How to prevent AirPods from falling out of your ears

If your AirPods keep falling out of your ears and yours comes with three different sizes of ear tips, you may need to switch between them until you find the best one for you. If your AirPods are still coming loose, then a pair of aftermarket ear hooks should do the trick.

Do your AirPods or AirPods Pro keep falling out of your ears? They can be slippery headphones, especially when you sweat or move around. The smooth plastic and soft silicone aren’t particularly grippy, so you may need to take matters into your own hands to prevent your AirPods from falling out.

Pick the right tip size (and try it on)

AirPods Pro and 3rd generation AirPods come with interchangeable tips in three sizes. These fit your AirPods with a bit of force as it is important to make a firm seal with the ear canal for sound isolation purposes.

You should be able to tell if your current AirPods tips are the right size for you. If they frequently fall over even when standing still, consider upsizing them. If they are too tight and hard to get into your ears, move down. To be sure, place your AirPods in your ears and head to Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the “i” next to your AirPods model.

On the next screen, tap on “Ear Tip Fit Test” to start the test.

Prevent your AirPods from falling out of the ear hooks

The most reliable way to keep your AirPods in your ears is to invest in some ear hooks. They are usually made of soft silicone and slide over the entire earpiece, with a protruding “hook” that holds the earpiece in place. Apple includes hooks with some Beats headphone models, but none of its AirPods models.

The worst thing about the ear hooks is that you’ll have to take them on and off every time you want to use your AirPods, since your earbuds won’t fit in the charging case with them on. This isn’t much of a problem if you only need them for a strenuous activity, like a gym session or while you’re out for a run.

AirPods hooks are not interchangeable. You’ll need different hooks whether you have 1st or 2nd generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, or 3rd generation AirPods. For standard AirPods (1st or 2nd generation), consider something like the EarBuddyz 2.0 Ear Hooks.

For AirPods Pro models (both 1st and 2nd generation), the AhaStyle AirPods Pro Ear Hooks perform a similar function. For 3rd generation AirPods models, Proof Labs AirPods 3 Ear Hooks will do the job.

There are also over-the-ear hooks that perform a similar function but are a bit intrusive. elago’s ear hooks fit any AirPods model, including AirPods Pro and 3rd generation.

Over-the-ear models are less compatible with ear jewelry, glasses, headbands, and more. They are also a little more intrusive and take more getting used to compared to soft silicone hooks.

Other things you can try

If you’re still having trouble, you can try other things to prevent your AirPods from falling out. Some users have had success with:

• Wearing AirPods backwards, using the “stem” as an ear hook.
• Replacing the silicone tips on AirPods Pro with memory foam tips, like the ones from Comply.
• Apply small dots of waterproof tape to your AirPods (avoid covering the sensors or microphone holes).

everyone’s ears are different

Ear hooks are just one of the aftermarket AirPods accessories you might want to invest in to get the most out of your expensive headphones. You may find them necessary because there is no single perfect approach to in-ear headphones. You can also invest in a strap or memory foam tips for extra comfort and fit.

Since everyone’s ears are different, Apple released custom spatial audio with iOS 16 to make your Dolby Atmos experience a little more personal.