People using AirPods had quite a bit to be excited about at WWDC 2021. With iOS 15 coming to iPhones, AirPods are getting useful new features like Conversation Boost on AirPods Pro, and even spatial audio as well as lossless audio support coming to Apple Music. Plus, your AirPods can now announce notifications for you, even when your iPhone is locked. It is quite useful, and if you are wondering how to set up “Announce Notifications” on AirPods in iOS 15, we have you covered.
Announce Notifications Using Siri on AirPods (2021)
In this article, we have detailed how to enable the “Announce Notifications” feature by default and for specific apps. We have also mentioned how you can use Siri to reply to these notifications, that too without confirmation. So let’s dive in.
How to Enable Announce Notifications on AirPods in iOS 15
If you often work with your AirPods in your ears, the announce notifications feature is definitely going to prove useful to you. Here’s how you can enable the feature on your AirPods in iOS 15.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings -> Notifications. Tap on “Announce Notifications” under the Siri section.
- Then, enable the toggle to turn on announce notifications, and that’s it.
Your AirPods will now read out notifications as they come in on your iPhone. It is a useful new addition, and I think you will enjoy using it as well. Plus, it is customizable, and you can adjust the settings to fit your use-case exactly.
Enable Notification Announcement for Specific Apps on AirPods
By default, iOS 15 enables “Announce Notifications” for apps that usually send you time-sensitive notifications. You know, things like the Messages app and Calendar. However, if you are like me, you probably get time-sensitive alerts from apps like Instagram and Slack as well. Fortunately, you can enable the feature for any app you like. Here’s how to do that.
- Go to Settings -> Notifications. Tap on “Announce Notifications“.
- You will now see a list of all your apps. Simply tap on the app you want to enable the notification announcement feature for. I’m going to enable it for Slack in this example. First, tap on the name of the app, and then tap on “Announce Notifications”.
That’s it. Your AirPods will now read out notifications from Slack as well. Or, in your case, the app you have enabled the feature for.
Pro-tip: You can reply to notifications from apps like Messages directly from your AirPods. Just say “Reply” when Siri reads out the notification, and then speak out your response.
How to Reply to Notifications without Confirmation on AirPods
By default, if you reply to a notification via your AirPods, Siri will read out your response for confirmation before it sends the message. This is useful to avoid any incorrect speech-to-text results from Siri. However, if you’re confident enough, you can disable this confirmation to get a more seamless experience.
- Go to Settings -> Notifications. Tap on “Announce Notifications“.
- Then, enable the toggle next to “Reply without Confirmation“. That’s it.
That’s it, you can now feel a little bit more like Tony Stark (or Batman from The Lego Batman Movie) and reply to your notifications by telling your virtual assistant to do so for you.
AirPods Compatible with Announce Notifications in iOS 15
Here’s the list of AirPods compatible with the “Announce Notifications” feature in iOS 15:
- second-gen AirPods
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods Max
Keep Track of Your Notifications in iOS 15 without Picking Up Your iPhone
I have been using the “Announce Notifications” feature with my AirPods Pro and iPhone XR ever since I installed iOS 15 on my iPhone, and it works well. It is an easy way to keep track of important notifications, especially while I’m busy working, and I don’t want to look at my phone every time it lights up. What about you? Are you going to use “Announce Notifications” on your AirPods? Let me know in the comments below.
