This App Allows You to Use All the Features of Your AirPods on Any Android Device.
Apple AirPods have always supported Bluetooth, so you can connect them to any phone, tablet, or computer—regardless of whether they’re Apple-made—for basic audio listening. However, until now, accessing the full range of features, including head gesture control and everything else , required using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
That’s all changed with the arrival of LibrePods , an app launched a couple of years ago but now available in the Google Play Store . Previously, LibrePods required jailbreaking your Android device and installing it manually. Now, that’s no longer necessary—you can install it like any regular Android app.
According to developer Kavish Dewar, Google recently fixed an issue with the Bluetooth stack in Android and released the update alongside Android 16 QPR3. This means jailbreaking is no longer required, though you’ll need a phone running the Android 16 QPR3 update. Currently, this means Google Pixel, OnePlus, Oppo, or Realme devices. As the Android update rolls out to other phones, including Samsung Galaxy smartphones , they will also be able to use LibrePods.
AirPods features available in LibrePods for Android include head gesture control (allowing you to answer or decline calls with a nod or shake of your head), noise-canceling modes (controlling the amount of external sound leakage), in-ear position detection, more accurate battery level reporting, and conversation detection (which causes AirPods audio to cut out while you’re talking to someone). Please note that some of these features, including head gesture control and conversation detection, require a one-time in-app purchase of $4.99. You can see the differences between the free and paid versions of the app on the main Settings screen—to do this, tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the app’s home page.
How to customize settings in LibrePods
The app should work with all AirPods models, but you’ll first need to pair the headphones via Bluetooth. For example, on a Pixel phone, go to Settings, then tap Paired Devices > Pair New Device . You’ll also need to press the pairing button on the AirPods case or double-tap the case, depending on your AirPods model . Once your AirPods are connected to your Android phone via Bluetooth, LibrePods should see them, but the headphone options will only appear when the AirPods are actively connected—so you may need to remove them from the case.
Navigating the app is very simple. Right from the main screen, you can switch between listening modes, if available on your AirPods: Transparency (allows outside noise to pass through), Active Noise Cancellation (blocks outside noise), and Adaptive (automatically balances between the other two modes). You can customize the action performed by pressing and holding the left or right AirPod—you can even launch Gemini if you like—and you can also configure which AirPod microphone is used by default.
Tap “Head Gestures” to enable this feature (if you’ve purchased it). You can adjust the sensitivity of the gestures you need to suit your preferences and practice recognizing them. For example, if you have to use aggressive and expressive gestures for this feature to work, you can increase the sensitivity here. Additional options can be found by tapping the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the AirPods information screen: you can enable a widget on the home screen to display battery information, choose a volume reduction level for better conversational clarity, and choose whether media playback should automatically connect to your AirPods.