AirPods on Android just got a massive upgrade thanks to this free App

New Delhi: A new Android app, LibrePods, is finally unlocking AirPods and AirPods Pro features, which were formerly reserved only for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The open-source and free tool has made it possible to take advantage of advanced features such as ANC modes, ear detection, gesture controls, and detailed battery statistics, which were not available or restricted on Android. To the millions of users of AirPods who use non-Apple, this is a significant move towards breaking down the Apple ecosystem wall.

Android phone users are required to root their phones in order to have the complete package of features. When you are without root, then there are only a few choices, unless you are using OPPO or OnePlus, which have a few extras. Nevertheless, LibrePods is much more than its predecessor community-based efforts such as OpenPods, giving it more customisation and revealing the secrets of Apple ecosystem accessibility that would otherwise be locked away.

LibrePods allows adjusting Noise Cancellation, Adaptive, and Transparency. It also comes with Conversational Awareness, which reduces the volume when you begin talking. Ear detection that enables auto play-pause, hands-free controls to answer calls with a head gesture, and accurate battery status of each bud and the charging case are also features for the users. You are even allowed to rename your AirPods and to reassign long-press features.

The application uncovers sophisticated accessibility options like customisable transparency and hearing-assist options like Apple's Conversation Boost. These choices are based on proprietary BLE commands of the H1 and H2 chips, which have now been emulated by LibrePods on Android and Linux.

In order to be a complete imitation of an Apple device, LibrePods requires root access and the Xposed or LSPosed framework. This enables the application to read Bluetooth communication and trick the AirPods into thinking that it is connected to an iPhone. Most high-level features are locked out without root. Rooting, though, is risky; it has warranty problems as well as the possibility of failure with banking apps and DRM apps.

Users of Pixel and Galaxy phones who have been early adopters have reported that Magisk and LSPosed work well with their rooted phones. Although not all will be the same across the manufacturers, LibrePods will provide the full AirPods experience but on Android.