How to Change Your AirPods Pro Tips to Find the Best Fit

Our tried-and-true guide on swapping AirPods Pro ear tips, even the ones that seem impossible to take off.

AirPods Pro (1 & 2) come with medium-sized tips installed by default. But if that’s not a good fit for your ears, Apple also included replacement tips in different sizes in the box.

Unfortunately, many users struggle to replace the default ear tips. In fact, some even reported breaking their ear tips or peeling their nails while attempting this.

Though it may seem tricky, changing the tips on the AirPods Pro is actually as simple as pulling them off. But if you’re unsure, this guide will teach you how to do that safely, plus some extra tricks for stubborn ear tips. Read on!

How to Change the AirPods Pro Ear Tips

Unlike typical ear tips that simply wrap around the tip of the earbuds, AirPods Pro ear tips have a clipping mechanism to secure them in place. That’s why it’s understandable to be unfamiliar with how the mechanism works, especially if this is your first time trying to swap your AirPods Pro tips.

No worries! You can follow these steps to replace the ear tips on your AirPods Pro:

1. Hold the AirPod by the seam on the head. This prevents your AirPods from splitting in half.

   

2. Gently pull the existing ear tip off the AirPod by holding onto the base of the tip and pulling it straight off.
   Make sure to hold on to the base. The soft part of the ear tip is made from silicone, which is more prone to tearing. On the other hand, the base is made from plastic – which is less likely to get damaged.

   

3. Take the new ear tip and align the indentation with the ridges on the AirPod.

   

4. Gently press the ear tip onto the earbud until it clicks into place. 
   If the ear tip is not properly aligned, it won’t click into place.

   

5. Repeat the steps for the other AirPod.

Can’t Remove AirPods Pro Ear Tips? Here’s a Nifty Trick

The pre-installed ear tips are firmly installed; and this is likely intentional to prevent them from accidentally falling off. So, it’s understandable that you’ll have difficulty removing them for the first time.

Some users have even ripped their ear tips while trying to pry them out. But fret not. Here are some nifty tips to get those stubborn ear tips off your AirPods Pro:

Use a paper towel

When they’re brand new, the silicone surface on the ear tips can be pretty slick and difficult to grip. Luckily, a thick, textured paper towel is an easy solution to the slippery surface problem.

Here’s how you can use a paper towel to remove stuck AirPods Pro ear tips:

1. Wrap a paper towel around the silicone ear tip.

   

2. Firmly hold the AirPod by the seam on the head.

   

3. Grab the ear tip firmly and simply pull it away.

   

4. Repeat the same steps for the other ear tip if necessary.

Use a thin knife

If you’ve tried everything but the ear tips still won’t budge, it may mean your ear tips are somehow stuck to the base of the AirPods, requiring some force to remove them. If so, you can try prying them off using a thin knife.

Here’s how to use a thin knife to remove stuck AirPods Pro ear tips:

1. While holding the earbud by the seam on the head, peel away the silicone part of the ear tip to expose the plastic base.

   

2. Firmly tug on the ear tip until you see a slight opening between the base of the ear tip and the head of the AirPod.
   For this step, make sure you don’t pull too hard to avoid tearing your ear tip.

   

3. Using a thin knife, pry on the opening while slowly rotating the earbud.
   You can use an exacto knife or a retractable box cutter for this.

   

4. Once done, try pulling away the ear tip to see if you can remove it.

   

5. If it’s still stuck, repeat steps 3 and 4.

How to Use the AirPods Ear Tip Fit Test to Find Your Perfect Fit

After replacing the ear tips on your AirPods Pro, try them on and run the Ear Tip Fit Test. This feature measures how well the ear tips fit in your ears. The better the fit, the better sound quality and noise cancellation you’ll get from your AirPods Pro.

Here’s how you can use the Ear Tip Fit Test using an iPhone or iPad:

1. Connect your AirPods Pro to your device and put them in your ears.
   If you experience problems connecting your AirPods, read our guide on fixing AirPods that won’t connect to iPhone or iPad.
2. Go to Settings, then select Bluetooth.

   

3. Tap the “i” button next to your AirPods Pro’s name.

   

4. Select the Ear Tip Fit Test, then tap Continue.

   

5. On the next screen, tap the Play button.

   

6. Wait for the test to run, then check on the test result.

   

If your ear tip already has the best fit, you should have the “Good Seal” result. Otherwise, you’ll get the “Adjust or Try a Different Ear Tip” result. For the latter, try adjusting the position of your AirPods and rerunning the test. If the result remains the same, you should swap the ear tip for one of a different size.

AirPods Pro come with three ear tip sizes (small, medium, and large), whereas AirPods Pro 2 come with four (extra small, small, medium, and large). Make sure you try all of them to find the best sound isolation and fit for you.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned the tricks, you should be able to replace your AirPods Pro tips and find the best fit and seal for your ears. Since they fit your ears better, you should also have better sound quality and noise cancellation from your AirPods Pro.

What do you think of the (sometimes) tricky replacement methods for the AirPods Pro ear tips? We know some users struggle with removing the installed tip—let us know your thoughts in the comments!