Okay, I confess that I am AirPod Double Tap challenged. Somedays it works and then other days it doesn’t, with no rhyme or reason. But with a lot of frustration!
It doesn’t matter if I’m choosing Siri, Next Track, or Play/Pause or whatever the heck else is listed under “Double-Tap On AirPod.”
It just doesn’t consistently work for me. So I’m stuck with a sore ear from all that tapping AND a song that I cannot play or pause using just the AirPod.
Contents
Quick Tips 
- Tap just above the stem of the AirPods
- Try tapping your ear lobe instead of the AirPod
- A triple tap often works better than a double tap
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Unlock Your Device 
Before you do anything else, unlock your iDevice and then try your AirPod Double Tap.
When the screen is off double tapping doesn’t do a darn thing!
If your screen is asleep (black) then your iDevice is in what Apple calls a locked state. Press the Home or Power button or swipe up to awake it and unlock it.
Then try double tapping your AirPod! 
Location Matters
But there is a method to the AirPod Double Tapmadness. And it’s all about location (location, location!) Perfecting your Double Tap means you’re tapping in the correct location.
That special spot is just above the stem but below the top slit speaker. Not on the stem or above that speaker.
It takes some patience and a little time but the payoff is consistent AirPod Double Tap return.
So follow the mantra “practice makes perfect.”
Try your ear lobe instead!
One of our readers suggests tapping on the back of your ear instead of on the AirPod itself.
For us, it works like a charm!
How’s it Work?
The AirPod Double Tap works using a built-in motion accelerometer. This accelerometer allows the AirPod to know when you tap it twice to activate Siri, Play/Pause, Next or Previous Track, or Off (depending on how you set-up it up.)
Your AirPods feature some amazing tech in such a small package.
Choose Your Double Tap Function
It’s very important to know what the double tap does.
To set your AirPods’ double tap functionality, open your AirPods case or place one in your ear and go to Settings > Bluetooth > Your AirPods and tap the “i” next to your AirPods name.
Locate the section DOUBLE-TAP ON AIRPODS and choose the options you want. For folks using iOS 10, your options are limited to Siri, Play/Pause, or Off.
This sets the default for both the left and right AirPods.
iOS 11+ AirPod Additional Double Tap Options for Left AND Right!
For folks using iOS 11 and higher, you have some additional options for Next Track and Previous Track as well as Siri, Play/Pause, and Off.
And you can set the left AirPod with a different function than the right AirPod.
For example, you set your Right AirPod’s Double Tap to Play/Pause while your left AirPod’s Double Tap advances to the Next Track or invokes Siri.
This additional functionality is a nice added touch to iOS!
But Size Doesn’t Matter
You heard it here. Just because your AirPods are small doesn’t mean they are brittle or fragile. Don’t treat them with kid-gloves; use a firm tap, not a light pat.
Double tap with a bit of force like when you are tapping numbers into a calculator or playing piano keys.
Go ahead and tap your AirPods that firmly. In my attempts to get this right, I learned that I needed to tap a lot harder to get steady results.
So tap harder than you think necessary, and you’ll probably get better, more consistent results.
Wouldn’t it be great if Apple added a sensitivity selector, similar to the 3D Touch Sensitivity Selector, with options for light, medium, and firm tapping?
That way none of us would need “schooled” on how to do the AirPod Double Tap.
Awesome Reader Tips! 
- Reader Sean suggests tapping on the back of your ear just above the lobe, instead of on the AirPod itself. He’s had great success using this method so why not give it a try and see if it works for you!
- James has a different solution. Just triple tap your Airpods instead of double tapping. For James, this works every time!
For most of her professional life, Amanda Elizabeth (Liz for short) trained all sorts of folks on how to use media as a tool to tell their own unique stories. She knows a thing or two about teaching others and creating how-to guides!
Her clients include Edutopia, Scribe Video Center, Third Path Institute, Bracket, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Big Picture Alliance.
Elizabeth received her Master of Fine Arts degree in media making from Temple University, where she also taught undergrads as an adjunct faculty member in their department of Film and Media Arts.
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Ryan says
June 22, 2019 at 5:21 PMHuge shout out to reader James! the double tap only worked 10% of the time. The earlobe worked even less frequently. BUT THE TRIPLE TAP WORKS 90%+! Thanks for the post!
Christine says
June 16, 2019 at 5:50 AMThank you for pointing out your iPod has to be unlocked!
leslie Prieto Liz says
April 30, 2019 at 1:33 PMI DID LEARN HOW TO DOUBLE TAP LOL THANK YOU!
Howard Brazee says
April 27, 2019 at 10:13 AMSometimes it doesn’t do the *right* command.
I have my left AirPod set to pause music.
I tried it today when I wanted to talk with people.
Three times it switched songs, so I took it out of my ear.
When I got done talking, I put the AirPod back in my ear and it tested it. It worked the way I have it set up!!!
The other day nothing at all happened.
I then noticed that I didn’t have my iPhone with me, which I always take with me, so my music must be stored on my Apple Watch.
I wonder how much of my music is stored there.
I got Apple Music when I got my HomePod, which may have something to do with it, but almost always use my own music.
When doing my walk, I try radio stations which seem very flakey, especially when I move away from Wi-Fi.
SK says
April 27, 2019 at 10:46 AMHi Howard,
Yes! You are not alone in the AirPods sometimes not performing the correct command with the double tap.
It happens to me occasionally.
If it occurs a lot, I recommend repairing your AirPods to your iPhone (or whatever device you use.)
To answer the question about Music downloaded and stored on your Apple Watch, it is indeed confusing!
1) If you subscribe to Apple Music (the paid subscription service) then your watch automatically downloads certain music to your watch–listed by categories like Favorites, Chill, New Music, and maybe Heavy Rotation. iOS and watchOS automatically determine what to download to your watch–and it changes at least once a week, based on what you’re actively listening to during the week.
2) If you don’t subscribe to Apple Music, your watch still has some downloaded music on it listed as Heavy Rotation. If toggled, on music is downloaded to your device based on your listening patterns automatically and refreshes weekly (or so)
Depending on your watch series, you may be limited to 2GB total for music on your Watch. The latest series seems to offer more music storage than 2GB but there is no clear guidance from Apple on the top limit for music on the Series 4.
To manually manage the music downloaded to your Apple Watch
1. Open the Watch App on your iPhone
2. Tap Music
3. Toggle off Heavy Rotation or any other toggles
4. Tap Add Music
5. Choose the songs you want downloaded to your watch
6. Tap to add
7. To sync, put your Apple watch on its charger–only then will the music download to your watch
Brett says
April 20, 2019 at 6:05 AMMy issue: It seems my double tap won’t work to pause. But it will work to play again.
I’ll have to hit ‘pause’ on my phone, but then when I double tap, it will start playing again.
I’ve been able to unpair and then pair again to get the initial double tap to start working again, but I’d rather not have to do that every time!
Bob Stein says
April 19, 2019 at 12:32 PMMan this was helpful. Articles like this will definitely avoid um delay the robot apocalypse.
Discovered these great AirPody features by accident:
Take it out: PAUSE
Put it back: PLAY
Wish this was in the double-tap feature list: REWIND 15 SECONDS.
Bob Stein says
April 19, 2019 at 12:36 PMHoly Earache Batman! “Previous Track” ALREADY IS “Rewind 15 Seconds” listening to a podcast! (With Outcast anyway.)
David Fortin says
March 29, 2019 at 2:53 PMI have a different issue.
I will double tap and my music will play for a split second and stop.
I have to double tap again to get it to play continuously.
any ideas in this?
kinda like the first set of taps wakes it up, then the second set of taps plays.
SK says
March 30, 2019 at 7:45 AMHi David,
It sounds like your AirPods are detecting multiple double taps–so they start playing and then think you want to pause. You only need to tap 2 times total–so just one set of 2 taps. There is sometimes a short delay between tapping twice and the action you want (like pause/play in your example.)
Does this happen when you double tap on either AirPod or just the right or left? You might want to change the play/pause double tap to the other AirPod (so if it’s currently on the right ear, change it to the left) and see if the issue resolves or remains.
Try temporarily changing the double tap setting to something else (like next track) and see if it works as expected.
If so, change the setting back to play/pause and try it out again.
Also, try the reader trick of tapping twice on the back on your ear–this seems to work the best!
Aaron Sainvil says
March 18, 2019 at 11:46 AMThe tapping of your ear actually works really well. Not sure if there was an update or anything, but you can use double tap while your phone is locked.
Madison Every says
February 28, 2019 at 12:45 PMHi! This comment may not be seen, but I have another solution!
If your AirPods on one ear won’t do the double tap, go into settings>Bluetooth> then tap the i in a circle and press forget device.
I did this once and it worked. To reconnect it put the AirPods back in the case and open the lid and it should say connect.
James says
July 5, 2018 at 12:26 AMAnother solution: triple tapping instead of double tapping works every time
Peterson says
May 21, 2018 at 10:53 AMTapping on the back of ear works! Thanks
Peg Lorenzon says
May 21, 2018 at 10:53 AMGreat tip – tapping on back of ear above lobe really works much more consistently and does not make my ear sore! Thank you!
CP says
March 22, 2018 at 8:03 PMThe back of the ear trick was a good suggestion, works far better than on the AirPods themselves.
Thanks!
Sean says
February 26, 2018 at 7:08 PMFYI, tapping on the back of your ear just above the lobe gives a pretty reliable response. That way you don’t have to tap directly on the AirPod. Seems to work better for me this way.
SK says
February 27, 2018 at 10:15 AMHi Sean,
Thanks for sharing that tip! We’ll add it in.
Liz
jb says
April 1, 2018 at 6:50 AMyou’re a genius!
SK says
April 1, 2018 at 10:31 AMAgreed!
SK
piichi says
April 1, 2019 at 10:18 AMHow the heck did you even find out about this?!
Husband was getting frustrated with double tap and came across this article and only when I reached the part about your tip did it work for him.
Thanks 😀
Andrea says
February 15, 2018 at 1:03 AMHa! I’ve worked it out! Thanks so much for this!
Riea says
February 2, 2018 at 7:52 AMThank you!!! I wasn’t tapping hard enough or fast enough. Now it works every time! 😀
SK says
February 2, 2018 at 11:05 AMyayyy!! We cant wait to see the next series of Airpods. Hopefully they make it easier for doubletap and other gestures.
Artsygart says
January 10, 2018 at 6:46 PMThank you but not the full story I was tapping on the magic spot 🙂 but not really getting anywhere guess I was tapping to slowly has to be a quick tap tap if you tap to slowly I think it interprets it as just you touching your ear or something try it it works every time. I could be wrong but it also doesn’t seem to be in the magic spot obviously not too far away from it but it seems like an almost tap the little microphone and below it a little anyway – give it a try
Lea says
January 5, 2018 at 7:57 AMThanks this helped! I’ve been “tapping” – turns out all i needed to do was tap a lot harder!!
Tecsi says
December 27, 2017 at 9:50 AMYes, sensitivity adjustment makes sense. Probably 98% of people have to learn that it is a double rap, not a double touch
Wolf says
December 15, 2017 at 5:57 AMThank you -this helped a lot!
James Q says
November 9, 2017 at 5:19 PMThanks. I was struggling too!
Elizabeth says
November 10, 2017 at 2:45 AMGlad I’m not alone!
Liz
Anthony says
November 5, 2017 at 11:41 AMThank you! I couldn’t figure out how to get the double tap to work!
Sparkle says
October 11, 2017 at 1:12 PMI have the exact same problem ; while this helped me understand this better ; am still unable to make the double tap work ; no matter how firmly or where I tap its determined to not work !
Mark Glackin says
February 21, 2019 at 4:35 PMNever worked for me BUT, just realized, it seems that the phone has to be unlocked. It works now.
David Fortin says
March 29, 2019 at 2:55 PMbut having your phone unlocked constantly will put a big strain on the battery…. right?