How to Change Which AirPod Has the Microphone

To choose the AirPod used as your microphone, wear your AirPods and connect them to your iPhone. Open Settings > your AirPods' name > Microphone, then select Always Left AirPod, Always Right AirPod, or Automatically Switch AirPods. If Microphone is not visible, open Audio & Routing first.

Each AirPod has a microphone. Automatic selection lets either earbud handle your voice, while a fixed left or right selection keeps that earbud assigned as the microphone—even if you remove it from your ear or put it in the case. That last detail matters when you usually wear only one AirPod.

In this guide

• Choose left, right, or automatic microphone selection.
• Find the setting on iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
• Compare the two sides using the same call or recording app.
• Separate earbud selection from audio input and Mic Mode.
• Fix missing settings, weak audio, or an unexpected microphone.
• Restore automatic selection when finished.

What each choice does

Apple's AirPods settings guide documents the three choices and the behavior of a fixed microphone selection.

Automatically Switch AirPods

Either AirPod can act as the microphone. With only one in use, that AirPod handles the microphone. Everyday use, especially if you alternate ears.

Always Left AirPod

Assigns the left AirPod as the microphone, including when it is removed or returned to the case. Comparing microphone performance or consistently using the left side.

Always Right AirPod

Assigns the right AirPod as the microphone with the same fixed-side behavior. Comparing performance or consistently using the right side. Automatic is a sensible starting point for most people. A fixed side can be useful when one microphone sounds clearer, but it does not repair a damaged microphone or guarantee balanced battery wear.

These instructions cover AirPods earbuds and AirPods Pro. AirPods Max does not have separate left and right earbuds to select in this way. Android and Windows connection settings are also outside the Apple-device earbud-selection methods below.

Before changing the microphone

Make sure your AirPods are paired, connected, and have enough charge. Wear them while opening their settings, as Apple instructs. If you own more than one pair, check the displayed name so you edit the pair you are actually using.

If you intend to compare the two microphones, keep both AirPods available and charged. Testing a forced left microphone while that AirPod is across the room or out of charge will not tell you whether the right microphone is working normally.

You do not need to change the double-tap action, press-and-hold gesture, or Automatic Ear Detection to choose a microphone. Those controls have different jobs.

Change the microphone on iPhone or iPad

1. Wear your AirPods and connect them to the device. Open Settings after the connection is established. If they are still connected to another device, connect them to this iPhone or iPad first.
2. Tap your AirPods' name near the top of Settings. This opens the settings for the connected pair. Check the name if you have multiple pairs nearby.
3. Open Microphone. On a newer interface where that option is not shown directly, tap Audio & Routing, then Microphone.
4. Choose the microphone behavior. Tap Always Left AirPod, Always Right AirPod, or Automatically Switch AirPods. The chosen setting should be indicated in the menu.
5. Return to the call or recording app you want to use. Make sure that app is using the AirPods as its audio input, then check whether your voice is captured as expected.

On an older interface, the route may be Settings > Bluetooth > the More Info button, shown as a circled i, beside your connected AirPods. Open Microphone from that pair's settings. The Bluetooth route and the AirPods name at the top of Settings lead to the pair's controls; they are not separate microphone preferences.

If the selected earbud is removed, do not assume the other side automatically takes over while Always Left or Always Right remains selected. Return to Automatically Switch AirPods when you want flexible one-ear use.

Change the microphone on a Mac

Apple's AirPods user guide also provides the Mac route:

1. Wear your AirPods and connect them to the Mac. Confirm you are using the intended pair rather than another nearby headset.
2. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings. Click the AirPods' name in the sidebar; you may need to scroll down.
3. Click Microphone. If it is not visible, open Audio & Routing first.
4. Choose Automatically Switch AirPods, Always Left AirPod, or Always Right AirPod. Check that the intended choice is selected.
5. Review the microphone in the app you are using. A meeting or recording app may have an input selector of its own. Choose the AirPods there if you want this earbud preference to affect that app's recording.

This procedure chooses the microphone within the AirPods pair. The separate System Settings > Sound > Input panel chooses which audio device the Mac uses. Selecting the built-in Mac microphone in Sound does not change Always Left to Always Right; it selects a different microphone device altogether.

Compare the left and right microphones

A controlled comparison is more useful than changing several settings at once. This is a suggested check you can perform, not a claim that these AirPods have been tested for you.

1. Choose a quiet place and one app. Use the same recording app or a call with a person who agrees to help. Confirm its input is the AirPods, and make sure it is not muted.
2. Select Always Left AirPod. Keep the left AirPod in its normal position. Record a short phrase or ask the other person how clearly they hear it.
3. Select Always Right AirPod. Repeat the same phrase at a similar volume and distance, in the same room and app.
4. Compare the results. If one side is consistently clearer, you can temporarily keep that side selected while checking the other earbud for charge, debris, or a service issue.
5. Restore Automatically Switch AirPods if both sides work adequately. This is especially helpful when you alternate between wearing the left and right earbud.

Do not assume every recording app uses the AirPods just because audio plays through them. Verify the input device first. Otherwise, both clips may have used your phone or computer microphone and tell you nothing about the earbuds.

For example, if the left microphone sounds clear but the right sounds muffled under the same conditions, Always Left may provide a temporary workaround. If both sound clear in one app but fail in a meeting app, investigate the meeting app's input, mute, and permission controls before concluding that both AirPods are damaged.

Understand the three different microphone settings

Several Apple controls use similar words. Separating them prevents a common troubleshooting mistake.

AirPods Microphone: left, right, or automatic

Which earbud supplies the microphone when the AirPods are used as input.

Audio Input or Mac Sound Input

Which device supplies the microphone, such as AirPods, iPhone, or the computer's built-in microphone.

Mic Mode: Standard, Voice Isolation, Wide Spectrum, or Automatic

How the supported app processes your voice and background sound.

Automatic Ear Detection

Playback behavior when you put on or remove the AirPods.

Left/Right under gesture settings

What tapping or holding an earbud does, such as using Siri or changing a listening mode. Automatic Mic Mode is therefore different from Automatically Switch AirPods. One changes voice processing; the other changes which earbud can supply the microphone.

If you meant to change a tap or hold action, use our AirPods gesture settings guide instead.

Use another microphone when the app supports it

Changing left to right does not choose the iPhone's microphone. For that task, use an audio-input selector where your software and app provide one.

On iPhone or iPad

Apple documents a separate audio-input selection in Control Center when multiple audio devices are connected:

1. Start the supported call or recording. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner as described in Apple's instructions.
2. Tap the controls for the active app. This may be shown as [App] Controls, with the app's name.
3. Find Audio Input and tap the current device. Choose the microphone device you want from the available list.
4. Check the result in that app. Confirm your voice is captured from the intended device and that playback still goes where you want it.

If the iPhone microphone is offered, you can choose it there. Availability depends on the connected devices, software, and app. Do not assume an older iPhone interface or every third-party app exposes identical choices, or that selecting another input will preserve AirPods playback in every situation.

Older forum answers that say this is never possible should not be treated as current, universal guidance. Likewise, a workaround involving FaceTime screen sharing is not necessary evidence that the same procedure applies to a normal phone call.

On Mac

To use the Mac's microphone while listening through AirPods, review the two device selectors separately:

1. Open System Settings > Sound > Input. Select the available built-in microphone or another microphone you intend to use.
2. Open Sound > Output. Select the AirPods for playback if that is your intended output.
3. Check the meeting or recording app's audio settings. Choose the same input and output there if it has independent device selectors.
4. Make a brief check in that app. Keep the selected microphone close enough to capture your voice clearly.

Apple documents Mac input settings and output settings separately. This does not guarantee that an input choice will remain locked across every future reconnection or app launch. Recheck the active device if the behavior changes.

Troubleshoot missing or poor microphone audio

The AirPods name or Microphone option is missing

Wear the AirPods, confirm they are connected to the device whose Settings you opened, and check that you selected the correct pair. Try the Bluetooth More Info route if the name is not near the top of Settings. On the newer AirPods interface, check Audio & Routing before deciding Microphone is unavailable.

If the connection still does not behave normally, Apple recommends making sure the paired device is up to date. For an ordinary restart of AirPods earbuds or AirPods Pro, place them in the case and close the lid for at least 10 seconds, then reconnect and check again.

Only one earbud is worn and people cannot hear you

Check whether Microphone is fixed to the other earbud. Apple states that the forced selection remains in effect even when that earbud is removed or put in the case.

Select Automatically Switch AirPods, or deliberately choose the side you are wearing. Then check the actual call input and mute state. Automatic selection is usually more convenient if you routinely change ears.

One side sounds muffled or unusually quiet

Compare left and right in the same quiet environment. Check the microphone and speaker meshes for visible debris, and use Apple's cleaning guide for the appropriate AirPods model, including its link to the AirPods Pro instructions when applicable.

Do not run the earbuds under water or use sharp or abrasive tools. Follow the exact model's cleaning and drying instructions rather than applying a generic internet cleaning trick to every AirPod.

Also check the app's mute status, input selection, and microphone permission if it requests access. On Mac, review input volume where that control is available. A low app input level and a defective earbud are different problems.

One AirPod drains faster

Battery reports alone do not establish which microphone is faulty. Apple's description of automatic microphone selection does not promise equal battery drain or equal charge cycles.

Use our AirPods battery guide to inspect charge. Apple's one-sided AirPod troubleshooting also recommends checking that each earbud is charging with a charged case. Address a charging problem before relying on a nearly empty earbud as the fixed microphone.

Music quality drops on Mac when the microphone is used

Apple explains that Bluetooth headphones can switch from higher-quality listening to a mode that supports both speaking and listening. That switch can reduce playback quality and volume.

Its Bluetooth sound-quality guidance recommends quitting apps that use the headset microphone and closing Sound settings when they are showing the input controls. If needed, open Control Center > Sound, select the internal speakers, then reselect the headphones.

Choosing Always Left instead of Always Right does not eliminate this Bluetooth mode change. If you need a separate microphone, review the Mac input/output method above.

Restarting does not resolve the problem

Use Apple's restart, unpair, and reset instructions for your specific model. Forget This Device removes the AirPods from devices signed in to the same Apple Account, and you must pair them again afterward. A factory reset is a later recovery step, not a requirement for changing the microphone side.

Reset controls differ between generations, so avoid applying a case-button procedure to a model with different controls. Contact Apple for service if a microphone remains unusable after the relevant checks.

Frequently asked questions

Does only the right AirPod have a microphone?

No. Apple states that each AirPod has a microphone. You can choose the left side, the right side, or automatic selection.

Does changing the microphone affect which ear hears sound?

The setting chooses voice input within the pair. It is not the left/right audio Balance slider and does not select a different playback speaker.

Will Voice Isolation fix a broken AirPod microphone?

Voice Isolation changes supported apps' voice processing; it does not repair hardware. Apple's requirements differ by activity: phone-call support begins with iOS 16.4, while supported recording-app use requires iOS 26 or later. Check Apple's Mic Mode guide for the device and app requirements. Do not confuse a gain slider for supported wired microphones with a universal AirPods microphone-volume control.

How do I undo Always Left or Always Right?

Return to Settings > your AirPods > Microphone, using Audio & Routing first if needed, and select Automatically Switch AirPods. On Mac, use the AirPods page in System Settings and choose the same automatic option.

Choose the microphone behavior that matches how you wear the AirPods, then verify the input in the app you actually use. If you only needed a temporary comparison, restore automatic selection afterward.