AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max all support volume control via swipe gestures. If you are unable to adjust the volume directly from your AirPods, you can follow the instructions below.
AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max all support volume control. Simply swipe up or down on the body of your AirPods Pro 2 or Pro 3 to increase or decrease the volume. If you are unable to adjust the volume directly from your supported AirPods, you can follow the troubleshooting steps below.
Guide to fixing volume control swipe errors on AirPods
Check the volume swipe control settings.
Although the volume adjustment feature via swiping on the AirPods stem is enabled by default, you might sometimes accidentally turn this setting off.
Connect your AirPods to your phone, then tap Settings and select Accessibility . Next, tap AirPods, scroll down, and turn on Volume Swipe in the Volume Control section if it's currently off.
You can also choose the waiting time between swipes: Default, Longer, or Longest.
Place AirPods in the charging case.
Place both AirPods Pro earbuds into the charging case and close the lid for about 15 seconds. AirPods Max, however, need to be plugged in for charging.
Restart the connected device.
We turn off the connected device and then turn it back on. Then, reconnect the AirPods Pro 2 or 3 and check if the swipe gestures for adjusting the volume are working.
Forget and re-pair with AirPods.
If the above tips don't work, we'll remove the AirPods from the list of connected devices. After removing the device, place the AirPods in the charging case and pair them again from scratch.
Restore AirPods to factory settings.
If you still can't adjust the volume of your AirPods by swiping, you need to factory reset your AirPods and remove them from your Apple account. Then, pair your AirPods again, and you should be able to increase or decrease the volume by swiping.