iOS 16.1 Beta Lets You Disable AirPods Pro 2 Touch Volume Control - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iOS 16.1 Beta Lets You Disable AirPods Pro 2 Touch Volume Control

In the iOS 16.1 beta, Apple is giving users of the second-generation AirPods Pro the ability to disable touch controls for volume.

airpods pro 2
One feature of the new AirPods Pro is that users can increase or decrease volume by swiping up or down on the touch sensors on the individual stems. While some users may find the feature convenient, others may not. On iOS 16.0.2, the current public release of iOS 16, users cannot disable touch controls for volume.

ios16
In the iOS 16.1 beta, there is a new toggle inside the Accessibility page for the second-generation AirPods Pro to enable or disable touch controls for volume. As before, users can customize the press-and-hold functionality of the AirPods Pro stems, including to switch among Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Off, or to invoke Siri.

iOS 16.1 is available for developers and members of Apple's public beta program, with a public release expected in October. In addition to the new toggle for the AirPods Pro, iOS 16.1 will include changes to the battery indicator and more.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

Sony WF 1000XM6 vs AirPods Pro 3 Thumb 2

AirPods Pro 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM6: Which Flagship Earbuds Should You Buy?

Tuesday April 21, 2026 9:44 am PDT by
Sony refreshed its earbuds earlier this year, introducing the $330 WF-1000XM6 earbuds to compete with the $249 AirPods Pro 3 that came out last September. We compared Sony's new earbuds with Apple's latest model to see which is better. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Sony's XM6 earbuds are smaller than the AirPods Pro 3 because there's no stem, but the in-ear fit...
airpods pro 3 glitter blue

What to Expect From the Next AirPods Pro, Launching as Soon as This Year

Wednesday April 22, 2026 2:34 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro, which could come as soon as this year. The AirPods are expected to be a variant of the current AirPods Pro, which suggests they won't be called the AirPods Pro 4. Cameras Multiple sources have said Apple is developing AirPods Pro that have tiny infrared cameras. The cameras won't be used to take photos or videos like an iPhone camera,...
airpods pro 3 design

'AirPods Ultra' Rumored to Feature a Major Upgrade Over AirPods Pro

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
In a social media post this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to release new AirPods with cameras "for Siri." Last month, Gurman said these AirPods will likely be priced above the current AirPods Pro 3, which Apple sells for $249. As a result, he said Apple is likely considering using "AirPods Ultra" branding for the camera-equipped AirPods. "AirPods Ultra"...

Top Rated Comments

Sydnxt Avatar
47 months ago

That’s tells you all you need to know about that “feature”.
Options are good; that's all this is.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PinkyMacGodess Avatar
47 months ago

I wonder if it's your sleeves or cuffs making that accidental swipe.
That is why I wear my watch on the left wrist configured with the crown to the left. My gloves for yard work and weight training were playing havoc with that volume function, and also pushing on the crown too, most distracting. I was overjoyed to find out that I could set it up this way and avoid it happening. It works so well in winter too. Not having that option, I could have seen dropping the AW.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
47 months ago

Anyone know how much the volume is changed by a single full swipe up or down, 10%, 25%, …?
The exact same amount as by the iPhone volume buttons.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
47 months ago

You can? Also I do it by mistake ALL THE TIME. I don’t know how but I always manage to somehow adjust the volume from my watch, either all the way down or up. Happens to my echos plying music or my AirPods
I wonder if it's your sleeves or cuffs making that accidental swipe.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
47 months ago

Apple should make other features available not this one....here we just dont swipe if we dont want to adjust the volume from the airpods themselves. In 2 days i never from mistake swipe and adjust the volume while trying to do different things
Not sure I fully agree with this. There can be some differently abled users who have a hard time not accidentally changing the volume of their pods when trying to remove or put in the pod. I see it as good to have the option to disable swipe volume control.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
47 months ago
16.1 Beta 2 will let you disable the more frequent noise cancellation, the better sound driver, the U1 chip on the case together with the speakers. /s
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Motoring | Business | News | Reviews | Ipad