: a setup button on the older cases, a double-tap on the front of the newer ones, and the listening mode button on AirPods Max.

How to Pair AirPods With an Android Phone

Apple's steps for an Android phone take three moves:

Turn on Bluetooth. On Android, Apple's guide says to "go to Settings, tap Connections, then tap Bluetooth."
Put the AirPods in pairing mode. With the AirPods in the case and the lid open, hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 5 seconds (AirPods 1 to 3, AirPods Pro 1 and 2), double-tap the front of the open case (AirPods 4 and 5, AirPods Pro 3), or hold the listening mode button for about 5 seconds (AirPods Max), until the status light flashes white.
Select the AirPods when they appear in the list of Bluetooth devices.

After that first pairing, Google says Android devices "can connect automatically." Model-specific steps and fixes are in the Android connection guide linked above.

Path diagram: on the Android phone open Settings, then Connections, then Bluetooth; put the AirPods in pairing mode; then select your AirPods in the list of Bluetooth devices. — Apple's three steps for pairing AirPods with an Android phone, from the AirPods User Guide. Diagram: Gadget247News

Can You See AirPods Battery on Android?

Apple's battery page doesn't give a way to see AirPods battery on an Android phone. It lists checks "with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or on your charging case." The charging case is the check that doesn't need an Apple device: look at its status light. Apple says "Green means fully charged, and amber means that less than one full charge remains."

Do the AirPods Controls Work on Android?

Apple's page for non-Apple devices doesn't say which controls work on Android. It confirms only that you "can listen and talk" and doesn't list any press, tap or swipe controls. What each press, tap and swipe does is covered in our guide to AirPods controls.

Can You Update AirPods Firmware From Android?

No Android method is documented. Apple's update page says "Firmware updates are delivered automatically while your AirPods are charging and in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi." That page lists only iPhone, iPad and Mac as update devices and doesn't describe any way to update AirPods from Android. If you can borrow one of those devices, Apple's steps are to connect the AirPods to it over Bluetooth, put it on Wi-Fi, connect the charging case to power, close the AirPods in the case within Bluetooth range, then "Wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update."

If AirPods Won't Work With Your Android Phone

When AirPods won't pair or connect to an Android phone, the checks are the same as for other earbuds, plus one more if you also use them with an iPhone or iPad.

Why Won't My AirPods Connect to Android?

Check three things: pairing mode, an iPhone or iPad they're still paired with, and the Android phone's saved list. Put them back in pairing mode first. If they pair with an iPhone or iPad but not your Android phone, Apple's advice for that case is to "Unpair the accessory from your other devices." If they never appear in the list, the guide to earbuds not showing up in Bluetooth covers every cause. If they're saved, touch and hold Bluetooth and select them under "Saved devices". The Android connection guide has the AirPods fixes in order.

What About an Apple Watch?

An Apple Watch doesn't work the same way. Apple's setup page says "To set up Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, you need an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later," and Apple Watch SE 3 also needs an iPhone 11 or later. The full answer to can You Use an Apple Watch with Android explains the options.

AirPods and Android: Quick Answers

Do AirPods work with Samsung phones? Yes. Galaxy phones run Android, so everything above applies. The Bluetooth path Apple gives for Android is Settings, then Connections, then Bluetooth.

Do AirPods sound worse on Android? None of the Apple pages we read compares AirPods sound on iPhone and Android. Apple's page for non-Apple devices promises listening and calls, nothing more specific. How Bluetooth audio formats differ between phones is covered in Bluetooth Codecs Explained: AAC, aptX and LDAC.