Hi Melsgirl420,
For help with changing the audio settings, check the information below found in the article here: Play audio on AirPods (3rd generation)
"Play and pause audio
- Wear one or both AirPods, and make sure they’re connected to your device.
- Open an audio app, then play something. For example, you can play a song in Apple Music, or listen to an audiobook in the Books app .
- To pause audio while listening with both AirPods, remove one. When you return it to your ear, playback resumes automatically.
If you don’t want AirPods to automatically play and stop the audio, you can Change how you end a call with your AirPods.
Stop the audio
Remove both AirPods from your ears, or if you’re wearing just one, remove it."
You can also view helpful information here: Change settings for AirPods (3rd generation)
If a normal restart of all devices doesn't resolve the issue or work as expected according to the information above, reach out to Apple Support directly to further assist.
Contact Apple Support
Contact Apple for support and service
Cheers.