Apple AirPods are some of the best-made and best-sounding wireless earphones on the market. They may come at a premium, but they’ve got long-term value. And, above all, like most Apple devices, they are made to be easy to understand and use.
One of the greatest features of all Apple products is personalization. When it comes to your Bluetooth devices, this can extend to custom sound profiles and operation settings. But, also to the actual name of the device on your Bluetooth devices list.
In this article, I will be taking a look at how to rename AirPods on iOS, Android & Windows devices so that they appear with the name you want when you view them on your phone or tablet. So, let’s get started.
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The Default Naming Convention
When pairing AirPods to a device for the first time, the device’s default for naming is as follows.
If your smartphone or tablet has been given a name (for example, “Peter”), then the AirPods will automatically use that name.
This is one of the great intuitive features that make Apple products so popular. But, it can cause problems when you want to sell the AirPods. Or if you’ve bought a pair second-hand and the previous owner’s name is still linked to your device.
Luckily, it’s easy to take care of this problem so let’s dive right in.
Renaming AirPods on iOS and Mac Devices
Rest assured, renaming your AirPods using an iOS device or a Mac will be quick and easy.
iPhone and iPad
The process for renaming AirPods will be a bit different for each source device. But, the iPhone and iPad offer the easiest and fastest way of renaming AirPods. This is not surprising since the two products are made by the same company. Here’s what you need to do:
- Start by making sure the devices are connected. Open the Settings app on your device.
- Navigate to Bluetooth and tap to “open.”
- Tap on the “i” icon displayed next to your device’s name on the list.
- Tap on “Name” and rename your device to whatever you choose.
Mac
Just like iOS devices, Mac devices come from the same parent company as the AirPods. Therefore, customizing and using your AirPods with a Mac is a fast, easy, and personalized experience. Among the many options and features available to you is the ability to rename your AirPods.
Here’s how to rename your AirPods on a Mac device:
- Open System Preferences on your Mac by clicking on the Apple Icon at the top left of the screen.
- Click on the Bluetooth icon to open the Bluetooth settings.
- Your devices will be listed on the right. Then right-click on your AirPods and select “rename” from the drop-down menu.
- Then type in your new name for the AirPods and then click on “Rename.”
Renaming AirPods on Android and Windows Devices
Yes, some AirPod features such as Siri, automatic in-ear detection, and customizable double-tap gestures are not available when paired with Android or Windows devices. Luckily, renaming AirPods on an Android device is within your grasp and not very hard to do.
Important note: Chrome OS doesn’t offer a renaming feature for AirPods.
Now, let’s take a look at how to rename AirPods on Android devices.
Android
Renaming your AirPods on an Android device is surprisingly similar to renaming them on an iOS device:
- Start by opening the Settings app and navigating to Connections, then tap on Bluetooth.
- You will see a list of devices paired with your phone or tablet. Tap on the “More” icon next to the AirPods (often, it will be a gear icon).
- Tap on the “pencil” icon to rename your AirPods, then tap it again when you’re done.
Windows 10 Devices
When learning how to rename AirPods on iOS, Android & Windows devices, the latter is the most tedious. But, it is still quite simple, as long as the Windows 10 device has Bluetooth.
Furthermore, note that you can follow these steps to rename any Bluetooth device connected to your Windows 10 PC. Not just your Apple AirPods.
Let’s learn how to rename AirPods on Windows 10:
- Start by opening the Control Panel from the start menu. Open the start menu by clicking the windows icon on the taskbar (by default, at the bottom left of the screen).
- Once the Control Panel is open, select Hardware and Sound. If you don’t see this listed among the options, click the sorting button at the top right and change it from “Large Icons” to “Category.”
- Click on “Devices and Printers.”
- Your AirPods will be among the displayed devices; right click on them and click on “properties.”
- Click on the Bluetooth tab at the top of the window, and then click inside the naming field to rename your AirPods to whatever you choose.
The AirPods Name Keeps Changing Back to the Original?
Some users have reported that despite following the steps above, the AirPods still change back to their old name. After doing some digging, I was unable to come up with a reason why this happens. But, I did manage to find some solutions to this strange problem.
The first thing you can try is to perform a factory reset of your AirPods. This erases all connections from the device’s memory.
The factory reset also helped to clear up memory issues and glitches that can occur with AirPods now and then. Performing a reset is a good way of unscrambling the device’s memory and ensuring a clean and seamless connection.
Factory Reset
Here’s how to erase your AirPods from your device’s memory. And, how to reset your AirPods:
- Start by opening the Settings App and navigating to Bluetooth, then tap to open the Bluetooth settings.
- Find your AirPods among the listed devices, and then tap on the “i” icon to open more options.
- At the very bottom of the page, you should see the option “Forget this device,” then tap on it.
- With both the AirPods inside the case, press and hold the setup button on the back for at least fifteen seconds.
- Once the light flashes from amber to white, the reset is complete.
- Try reconnecting your AirPods to your device and see if the renaming now remains.
One more option…
If you are still having trouble getting your new name to stay on the AirPods, you can try one last trick. Add a blank space after the name you choose for your AirPods, and then save it like that.
I have no idea why, but in some cases, this has solved the problem. Unfortunately, Apple has not yet supplied a reason for this strange glitch.
Need More Help With Your AirPods?
If so, take a look at our handy articles on How to Make Your AirPods Louder, AirPods Connected But No Sound, What’s The Difference Between AirPods 1 and 2, Can I Use Two Different AirPods, and AirPods Blinking Orange? How to Fix It for more useful information.
Also, check out our in-depth reviews of the Best AirPods Alternative, the Best Apple AirPods Pro Alternatives, the Best iPhone Earbuds, the Most Comfortable Earbuds, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, and the Best True Wireless Earbuds that you can buy in 2023.
How to Rename AirPods on iOS, Android & Windows Devices – Final Thoughts
There you have it, a complete guide to renaming AirPods on various devices. As I said, this is never a complicated or hard process, and it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two at most.
Just remember that you can un-pair and reset your AirPods should you have some trouble with renaming them. And, if all else fails, the mysterious blank space after the name is a trick worth trying.
Until next time, happy listening.
