How to Skip on AirPods Pro: What Most People Get Wrong

You’re walking down the street, a song starts playing that you’ve heard a thousand times too many, and you reach up to tap your ear. Nothing happens. You tap harder. Still nothing. If you’ve switched from the original plastic-stemmed AirPods to the Pros, you've probably realized that the old "tapping" method is basically dead.

Honestly, it’s one of the most frustrating things for new owners. You feel like you’re poking your brain for no reason. The truth is, the way you skip on AirPods Pro is fundamentally different because there are no actual buttons. It’s all about pressure and timing.

Whether you’re rocking the original Pros, the USB-C version, or the latest AirPods Pro 3 (which, let’s be real, have some of the weirdest haptic feedback yet), the mechanics are almost identical. But there are a few nuances that most people miss, especially when it comes to customization and using Siri.

The "Squeeze" vs. The "Tap"

The biggest hurdle is the hardware. On the standard AirPods (1st and 2nd Gen), you actually tapped the outer casing. On the AirPods Pro, that does absolutely nothing. Instead, you have to look for the Force Sensor.

It’s that little indented, flat rectangular area on the stem of either earbud.

To skip forward, you need to double-press that sensor. It’s not a tap; it’s a quick, firm squeeze. You’ll hear a tiny "click" sound in your ear—it’s not a real physical click, but a software-generated sound to let you know you did it right.

If you want to go back to the previous track, it’s a triple-press. 1-2-3. Quick.

Why your skips aren't registering

Sometimes you squeeze and the music just pauses. This usually happens because your timing is off. If you’re too slow between the first and second press, the AirPods think you just wanted to pause the music.

• Pro tip: Think of the rhythm like a heartbeat. Lub-dub. If there’s a long gap, it’s just a pause.
• The "Cold Weather" issue: If you're wearing thick gloves, the force sensor might not pick up the pressure correctly. You sort of need that skin-to-plastic contact or a very specific type of capacitive glove to make it work reliably.

Customizing your controls (Yes, you can do that)

Apple is kinda famous for not letting you change much, but you actually have some wiggle room here. While you can't change "double-press to skip" to something else, you can change what happens when you press and hold.

By default, holding the stem toggles between Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. But if you’re a power user, you might want one earbud to trigger Siri instead.

1. Pop your AirPods in your ears.
2. Open Settings on your iPhone.
3. Tap your AirPods name (it usually shows up right at the top now).
4. Look for the "Press and Hold" section.
5. Select Left or Right to change the behavior.

I usually keep my right one for noise control and set the left one to Siri. That way, if my hands are full of groceries and I need to skip a track without fumbling with the stem, I just hold the left stem and say "Skip."

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Hands-free skipping with Siri

Speaking of Siri, it’s actually the most underrated way to manage your music. If you have "Hey Siri" (or just "Siri" on newer firmware) enabled, you don't even have to touch your ears.

Just say: "Siri, skip this song."

It works across almost every app—Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, even YouTube (though YouTube can be a bit finicky depending on if you have Premium or not).

What about the AirPods Pro 2 and 3 volume swipe?

If you have the 2nd Gen or the newer 3rd Gen Pros, you’ve got a "Touch control" area on the stem that also handles volume. This is where people get confused. They try to swipe to skip.

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Swiping up or down only changes the volume. You still have to squeeze to skip.

However, in some of the latest software updates (iOS 18 and beyond), Apple introduced Head Gestures. This is wild. If Siri asks if you want to skip a track or answer a call, you can literally just shake your head "no" to skip it. It feels a bit ridiculous doing it in public, but for working out? It’s a lifesaver.

Troubleshooting: When skipping stops working

If your AirPods Pro suddenly stop responding to your squeezes, don't panic. It's usually a software glitch or a fit issue.

• Check the Fit: If the AirPods aren't seated deeply enough in your ear, the sensor sometimes gets confused about whether it’s being pressed or just moved. Run the "Ear Tip Fit Test" in your Bluetooth settings.
• The "One-Ear" Limitation: If you’re only wearing one AirPod, the controls still work, but sometimes the "triple-press to go back" is disabled by default unless you toggle the "Noise Cancellation with One AirPod" setting in Accessibility.
• Dirty Sensors: Oils from your skin can build up on that flat indentation. Wipe the stems down with a slightly damp (not wet!) cloth. You'd be surprised how much a little grime can mess with the capacitive touch.

Actionable Steps for Better Control

• Practice the "Double-Squeeze": Sit down for a minute and just practice the double-press rhythm until you hear the double-click every single time.
• Adjust Press Speed: If you find yourself accidentally pausing instead of skipping, go to Settings > Accessibility > AirPods and change the Press Speed to "Slow" or "Slower." This gives you a wider window of time to land those double and triple clicks.
• Clean them weekly: Use a microfiber cloth to keep the force sensors clear of earwax and oils.
• Update your Firmware: Apple pushes updates silently. To force it, put your AirPods in the charging case, plug the case into power, and leave it next to your iPhone for 30 minutes.

The jump from tapping to squeezing is a bit of a learning curve, but once your muscle memory kicks in, it’s much more reliable than the old way. You won't miss the sound of someone drumming on your ear canal, trust me.