This app makes AirPods work nice on Android

There isn’t any doubt that Apple’s AirPods are among the greatest true wi-fi earbuds out in the marketplace. They function strong fit-and-finish, a now-iconic design language, and a ton of additional audio (and even some non-audio) associated options, relying on which mannequin you spring for.

In frustratingly true Apple vogue, nonetheless, all AirPods are handled as second-class residents when paired with non-first-party {hardware}. Whether or not you are rocking an Android smartphone, a Windows PC, a ChromeBook, or perhaps a Linux laptop, a lot of the AirPods magic is misplaced in translation since these aren’t Apple-sanctioned platforms.

Certain, you may join a shiny new pair of AirPods Professional 3 to an equally shiny new OnePlus 15 handset, however you will be lacking out on such options as in-ear detection, spatial audio, automated system switching, Siri and Discover My compatibility, battery life standing updates, one-tap setup, button customization, and even the flexibility to replace the earbuds’ firmware model.

As for noise cancellation and transparency modes, whereas these important AirPods capabilities do work exterior the Apple ecosystem, they’re much more cumbersome to cycle between since there is not any devoted person interface to work with.

That is the place the free and open-source (FOSS) LibrePods app comes into the image. With its supply code accessible over on GitHub, LibrePods has been gaining some traction in latest instances (partly because of protection by Android Authority and different tech publications), because it brings a correct UI for managing most elements of the AirPods expertise.

Whereas different options like OpenPods from F-Droid have existed for a while now, LibrePods is much more highly effective. Listed below are the principle options supported by the app on the time of writing, as outlined by the developer:

• Noise management modes
• Ear detection
• Battery standing
• Head gestures
• Conversational consciousness
• Listening to Support mode
• Transparency mode customization
• Renaming operate
• Lengthy-press motion customization
• Accessibility settings

What is the catch?

On most Android units, LibrePods requires root entry

All good issues in life include a catch, and within the case of the third-party LibrePods utility for Android, there is a potential doozy to concentrate on: your phone needs to be rooted with the intention to make correct use of the app and all its capabilities.

For anybody unfamiliar, Android rooting refers back to the means of gaining elevated, privileged management (additionally known as root entry) over the working system and its varied subsystems, which elevates the person to ‘superuser’ standing in the identical vein because the default habits on Linux and different Unix-based working programs.

You’ll be able to consider rooting as being considerably akin to jailbreaking an iPhone or iPad, although the latter is concentrated totally on gaining superior administrator-level permissions with the intention to make sweeping modifications to the system. Whereas Android rooting is not as frequent at present because it was a decade or two in the past, the method itself stays pretty simple if what you are getting your self into.

Along with this base root prerequisite, LibrePods additionally requires the set up of the free and open-source Xposed framework, which, because the developer of the app factors out over on Github, is a workaround wanted because of an ongoing bug inside Android’s present Bluetooth stack.

The one silver lining is that should you’re utilizing a cellphone with ColorOS or OxygenOS 16 (the Android skins that energy Oppo and OnePlus flagships, respectively), then you do not want root entry or Xposed to unlock the fundamental suite of LibrePods options. On my OnePlus 15, for instance, I used to be capable of get the app up and working with out a hitch, although the expertise remains to be considerably hamstrung.

Superior AirPods capabilities like transparency mode, listening to help setup, and Bluetooth Multipoint do require root, even on ColorOS and OxygenOS, which places a damper on issues. As for Linux desktop customers, there is not any want to fret about rooting or fiddling round with module frameworks — the app will merely operate as it’s throughout most distros, owing to the open-ended nature of the computing platform.